Editor’s Note: This article will be continuously updated throughout the summer. Programs and players are organized in alphabetical order. All stats are from the 2023-24 season.
Since the end of the 2023-24 season, several Gophers basketball players announced their intention to leave the program or return for the following year.
The Minnesota Daily basketball beat writers Alex Karwowski and Champ Howard mapped out where each player is headed next season and how they performed last season.
Men’s Basketball
Who is leaving:
Braeden Carrington
Class: Junior
Position: Guard
Stats: 4.6 points per game (PPG), 3.2 rebounds per game (RPG), 1.1 assists per game (APG), 35 field goal percentage (FG%)
Carrington entered the transfer portal on March 28. The Brooklyn Park native commitmented to the University of Tulsa on May 11.
Cam Christie
Class: Sophomore
Position: Guard
Stats: 11.3 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 2.2 APG, 40 FG%
Star Tribune reporter Marcus Fuller wrote on May 29 that Christie elected to stay in the NBA draft process and forego his college basketball career after he entered the transfer portal on May 1.
The native out of Rolling Meadows, Illinois, participated in pre-draft workouts with the Portland Trailblazers and Minnesota Timberwolves. He is projected as a “potential second-round pick,” according to Sports Illustrated’s draft profile of him.
Christie will look to become the first Gopher drafted to the NBA since Daniel Oturu was picked by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2020.
Elijah Hawkins
Class: Senior
Position: Guard
Stats: 9.5 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 7.5 APG, 39 FG%
Hawkins told On3Sports on April 30 his commitment to play for Texas Tech next season. He previously told On3Sports on April 22 his intent to enter the transfer portal, 12 days after the Gophers basketball program posted a photo of him with the caption “PG1 is back” on social media. Last season, Hawkins broke the Gophers’ single-season assist record (247) and single-game assist record (17).
Isaiah Ihnen
Class: Redshirt senior
Position: Forward
Stats: 3.4 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 0.4 APG, 44 FG%
Ihnen announced he was entering the transfer portal on March 28. He committed to Liberty University, according to 247Sports.
Kris Keinys
Class: Sophomore
Position: Forward
Keinys saw little action during his freshman season, averaging 4.2 minutes in five games played. The 6-foot-8 Lithuanian entered the transfer portal on March 29 before committing to play for Pacific next season.
Joshua Ola-Joseph
Class: Junior
Position: Forward
Stats: 7.5 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 0.5 APG, 61 FG%
Ola-Joseph entered the transfer portal on March 27 after progressively losing minutes throughout the season. He told On3Sports on April 20 of his commitment to the University of California next season.
Pharrel Payne
Class: Junior
Position: Center
Stats: 10.0 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 1.2 APG, 60 FG%
Payne announced his decision to enter the transfer portal on March 28. On April 23, the Cottage Grove native posted a photo on social media announcing his commitment to Texas A&M on April 23. The Aggies reportedly held interest in Payne throughout his time in the portal.
Jackson Purcell
Class: Graduate
Position: Guard
Stats: 0.0 PPG, 0.5 RPG, 0.0 APG, 0 FG%
Purcell participated in senior day on March 2.
Will Ramberg
Class: Graduate
Position: Guard
Stats: 1.0 PPG, 0.0 RPG, 0.0 APG, 100 FG%
Ramberg participated in senior day on March 2.
Jack Wilson
Class: Graduate
Position: Center
Stats: 1.6 PPG, 0.9 RPG, 0.4 APG, 83 FG%
Wilson participated in senior day on March 2.
Who is staying:
Isaac Asuma
Class: Freshman
Position: Guard
The last time Asuma played on the Williams Arena court, he led Cherry High School to its first state title on March 23 in a win against Fertile-Beltrami.
Kadyn Betts
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Position: Forward
Stats: 1.3 PPG, 0.3 RPG, 0.4 APG, 27 FG%.
Betts and the team announced on April 8 that he would return to the program next season after playing eight games in 2023-24.
Trey Edmonds
Class: Senior
Position: Forward
Stats: 7 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 0.3 APG, 56 FG%
Edmonds announced his decision to transfer to the Gophers program on May 6 after visiting the previous weekend. The UTSA forward started all 32 games as a junior for the Roadrunners.
Parker Fox
Class: Redshirt senior
Position: Forward
Stats: 5.1 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 0.7 APG, 68 FG%
Fox announced he would return for his final season as a Gopher on March 13. Fox, known by fans as the team’s energizer off the bench, played in every game last season after missing the previous two seasons due to knee injuries.
Dawson Garcia
Class: Senior
Position: Forward
Stats: 17.6 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 1.6 APG, 49 FG%
Garcia announced his return to the Gophers next season. Garcia is coming off a season where he was sixth in the Big Ten in scoring and 11th in rebounds.
Grayson Grove
Class: Freshman
Position: Forward
A month after his official visit in October, the three-star recruit signed his letter of intent with Asuma to Minnesota. Grove of Alexandria Area High School finished fourth in the 2024 Class 3A state tournament and was named on the all-tournament team.
“The culture that they built and winning more games really is exciting,” Grove said in a late-March interview with the Star Tribune. “Hopefully Isaac and I can help them keep building off what they had this year.”
Frank Mitchell
Class: Senior
Position: Forward
Stats: 12.1 PPG, 11.6 RPG, 1.5 APG, 56 FG%
On April 17, Mitchell became the first player to sign with the Gophers through the transfer portal this offseason. He formerly played for Humber College in Toronto before transferring to Canisius University in 2022.
“He does a phenomenal job in the paint and has a great feel for the game,” Johnson said in a press release. “His ability, both offensively and defensively, translates to winning. Frank was one of the best rebounders in the country last season and can easily go and get a double-double.”
Mike Mitchell Jr.
Class: Senior
Position: Guard
Stats: 10.2 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 2.6 APG, 42 FG%
The Gophers announced on April 5 that Mitchell would return to the team for his senior season.
Femi Odukale
Class: Senior
Position: Guard
Stats: 10.7 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 3 APG, 43 FG%
Odukale announced on May 1 his commitment to play for the Gophers next season. The New Mexico State transfer comes to Minnesota with one year of eligibility remaining.
Lincoln Meister
Class: Senior
Position: Forward
Stats: 5.1 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1.6 APG, 59 FG%
Meister spent four years playing Division II basketball at the University of Minnesota – Duluth. The six-foot-nine-inch forward joined the Gophers as a walk-on.
Lu’Cye Patterson
Class: Redshirt senior
Position: Guard
Stats: 14.6 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 2.5 APG, 44 FG%
Patterson announced on May 10 he would return home to play for the Gophers. The Minneapolis native played the previous season for the Charlotte 49ers where he led the team in scoring and started all 31 games.
Brennan Rigsby
Class: Senior
Position: Guard
Stats: 6.1 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 1.1 AST, 41 FG%
Rigsby became the second player to commit to the Gophers from the transfer portal on April 24. He signed the following day. Previously at Oregon for the past two seasons, Rigsby will bring his 35% 3-point percentage to a backcourt that lost their starting point guard in Hawkins.
Max Sheridan
Class: Sophomore
Position: Guard
Sheridan joined the Gophers as a walk-on player after serving as one of the team’s managers last season and played in the manager basketball games. The Los Angeles, California, native played high school ball at St. Monica Prep where he was a three-year varsity starter.
Caleb Williams
Class: Senior
Position: Guard
Stats: 20 PPG, 4 RPG, 2.8 APG, 44 FG%
On May 1, Williams announced his commitment to play for the Gophers next season on social media. He previously played for the Macalester Scots and scored 41 points against the Gophers on November 2, 2023, in an exhibition match.
Women’s Basketball
Who is leaving:
McKynnlie Dalan
Class: Sophomore
Position: Forward
Stats: 0.3 PPG, 0.7 RPG, 0.0 APG, 25 FG%
The Next Hoops announced on April 18 that Dalan entered the transfer portal. Under a month later, Dalan decided to return home and play for Gonzaga next season. The Montesano, Washington, native averaged three minutes per game in her only season as a Gopher.
Ayianna Johnson
Class: Sophomore
Position: Forward
Stats: 3.4 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 0.2 APG, 55 FG%
Johnson announced her decision to enter the transfer portal on social media at the end of the season with three years of eligibility left. She will play for Colorado next season.
Ajok Madol
Class: Sophomore
Position: Guard/forward
Stats: 2.1 PPG, 0.9 RPG, 0.3 APG, 26 FG%
Madol announced her commitment to play for the University of Dayton next season. Star Tribune reporter Kent Youngblood wrote on April 12 that Madol entered the transfer portal. The Saskatchewan native won bronze on Canada’s U19 World Cup team in July 2023.
Janay Sanders
Class: Graduate
Position: Guard
Stats: 7.3 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 1.6 APG, 41 FG%
Sanders played her final game of college basketball for the Gophers on April 6 in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament against St. Louis.
Aminata Zie
Class: Graduate
Position: Forward/center
Stats: 0.3 PPG, 0.0 RPG, 0.0 APG, 100 FG%
Zie graduated from the University of Minnesota with a master’s in sport management. She scored her first points for the maroon and gold in the fourth quarter against Iowa on Feb. 28.
Who is staying:
Alexsia Rose
Class: Graduate student
Position: Guard
Stats: 11.4 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 3.4 APG, 33 FG%
Rose announced her commitment to the Gophers on June 3 for her fifth year of college basketball. Before playing for the University of Massachusetts Amherst last season, Rose spent three years at East Carolina where she helped her team win the American Athletic Conference championship game.
Amaya Battle
Class: Junior
Position: Guard
Stats: 12.1 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 5.4 APG, 39 FG%
Jordan Brooks
Class: Senior
Position: Center
Stats: 0.8 PPG, 0.9 RPG, 0.0 APG, 26 FG%
The team announced the addition of Brooks on June 4 after spending last season with California State University – Bakersfield. The Apple Valley, California, native had limited playing time last season due to an injury. Before playing with the Roadrunners, Brooks played two years with Victory Valley College. She helped lead the Rams to their first conference title since 1997.
Mara Braun
Class: Junior
Position: Guard
Stats: 17.0 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 3.1 APG, 39 FG%
Maggie Czinano
Class: Senior
Position: Guard
Stats: 2.7 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 0.6 APG, 39 FG%
Grace Grocholski
Class: Sophomore
Position: Guard
Stats: 10.8 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 2.0 APG, 40 FG%
Sophie Hart
Class: Senior
Position: Center
Stats: 10.6 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 1.0 APG, 59 FG%
Mallory Heyer
Class: Junior
Position: Forward
Stats: 9.5 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 1.1 APG, 38 FG%
Niamya Holloway
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Position: Forward
Stats: 3.6 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 0.4 APG, 46 FG%
McKenna Johnson
Class: Freshman
Position: Guard
Johnson has yet to play a collegiate basketball game. She joined the Gophers as an early enrollee and has been practicing and traveling with the team since January.
Kennedy Klick
Class: Redshirt freshman
Position: Guard
Klick suffered a season-ending knee injury before the start of last season and has yet to play her first collegiate basketball game.
Victoria McKinney
Class: Freshman
Position: Guard
McKinney will join the Gophers next season as a true freshman. The last time she set foot on the Williams Arena court, she won the MSHSL class 4A state title with Minnetonka High School.
Brynn Senden
Class: Sophomore
Position: Guard
Stats: 1.0 PPG, 0.4 RPG, 0.3 APG, 33 FG%
Annika Stewart
Class: Graduate student
Position: Forward
Stats: 3.8 PPG, 1.6 RPG, 0.2 APG, 46 FG%
Stewart played the last four seasons at the University of Nebraska before she decided to transfer to the University of Minnesota for her fifth and final season of eligibility. Stewart is a graduate of Wayzata High School and a former teammate of Braun and Senden.
“I chose to be a Gopher because of how much Coach P and the staff pour into this program,” Stewart said in a press release on April 12. “I can’t wait to compete with the team, grow as a player, and connect with the community.”
Taylor Woodson
Class: Sophomore
Position: Forward
Stats: 1.9 PPG, 1.7 RPG, 0.7 APG, 41 FG%
Woodson played her freshman season at the University of Michigan before she transferred to Minnesota. The Minnetonka native is a graduate of Hopkins High School and a former teammate of Battle.
“I cannot wait to be at the University of Minnesota for the next three years and play for my home team,” Woodson said in a press release on April 18. “I am thankful for the opportunity to play in front of friends and family, and I am excited for what’s to come.”
