Niko Medved outlines the Gophers' identity for the 2025-26 season

Fans can expect a brand of basketball that you can get excited to cheer for.

Oct 9, 2025; Rosemont, IL, USA; Minnesota head coach Niko Medved speaks during Big Ten Men’s Basketball Media Days at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Talia Sprague-Imagn Images | Talia Sprague-Imagn Images

We're less than one month away from the Niko Medved era officially tipping off in Minnesota men's basketball's season opener against Gardner-Webb on November 3. The Gophers nearly have an entirely new roster this season, so what can fans expect?

Minnesota will be Medved's third different stop as a head coach, as he was previously at Drake and most recently Colorado State. He was asked at Big Ten Media Days what fans can expect from the Gophers this season.

"The way our teams always play, they play an unselfish brand. You look at our teams across the board, they've always been among the leaders in the country in assists to field goals made. We've also been among the leaders in two-point field goal percentage, even though we haven't been big. I think we cut well, we move it well," he said.

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"We put a lot of pressure on the paint. We've been a connected team defensively. That's feisty, that scraps. And a team that I hope pulls for each other. I think at the places that we've been, we play a brand that our fans can get excited about cheering for. That's really our charge this year, is to start to build those things."

The only rotation player from last season's Gophers team who's set to return is Cherry, MN native Isaac Asuma. He was joined by Colorado State transfer Jaylen Crocker-Johnson as the Gophers' two representatives at Big Ten Media Days this week in Rosemont, IL.

Mar 1, 2025; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers guard Isaac Asuma (1) against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the second half at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images | Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

"This team has a lot of fight, a lot of grit. We see that already this summer, in the preseason," Asuma said. "Every day we just go out there and compete, and work to get better, and we do our best for the state of Minnesota."

Fans can get their first look at the Gophers this Saturday at the Maroon & Gold scrimmage at 2:30 p.m. CT, before the football team's Homecoming game against Purdue. They will then have the first of two exhibition games on Thursday, Oct. 16 against North Dakota State at 7 p.m., before hosting North Dakota on Saturday, Sept. 25 at 2 p.m.