The clearest answer for Minnesota’s most important player heading into the season points to Jaylen Crocker-Johnson.
Niko Medved and his staff have other important pieces to sort through, but Crocker-Johnson sits at the center of what the Gophers need to do. Bobby Durkin is expected to be Minnesota’s special shooter, yet the roster has other players who can fill that spot if needed, including Malachi Palmer, Nolen Anderson, Winters Grady and Nolan Groves.
Isaac Asuma brings versatility, but there is depth there too with Kai Shinholster, Nolan Groves and wings who can help. Kyan Evans is the point guard and will run the offense, and he is viewed as a dependable fourth-year player who can handle that job for 30 minutes.
Crocker-Johnson, though, is the one who can tilt the season in the biggest way.
The first reason is scoring. He is the most likely player to take on the dependable scoring role Cade Tyson filled last season.
Tyson averaged 19.6 points per game and did it with threes, off-ball movement and trips to the foul line. Crocker-Johnson does not need to match that exact production because this Minnesota team should be more balanced, and he is not going to shoot 41.3 percent from deep while taking five or six threes a night.
Still, last season gave a real glimpse of what he can become.
On January 13, in a one-score loss to Wisconsin, Crocker-Johnson posted 20 points and eight rebounds while hitting 7 of 13 shots in 33 minutes. On January 17, in a 10-point loss to Illinois, he had 22 points and eight boards in 29 minutes and knocked down five threes. Then came the overtime loss to Ohio State, when he played 39 minutes, made 11 of 19 field-goal attempts and finished with 26 points and eight rebounds.
As a junior, Crocker-Johnson averaged 13.4 points per game. He scored with his back to the basket, through off-ball work, from the high post and as a three-point shooter, making 32.4 percent of the 5-6 threes he attempted per game. If he can move from the hot-and-cold perimeter shooting to something closer to the 35/36 percent range he showed at Colorado State, he could push into the 16-point range as a primary threat.
Rebounding is another major piece. Crocker-Johnson led Minnesota with 6.8 rebounds per game last season, and there does not appear to be another player on the roster who can match that level over the course of a season.
Grayson Grove may come closest on the glass, Isaac Asuma is a strong rebounder for a guard, and Malick Kordel will help when he is on the floor. Even so, none has shown they can rebound in bulk the way Crocker-Johnson has.
Minnesota needs at least seven boards a night from him.
He also gives the Gophers their best back-to-the-basket scoring option. Late in possessions last season, when defenses had been worn down, Crocker-Johnson was a reliable target in the post.
A deeper roster should help because he will usually be matched with forwards and will not have to battle center size as often. Without him, Minnesota would be left leaning on young centers and perhaps Malachi Palmer posting smaller wings.
His value in the high post matters just as much. Since Niko Medved was hired, the frontcourt role at the start of possessions has been a major point of focus.
Before he was injured, Robert Vaihola was used there with high ball screens, face-up dribbles, one-dribble wing pitch-and-screen actions and passes to cutters. That spot can also create offense as a shooter, a face-up attacker or a player who fades off the ball screen.
Grayson Grove is strong in that role but is not yet a scorer there, and Kordel is still raw. Crocker-Johnson, on the other hand, can score and make plays there in a major way, and he is really the only scoring option Minnesota has in that role.
Then there is the defense. When Crocker-Johnson is playing with energy and has a full tank, he is an exceptional defender against opposing frontcourt players.
His strength, lateral quickness, and size at 6'7 or 6'8 and 240 pounds can swing matchups. Minnesota has seen him lock up high-major players, and it has also seen the rough nights, including at Penn State, that cannot happen.
Grove can handle some of that work too, but Crocker-Johnson is Minnesota’s best answer for guarding a really good power forward.
In Other News...
Minnesota Just Showed How Far It Will Go For Niko Medved
The University of Minnesota is wasting no time showing Niko Medved how much it values the direction he is trying to set after a turbulent first season. The Board of Regents approved a one-year extension that keeps him under contract through the 2031-32 season, a notable vote of confidence for a coach who inherited a major rebuild and still had to piece together a roster almost from scratch. His pay will also climb to $3.2 million for 2026-27, reflecting the schools belief that the early returns are worth rewarding.
Medveds first year ended at 15-18, but the record only tells part of the story for a team that had just two returning players and 13 newcomers. Minnesota also managed to beat three ranked opponents and reach the College Basketball Crown, enough to suggest there is a foundation worth protecting. The amended deal adds performance incentives tied to the NCAA Tournament, conference success and even a national title, which makes clear the Gophers are not just paying for patience, but for a path back to relevance. [Read more 🡒]