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Gophers add in-state guard, former student manager as walk-on

RJ Spencer replaces Erick Reader on Minnesota's roster for the 2025-26 season.
Will Ragatz|
Feb 19, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; A general view of the game against the Northwestern Wildcats and Minnesota Gophers at Williams Arena.
Feb 19, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; A general view of the game against the Northwestern Wildcats and Minnesota Gophers at Williams Arena. | Harrison Barden-Imagn Images

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Minnesota Golden Gophers

The Gophers men's basketball program has added a Minnesota native and former student manager to its roster for the 2025-26 season, they announced on Thursday. RJ Spencer from Blaine is a 6'3" walk-on guard who is a senior set to graduate next year.

Spencer played high school basketball at Totino-Grace in Fridley, where he helped lead the Eagles to their first-ever Class 3A state title in 2022. He also played wide receiver and was a team captain of the football team in high school, as well as playing on the golf team.

As a freshman at the U in 2022-23, Spencer served as a student manager under Ben Johnson. Since high school, he's additionally held part-time jobs as a basketball trainer for Midwest Basketball Training and as a coach with the Northstar Titans AAU program, where he previously played.

Spencer is a double major in biology and communications.

He takes the roster spot of walk-on Erick Reader, who "has decided to focus on his academic career," according to the team's release. Reader was a 6'8" junior forward from Bloomington, MN who saw action in three games over two seasons. "Gopher men's basketball would like to thank Erick for all his contributions to the program," reads the release.

Here's an alphabetical look at the Gophers' full 15-player roster for Niko Medved's first season as head coach:

  • Isaac Asuma, 6'3" sophomore guard
  • Jaylen Crocker-Johnson, 6'8" junior forward (Colorado State)
  • Bobby Durkin, 6'7" junior forward (Davidson)
  • Maximus Gizzi, 6'1" fifth-year guard
  • Grayson Grove, 6'9" redshirt freshman forward
  • Max Lorenson, 6'2" freshman guard
  • BJ Omot, 6'8" redshirt junior forward (Cal)
  • Langston Reynolds, 6'4" senior guard (Northern Colorado)
  • Kai Shinholster, 6'5" freshman guard
  • RJ Spencer, 6'3" senior guard
  • Chance Stephens, 6'3" redshirt junior guard (Maryland)
  • Nehemiah Turner, 6'10" sophomore forward (Central Arkansas)
  • Cade Tyson, 6'7" senior guard/forward (UNC)
  • Robert Vaihola, 6'8" redshirt senior forward (San Jose State)
  • Chansey Willis Jr, 6'2" junior guard (Western Michigan)

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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI, who also covers the Twins, Timberwolves, Gophers, and other Minnesota teams. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.

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