Gophers Missing Frontcourt Starter Against Washington

Minnesota will be severly shorthanded on Saturday night in Seattle.

Jan 24, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers forward Jaylen Crocker-Johnson (5) works around Nebraska Cornhuskers forward Jared Garcia (15) during the first half at Williams Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Gophers big man Jaylen Crocker-Johnson will be out for Saturday night's game against Washington, according to a report from college basketball insider Jon Rothstein.

Minnesota's Jaylen Crocker-Johnson (foot) is OUT for today's game against Washington, per a school official.

Averages 13.4 PPG.

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) February 14, 2026

Crocker-Johnson has averaged 13.4 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game on 41.5/32.3/71.8 shooting splits in his first season with the Gophers after following Niko Medved from Colorado State to Minnesota in the transfer portal.

Listed at 6-foot-8, Crocker-Johnson has been Minnesota's primary frontcourt player. He has started all 24 games this season, while leading the team in rebounds and blocks per game. There's no indication on when the injury happened, but he had one of his worst games of the season in Minnesota's loss to Maryland. He finished with only six points on 2 of 9 shooting from the field.

Washington is led by star 6-foot-11 big man Hannes Steinbach, who is averaging 17.6 points and 11.4 rebounds per game this season as a freshman. Grayson Grove will likely shift into the starting lineup as Crocker-Johnson's replacement.

Minnesota's rotation will likely be down to just six players, as Central Arkansas transfer big man Nehemiah Turner has been listed as out on the injury report for the last four games. The Gophers opened as 7.5-point betting underdogs for Saturday's game, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. That line has surprisingly shifted towards the Gophers, and they're now 6.5-point underdogs.

The Gophers' West Coast road trip will conclude with a game at Oregon on Wednesday night. There's not indication that Crocker-Johnson's injury is a longterm issue, but it will be worth monitoring if it holds him out against the Ducks as well.

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