GOPHERS OPEN SEASON THURSDAY
The University of Minnesota men’s basketball program opens the 2026-27 season with an exhibition Thursday night vs. Omaha. The Golden Gophers and Mavericks play at 7 p.m. at the Barn by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. The game will be streamed on B1G+.
SEASON PREVIEW
• Head coach Niko Medved enters his second year at the helm of Golden Gopher men’s basketball. In his first year with the Gophers, Medved constructed a roster of just two returners and 13 newcomers and guided them to a 15-18 overall record. Minnesota finished 8-12 in the Big Ten, placing the Gophers 11th in the league standings. Of those eight wins, three came against ranked opponents. Riddled with injuries last season, Minnesota played with seven players at the end of the season and still maintained an eight-win Big Ten season. Minnesota was also invited to postseason play as the Gophers competed in the College Basketball Crown in Las Vegas.
• The Golden Gophers return a core group of Jaylen Crocker-Johnson, Isaac Asuma, Bobby Durkin and Grayson Grove, who all started in over 20 games for Minnesota. At the same time, Kai Shinholster came off the bench to average 13 minutes a game. Minnesota returns nearly 53 percent of last year’s scoring production.
ABOUT THE NEWCOMERS
• Minnesota welcomes nine new additions to the 2026-27 roster. The Gophers added transfers Kyan Evans, Malachi Palmer, Nolan Groves, Malick Kordel, Winters Grady and four freshmen: Nolen Anderson, Blake Nixon Jr., Chadrack Mpoyi and Cedric Tomes.
Gopher forward Nolan Anderson joined MNN sports director Mike Grimm:
Nolen Anderson
THE BARN BY BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD OF MINNESOTA
• Honoring tradition while embracing a vibrant future, the basketball arena at the university’s Twin Cities campus will officially be recognized by its beloved nickname, “The Barn.” With support from Blue Cross, The Barn will continue to serve as the home for Gopher basketball. Together, Blue Cross and the University are building on their shared Minnesota roots to ensure The Barn continues to thrive as a hub for campus and community connection for generations to come.
• The home of Gopher basketball originally opened in 1928 as the Minnesota Field House. It was known as Williams Arena from 1950 – 2026 and will now be known as The Barn by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota.
ABOUT OMAHA
• Omaha is coming off a 16-17 record from a year ago. The Mavericks were predicted to finish fourth in the Summit League Preseason Coaches poll.
• Head coach Chris Crutchfield is in his fifth year at the helm of the Omaha program. He led the Mavericks to their first NCAA men’s basketball tournament in school history in 2025.
• Senior guard Grant Stubblefield was named to the Preseason All-Summit League Second Team. Stubblefield made 22 starts and played in 26 games last season, leading Omaha with 3.3 assists per game while averaging 9.3 points per game. Stubblefield also received academic awards last year.
• The Mavericks welcome 10 newcomers to the mix this season, including transfers Deke Thompson (Texas State), Heri Bukinga (Drake), Cahmai Crosby (North Texas), Dace Pleasant (Howard), Chris Dockery (Kansas City), Justin Bolis (Nebraska), Cory Curtis Jr. (View Park Prep) and three freshmen: Ethan Sheats, Jonny Jordan Jr. and Gavin Baker.
• Minnesota and Omaha last played against each other on Nov. 9, 2024, when the Gophers won, 68-64 at the Barn.
ON THE DOCKET
• Minnesota is on the road for its second and final exhibition when it travels to Creighton on Friday, Oct. 23. Game time is at 7:30 p.m. and will be streamed on Creighton’s YouTube channel.
(info and photos courtesy of Gopher Sports)
