Niko Medved’s first look at his 2026-27 Gophers came with plenty of clean shots, active defense and an easy result.
Minnesota opened its exhibition slate Thursday night by rolling past Omaha 72-52 at The Barn by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, a game the Gophers controlled early and never let get close. They buried 12 3-pointers, stretched the margin to as many as 31 points and got contributions from all over the roster.
Malick Kordel, the 7-foot-2, 275-pound transfer from defending national champion Michigan, came off the bench and paced Minnesota with 13 points. He did it efficiently, going 5 of 5 from the field while also collecting four rebounds, three assists and a blocked shot in 19 minutes.
Bobby Durkin, who led the Gophers with 80 3-pointers last season, added 11 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals while hitting 3 of 5 from deep. Jaylen Crocker-Johnson also reached double figures with 10 points and eight rebounds.
The tone was set in the first half, when Omaha was held to 1 of 15 shooting from 3-point range and turned the ball over 10 times. Minnesota built a 36-16 lead by halftime, knocking down 6 of 16 shots from beyond the arc.
Durkin had two of those threes and led the team with eight points at the break. Kordel and Isaac Asuma had six apiece, while Kyan Evans chipped in five points, four steals and three assists before halftime.
Minnesota kept the pressure on after the break. A 13-0 run pushed the lead to 31, with Crocker-Johnson scoring four points in that stretch and Durkin and Nolen Anderson each knocking down a 3. By the end of the night, 14 Gophers had seen the floor and 10 had scored.
The team finished 26 of 57 from the field, good for .456, and went 12 of 36 from 3-point range. Minnesota also hit 8 of 11 free throws.
Evans made a strong first impression in Maroon and Gold, finishing with eight points, seven assists, four steals and four rebounds. He previously played for Medved and lived with Crocker-Johnson at Colorado State before spending last season at North Carolina. Asuma added eight points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals, Nolan Groves made two 3s on his way to seven points, and Kai Shinholster scored five.
Omaha, picked to finish fourth in the Summit League, was led by Cahmai Crosby’s 10 points. Deke Thompson scored nine, and Isaac Ondekane finished with eight points and seven rebounds.
Minnesota’s next exhibition comes Friday, Oct. 23, against Creighton at CHI Health Center Omaha. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m., with the game streamed on Creighton Athletics’ YouTube Channel and broadcast on Omaha’s 1620 The Zone.
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