University of Minnesota basketball standout Dawson Garcia announced his return to the Golden Gophers program through the university’s social media channels. Garcia is electing to use his COVID year for the 2024-25 season and will return to the Gophers for his fifth and final year of eligibility.
“I take extreme pride and gratitude in wearing “Minnesota” across my chest,” Garcia said. “I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to run it back one last time and represent this state. Let’s make it a special year Gopher nation!”
Garcia, a forward from Savage, Minn., led the Golden Gophers in nearly every statistical category this past season. A Second/Third Team All-Big Ten selection, Garcia led the team in points (545), points per game (17.6), rebounds (207), rebounds per game (6.7), free throws attempted (177), free throws made (142) and free throw percentage (.802).
He ranked second on the team in minutes played, averaging 32 per contest, and he started all 31 games he participated in this past season. Garcia shot 48.6 percent from the field and had 28 double-digit games, 12 20-point games, and three 30-point performances, while leading the team in scoring in 17 games.
Garcia was also named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Second Team All-District Team, the first Gopher to receive this honor since Daniel Oturu in 2020. Garcia was also an Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
In his two years at Minnesota, Garcia has scored 943 points and recorded 380 rebounds. Throughout his four-year collegiate career, the former McDonald’s All-American has scored 1,438 points, averaged 14.4 points per game and 647 rebounds.
(info and photo courtesy of Gopher Sports)
