5 Potential Chansey Willis Jr. Replacements for Gophers Basketball

Chansey Willis Jr. became the fifth Gophers player to officially enter the transfer portal this offseason on Tuesday. He began the 2025-26 season as Minnesota's starting point guard before suffering a season-ending injury. His transfer, alongside Langston Reynolds' graduation, means Minnesota will need to add a new ball handler this offseason. Here are five potential options.

1. Kyan Evans, North Carolina

Evans is a true combo guard, and he remains near the top of Minnesota's portal wishlist after a down season at North Carolina. Isaac Asuma would likely assume more of the facilitation role alongside Evans, but both players could run the offense when needed. He averaged 3.1 assists and 1.9 turnovers per game in his last season with Niko Medved at Colorado State.

Feb 28, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis with guard Kyan Evans (0) in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

2. Isaac Celiscar, Yale

Celiscar is another player that Minnesota has been linked to in the transfer process, and he's probably another combo guard. He wouldn't be a one-for-one replacement for Willis, but he's a proven guard who averaged 3.2 assists and just 1.3 assists per game last season at Yale.

His addition would likely bump Asuma into a true point guard role, and maybe put more on the plate of potential returner Kai Shinholster and incoming freshman Cedric Tomes. They'd probably need another veteran guard in this scenario.

3. Nasir Whitlock, Lehigh

Whitlock won Minnesota Mr. Basketball in 2023 at DeLaSalle, and he entered the transfer portal for his final college season after leading Lehigh to its first NCAA Tournament appearence since 2012. His portal recruitment has seemingly been a little quiet. If the Gophers miss out on Evans, Whitlock should shift towards the top of their list. He averaged 3.3 assists last season, and he'd be an interesting fit alongside Asuma.

4. Braden Smith, Gonzaga

Smith fits the mold of a post-hype sleeper. He was a highly-touted transfer after the 2023-24 season when he averaged 12.5 points per game at Colgate. He transferred to Gonzaga that offseason, but sat out the 2024-25 campaign due to injury. He returned last season to average 5.1 points, 2.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. It's certainly not a flashy move, but Smith is a buy-low candidate that I would strongly consider.

5. Sebastian Mack, Missouri

Minnesota had success with Cade Tyson having a bounce-back year last season, and Mack is another player who fits the description. He had a great true freshman season at UCLA before seeing his role decrease as a sophomore, and playing himself out of the rotation last season at Missouri. I would give him a call if I were on the Gophers' coaching staff.

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