Kyan Evans didn’t need long to show why Minnesota brought him in.
In the Gophers’ 72-52 exhibition win over Omaha on Thursday night at The Barn, the North Carolina transfer flashed the kind of all-around impact that can settle a team down fast. Evans finished with eight points, hit two 3-pointers, and stacked up seven assists to go with four steals. He kept the ball moving, pushed in transition and helped turn a comfortable warmup into a showcase of what he can do.
Two of those assists came during a 13-0 second-half burst, both on alley-oops. One set up 7-foot-2 center Malick Kordel for a two-handed dunk. The other found guard Kai Shinholster for an athletic one-handed finish.
Kordel was Minnesota’s top scorer with 13 points. Bobby Durkin added 11, and Jaylen Crocker Johnson scored 10.
The Gophers had already gotten a look at themselves in a closed scrimmage against Drake last Saturday. No stats, score or other details were released from that one, though one Drake-affiliated account on X posted that the result suggested “Drake will be contending for the (Missouri Valley Conference) title this year.”
Against Omaha, there was no mystery about the result. Minnesota handled the Mavericks, who were picked to finish fourth in the Summit League preseason poll. Senior guard Grant Stubblefield, a second-team all-Summit League preseason selection, was held to five points on 2 of 7 shooting.
Minnesota also finished the first half strong, closing on a 10-0 run to take a 36-16 lead into halftime. Eight of nine players who saw action scored before the break, with Durkin leading the way with eight points, including two 3-pointers.
Evans started alongside Isaac Asuma, Durkin, Grayson Grove and Crocker-Johnson. Kordel, Shinholster and Nolan Groves were the first reserves to come off the bench at the under-16 timeout, followed by Malachi Palmer at the under-12.
Freshman Nolen Anderson got early minutes in the second half, and Grady Winters and Cedric Tomes checked in during the final four minutes.
Freshman center Chadrack Mpoyi was not dressed to play, and Cade Tyson also sat out while he awaits a decision in his federal eligibility court case.
Minnesota’s second and final exhibition game comes Oct. 23 at Creighton in Omaha. The Gophers open the season Nov. 2 against North Dakota.
In Other News...
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For the Gophers, that means Tysons status still hangs in the balance even as the rest of the team presses ahead with its preseason work. Minnesota would like clarity soon, but the case continues to move through the courts on a fast schedule, and the answer on whether Tyson can be cleared in time remains unresolved as the legal process plays out. [Read more 🡒]
Gophers Enter Brutal Stretch With Three Problems They Still Havent Fixed
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Gophers Fans Got An Encouraging First Look At Niko Medveds Depth
Minnesotas first exhibition under Niko Medved offered the kind of early look that can settle a fan base down a bit. The Gophers handled Omaha 72-52 on Monday, a game that never really felt in doubt after Minnesotas defense helped force a rough first half for the Mavericks and the offense began to find rhythm from the perimeter. The bigger takeaway may have been how many different pieces contributed, with the Gophers knocking down 12 threes and showing a little more scoring balance than one player carrying the load.
Malick Kordel stood out in the box score with 13 points on a perfect night from the field, and Minnesota had 10 players score in all. That kind of depth is what makes an exhibition useful in the first place, even if the competition was uneven. The encouraging part for the Gophers is less about one hot shooting night than the way the roster looked capable of producing in waves, something Medved will surely want as the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]