Minnesota’s offseason picture has a few moving parts, but one addition rises above the rest: Kyan Evans.
Niko Medved had the Golden Gophers headed in a better direction by the end of last season, even if a 15-18 finish is only a starting point and not the destination. Minnesota at least got a postseason trip by advancing in the College Basketball Crown, and now the focus shifts to what Medved and his staff can build next.
The encouraging part for the Gophers is that plenty is coming back. Minnesota didn’t get hit too hard by the transfer portal, though it did lose top scorers Cade Tyson and Langston Reynolds, both seniors out of eligibility.
The roster still has real scoring punch with Isaac Asuma, Jaylen Crocker-Johnson, and Bobby Durkin each coming off double-figure scoring seasons. Grayson Grove is also back, and the junior big man should have a larger frontcourt role.
Minnesota also brought in help through recruiting and the portal. The recruiting class is headlined by 3-star center Chadrack Mpoyi, while the five-man transfer group is filled with players who mostly came from limited roles at major programs. Winters Grady and 7-footer Malick Kordel were at Michigan last season, Nolan Groves barely saw the floor as a freshman at Texas Tech, and Malachi Palmer arrives after serving as a reserve at Villanova.
Still, Evans is the name that changes the conversation.
The 6-2 point guard from Kansas City already knows Medved’s system from two seasons at Colorado State, where he averaged 10.6 points and 3.1 assists as a sophomore. After Medved left, Evans followed a different path, spending last season at North Carolina. His numbers and overall production dipped there, even though he started a handful of games for the Tar Heels.
That’s what separates him from the rest of Minnesota’s transfer class. The Gophers are betting on upside across the board, but Evans brings something more concrete: familiarity, experience, and proof that he can run the kind of offense Medved wants. He should not be rattled by the Big Ten after his time in Chapel Hill, and Minnesota is hoping for a major senior-year rebound.
If Evans delivers, he gives the Gophers a clean fit alongside Asuma in the backcourt. That pairing, combined with the returning core, could make Minnesota look a lot more dangerous. There are still plenty of unknowns in the mix, but the Gophers are counting on a few of these new faces to seize their chances.
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The bigger story now is the standard Malone inherits. North Carolina is not looking for a long runway or a slow build, and the people around the program know the next step has to come quickly. With the new staff in place and expectations already set high, anything resembling last seasons finish would land as a major letdown in Chapel Hill. [Read more 🡒]