Grading Niko Medved's First Full Offseason With the Gophers

The Gophers officially have 15 players set to be on next season's roster, which gives us a perfect time to grade Niko Medved's first full offseason as head coach. Between retention, coaching staff changes and roster adds, let's break it all down.

Minnesota hired Medved last March. As much as the transfer portal has changed year-one expectations for new hires, it's still a significantly different circumstance than what Medved had this offseason after a full campaign at Minnesota. He retained five scholarship players from last year's team, added five from the transfer portal and signed three incoming freshmen. He also made one minor change to the coaching staff.

Player retention

It's pretty well-known that Minnesota is near the middle to bottom of the Big Ten in terms of resources to spend on players in the modern era of roster construction. Given that situation, retaining Isaac Asuma, Jaylen Crocker-Johnson and Bobby Durkin is truly a home run for the program.

Mar 4, 2026; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers guard Isaac Asuma (1) dribbles the ball against the Indiana Hoosiers during the second half at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Bringing back three legit Big Ten starters is not something that many power conference programs can say across the country. Retaining role players such as Grayson Grove and Kai Shinholster are the type of moves that help sustain a culture within the program. Nehemiah Turner, B.J. Omot, Chance Stephens, Chansey Willis Jr. and Robert Vaihola all hit the transfer portal, but you could make an argument that none of those players fit into Minnesota's 2026-27 plans.

Grade: A

Transfer portal

With five scholarship players returning alongside walk-on Max Lorenson, Minnesota faced a much different situation to build its roster this offseason. Three incoming freshmen left just six open roster spots this offseason. The Gophers' biggest splash was reuniting former Colorado State guard Kyan Evans with Medved, after one detour season at North Carolina.

Adding Michigan transfer wing Winters Grady, Texas Tech wing Nolan Groves, Villanova wing Malachi Palmer and Michigan big man Malick Kordel filled some serious holes they had on the roster. It really feels like the success of the cycle hinges on Evans. If he doesn't return to his Colorado State production, Minnesota could have some problems. Ultimately, they bought low on five power conference transfers, who could all be difference makers in 2026-27.

Grade: B

Coaching staff

Assistant coach Chad Warner left the Gophers' coaching staff for Clemson after just one season with Medved. He was a veteran with numerous years of experience at various levels, so they needed to replace his voice. Minnesota hired Boise State assistant coach Lexus Williams as his replacement.

Williams is a direct branch of the Leon Rice coaching tree. He played his final season of college basketball with the Broncos in 2017-18, and then he joined the coaching staff in 2021 as an assistant to the head coach. He was promoted to a traditional assistant role in 2024-25, and he held the position for two seasons.

Medved's staff is well-respected in the sport, and it's clear that Aaron Katsuma is a rising star in the space. Retaining him along with Armon Gates, Dave Thorson and Brian Cooley is a win in its own right.

Grade: B+

Overall offseason

The biggest key left for Minnesota before it prepares for the 2026-27 season is building a nonconference schedule, but at this point, it's hard not to consider this offseason a success for Medved and his staff. The 2025-26 season didn't go exactly to plan with so many injuries, but they were able to build momentum, and there should be some real buzz heading into the fall.

Final grade: B+

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