Head coach Ben Johnson announced on Monday that 6 foot 8 inch forward Kadyn Betts will reclassify and join the men’s basketball team for their 2022-23 season this fall.

Kadyn Betts comes from Pueblo, Colorado and is currently ranked as the No. 87 2023 recruit in the country, according to Prep Hoops. He previously played prep basketball for Pueblo Central High School and the P.L.U.T.O. Prospects AAU program.

Betts first committed to Minnesota on July 1, making him the first Gopher basketball member of the class of 2023. At that time, he had plans to play for the Huntington Prep basketball program as a senior.

In his junior campaign at Pueblo Central, Betts averaged 22.7 points, a 12.3 record, 3.6 blocks, 2 assists and 1.7 steals per game. He served as the team captain and led Pueblo Central to a 23-4 record and a state 4A Final Four appearance.

This summer, Betts played with the P.L.U.T.O. Prospects. He was named to the Battle at the Lakes 17U All-Tournament team, scored 31 points and had seven threes at the Freedom Classic in Denver and recently scored 43 points in a single game at the Atlanta Prep Hoops event earlier this summer.

“We are extremely excited to add Kadyn Betts to our 2022-23 Gopher roster,” Johnson said. “Kadyn comes from a great basketball family. I love his high academic background along with his contagious passion and energy for Gopher Basketball. He has a great skill set with an ability to really shoot the basketball. I love his size and versatility he will bring to our wing position and I look forward to developing him both on and off the court.”

In the classroom, Betts is a straight A-student and served as the junior class president at Pueblo Central. He will be the third member of his family to participate in NCAA basketball. His father played at San Diego State and his brother played at Air Force and Colorado School of Mines.