2022 Gophers Recruits

[Hoop Dreams]

Bring 'em home!

I think there's a good chance. Ben hasn't been as active as you'd think in the transfer portal and he has four open scholarships. Maybe he knows something?

[Hoop Dreams]

Here we go.

[cmd24]

Here we go.

Might be an easier get this time around, given he was out for some family medical issues. Maybe he wants to come home?

[cmd24]

I didn't follow UNC much the last couple years...did Walton fall out of favor with Davis, or what led to the drop in scoring and minutes?

[Hoop Dreams]

Here we go.

Might be an easier get this time around, given he was out for some family medical issues. Maybe he wants to come home?

He's coming. It's a done deal.

[Hoop Dreams]

I didn't follow UNC much the last couple years...did Walton fall out of favor with Davis, or what led to the drop in scoring and minutes?

He was really bad defensively according to UNC fans on Twitter. Who knows how accurate that is though.

[Hoop Dreams]

[Hornets]

Would be a HUGE get....right??!

[Hoop Dreams]

Would be a HUGE get....right??!

Absolutely. He was a McDonald's All-American and a top 40 recruit. He had a really good season as a freshman at Marquette, but just didn't fit in well at UNC. A lot of upside here.

[Slap Shot]

[Hoop Dreams]

Dawson Garcia is a huge pick-up. Ben still has three open scholarships for transfers. Need some ball handlers and shooters.

[UnFadeable21]

Damn gophers gonna be legit next season

Braedon Carrington
Jamison Battle
Parker Fox
Dawson Garcia

[UnFadeable21]

They need a point guard now

[Bob Wiley]

Great news!! Three more spots available.

[jffl_commish]

SKOL!

Grab a couple of guards and lets play.

[UnFadeable21]

Gophers looking for next point guard in the portal after addressing frontcourt needs

Ben Johnson landed his biggest addition this offseason with North Carolina big man Dawson Garcia, but the Gophers are far from done in the transfer portal this spring.

The recruiting never stops with roster building, especially when the backcourt is bare. Point guard is the biggest need for the Gophers after standout Payton Willis' eligibility was up.

The next players to help fill that role could be Elon's Hunter McIntosh or Morehead State's Ta'Lon Cooper, who are both visiting this week.

McIntosh, who arrived on Minnesota's campus on Tuesday, said earlier that the Gophers "expressed it would be a great opportunity for me if I came."

The 6-2, 180-pound McIntosh started 85 games in three years at Elon and is a three-time All-Colonial Athletic Association selection, including second team and third team honors the last two seasons.

The Snellville, Ga., native ranked second on the team in scoring (13.3) and assists (2.8) and was second in the CAA in three-point percentage (37.8) and third in threes per game (2.7) as a junior this year.

In his last 12 games, McIntosh averaged 16.2 points and scored in double figures 10 times including a season-high 23 points on 5-for-9 shooting from beyond the arc and 8-for-8 foul shooting in a win vs. James Madison.

After entering the portal earlier this month, McIntosh heard from a number of programs, including South Carolina, Clemson, Loyola-Chicago, Colorado State and Wichita State.

McIntosh and Garcia actually played against each other this season in Elon's 80-63 loss at North Carolina on Dec. 11. McIntosh led the Phoenix with 16 points. Garcia tied for the Tar Heels game-high with 22 points.

Cooper, a 6-4, 190-pound sophomore, will visit with the Gophers on Friday and Saturday, he told the Star Tribune recently.

The South Carolina native averaged 9.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, and ranked seventh in Division I with 5.9 assists per game as an All-Ohio Valley Conference first team selection. Cooper had double figures in four of his last six games, including 12 points, five rebounds, five assists, and four blocks in a 71-67 loss to Murray State in the OVC tournament championship.

High-major schools flocked to Cooper after he entered the portal, including Georgetown, Iowa State, South Carolina, USC, South Carolina, and Vanderbilt.

Johnson and his Minnesota staff recently hosted Indiana's Parker Stewart (last weekend) and Illinois State's Josiah Strong from Champlin Park (Monday). Purdue's Isaiah Thompson also has a visit to the U scheduled for April 25.

But the Gophers only have three scholarships currently available for next season after highly-touted Minnesotan Garcia committed Monday. It will be interesting to see which backcourt transfer joins him first.

The only returning guard on scholarship is freshman Abdoulaye Thiam, who averaged 3.3 minutes per game this season. Johnson also signed guards Braeden Carrington from Park Center and Jaden Henley from the Colony High (Calif.) to his 2022 high school recruiting class.

Willis, who competed in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament for NBA prospects last week, set the standard for point guards in Johnson's system with the Gophers.

As a redshirt senior and co-captain last season, Willis averaged 15.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and led the Big Ten shooting 42.3% from three-point range. Those numbers might not be duplicated so easily next season but replacing his leadership will be critical moving forward.

"I know whoever comes in next, [Johnson's] going to mold and develop them into an even better player than me," Willis said after his last game. "Whoever steps into that role will be successful here."

[UnFadeable21]

Ta’lon Cooper is my pick.

We already have so many scorers in the starting unit, we need a guy who can distribute to them all.

[Hoop Dreams]

Ta’lon Cooper is my pick.

We already have so many scorers in the starting unit, we need a guy who can distribute to them all.

He's announcing his decision at 1 pm today. Would be a solid pick-up. He was 7th in the country in assists last season.

[UnFadeable21]

Ta’lon Cooper is my pick.

We already have so many scorers in the starting unit, we need a guy who can distribute to them all.

He's announcing his decision at 1 pm today. Would be a solid pick-up. He was 7th in the country in assists last season.

Yup

Let’s hope it’s the gophers

[Hoop Dreams]

Ta’lon Cooper is my pick.

We already have so many scorers in the starting unit, we need a guy who can distribute to them all.

He's announcing his decision at 1 pm today. Would be a solid pick-up. He was 7th in the country in assists last season.

Yup

Let’s hope it’s the gophers

Sounds like there's a very good chance.

[Hoop Dreams]

Ta'Lon Cooper is a Gopher. Really solid get for Ben. This team badly needed a point guard. He's not a big time scorer, but he was seventh in the country in assists and he's also considered a solid defensive player. He's 6'4, so he can likely guard multiple positions.

Two spots remaining for another ball handler and shooter.

[Big Head]

Like it

[feekdogg]

Good get. And from right up the road at Moorhead State. Ben's really locking down the borders.

[Hoop Dreams]

Cooper was First Team All Ohio Valley Conference, BTW.

[UnFadeable21]

Gophers updated roster

G: Ta’lon Cooper/Abdoulaye Thiam
G: Braeden Carrington/Jaden Henley
F: Jamison Battle/Isaiah Ihnen/Josh Ola-Joseph
PF: Parker Fox/Treyton Thompson
F/C: Dawson Garcia/Pharrel Payne
*Will Ramberg, Jackson Purcell

Currently 11 scholarship players 13 is lmit

7 scholarships MN kids
2 walk on MN kids = 9 total most in Gophers History

Ben Johnson was hired here to recruit in state right?

[UnFadeable21]

Good get. And from right up the road at Moorhead State. Ben's really locking down the borders.

Ohio Morehead not Minnesota Moorhead lol

[feekdogg]

Good get. And from right up the road at Moorhead State. Ben's really locking down the borders.

Ohio Morehead not Minnesota Moorhead lol

[Hoop Dreams]

Good get. And from right up the road at Moorhead State. Ben's really locking down the borders.

Ohio Morehead not Minnesota Moorhead lol

[cmd24]

Going to be interesting to see what happens with Kerwin Walton down at NC. If he decides to leave, I think you make a big play at him, don't you?

[UnFadeable21]

Going to be interesting to see what happens with Kerwin Walton down at NC. If he decides to leave, I think you make a big play at him, don't you?

Yes but all signs points to him staying there.

2 scholarships left though