3 Reasons to be Encouraged About the Future of Gophers Men's Basketball

Minnesota has lost four games in a row, but it feels like things are trending in the right direction.

Jan 20, 2026; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers head coach Niko Medved calls a play during the second half against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Value City Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

After Tuesday night's loss to Ohio State, the Gophers have lost four games in a row. At 10-9, their postseason outlook for 2025-26 looks shaky, but it's hard not to be encouraged about the future of the program. Here's why.

Drastic improvement since Dec. 1

On Dec. 1, the Gophers were the 114th-rated team on KenPom.com, and ranked 142nd on the first NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) rankings. As of Jan. 22, they're now No. 82 on KenPom and No. 83 in the NET. Those numbers don't matter as much as wins and losses, but it does show that Minnesota is playing at a dramatically better level, despite losing its last four games by an average of 5.5 points.

Future roster outlook

There's a scenario where Minnesota is able to retain nine of its top 11 players for the 2026-27 season. Cade Tyson and Langston Reynolds are the only two players out of eligibility following the year. Jaylen Crocker-Johnson, Bobby Durkin, Isaac Asuma, Grayson Grove, Kai Shinholster and Nehemiah Turner all have at least one more year of eligibility.

B.J. Omot also had one year of eligibility coming into the season, but that might be two if he doesn't see the floor this season. Chansey Willis Jr. and Robert Vaihola are both expected to apply for a medical redshirt after suffering season-ending injuries. In an era where there's significant roster turnover year-to-year, Minnesota could have a similar team next season.

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The Gophers also have in-state standouts Cedric Tomes and Nolen Anderson set to join the program next season, alongside California big man Chadrack Mpoyi as high school recruits. With one of two splashes in the transfer portal, they could have an upgraded roster in 2026-27.

Rest of 2025-26 outlook

With nine losses before the last week in February, Minnesota's chances of receiving an at-large invitation to the NCAA Tournament are slim, but that doesn't mean it can't make noise in the postseason. If the season ended today, the Gophers would be the 10-seed in the Big Ten Tournament.

The Big Ten did not have a team participate in last year's NCAA Invitational Tournament (NIT), they instead had USC and Nebraska compete in the College Basketball Crown. The Cornhuskers wound up winning the event, which they've parlayed into a perfect 19-0 start to 2025-26. The 2026 field will be cut down from 16 to 8 teams, but it's still a realistic possibility for a program like Minnesota.