The Gophers men’s basketball program went into the season with six seniors but will honor only four during Saturday night’s final regular-season game against Northwestern at Williams Arena.
Season-ending injuries to point guard Chansey Willis and center Robert Vaihola should lead to eligibility next year, meaning four active seniors will have their swan song at The Barn: starters Cade Tyson and Langston Reynolds, and backups Maximus Gizzi and RJ Spencer.
Reynolds stepped into a bigger role without Willis, while Tyson led the team in scoring all season. Given the rash of injuries, they both played nearly every minute to close the season.
“It’s kind of created a unique legacy for these guys,” head coach Niko Medved said Friday. “We really talked about coming into here and setting a culture we want Gopher basketball to look like. Could we get more people excited about the program? Through all this, they have been able to do it.”
Reynolds, a Northern Colorado transfer, called it a “dream” senior season, including a point guard role he hadn’t played since high school at Colorado Prep in Denver.
“Talking on that role was big for me, just showing how versatile I can be, which kind of surprised myself, honestly,” he said.
The Gophers (14-16, 7-12 Big Ten) will be seeded between Nos. 11 and 13 in the Big Ten tournament in Chicago next week. They will have a first-round bye, while Northwestern (13-17, 5-14) will be looking for a win Saturday to help them avoid a first-round game in the conference tourney on Tuesday.
Fighting through it
The Gophers’ rotation is down to six players but a few of them are playing hurt, including post player Grayson Grove, who is dealing with a nagging shoulder injury. Other teammates are literally limping along.
“It’s hard,” Medved said. “Unless you are in it ever day. I know it’s been documented, and you say it, but I still don’t think people realize what we’ve asked of this crew. … A lot of people have nicks and bruises and all that. I think the unique thing here is we can’t really sub and we got to keep them going. They are really showing a ton of heart.”
The amount of current players playing hurt has cast doubt on whether the Gophers would accept a spot in the National Invitational Tournament (NIT), if that postseason opportunity comes up after the conference tourney.
‘Shoe-ins’
Once the season ends, the Gophers plan to apply for medical redshirts on behalf of Willis and Vaihola. If granted, they would receive an added year of eligibility for 2026-27.
“They are shoe-ins to do that,” Medved said. “Based on my experience, those are pretty clear and cut. I feel like those guys would get an extra year.”
Turner out
Back-up center Nehemiah Turner is no longer with the Gophers program, Medved said Friday.
“For him and for us, it was just best that he focuses on what is next,” Medved said.
Turner, a sophomore transfer from Central Arkansas, appeared in only seven games for the U. His last game was against Campbell on Dec. 21.
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