Injuries Open the Door as Grayson Grove Starts to Find His Rhythm

Grove continues to make huge improvements in his redshirt freshman season.

Jan 3, 2026; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers forward Grayson Grove (2) dunks the ball against the Northwestern Wildcats during the second half at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

Injuries have begun to pile up in Niko Medved's first season as the Gophers head coach, with three starters and five rotational players likely out for the season. The adversity has slowed down a serious change in culture, and a big reason why is the improvement of redshirt freshman Grayson Grove.

Hailing from Alexandria, Minnesota, Grove signed with his hometown Gophers and former head coach Ben Johnson as a high school recruit in the class of 2024. He redshirted during the 2024-25 season, and he joined Isaac Asuma as one of two players to stay with the program through the coaching change last offseason.

With 10 incoming transfers, there were serious questions about whether or not Grove would even crack the rotation this season. He played fewer than 10 minutes in three of the first four games that he was active this season.

Injuries to Robert Vaihola, Jaylen Crocker-Johnson and Nehemiah Turner have made the Gophers severely thin in the frontcourt. At just 6-foot-9, 220 pounds, he has been thrust into becoming the team's starting center.

"When opportunity comes, it's too late to prepare. He just comes every day with a great attitude, ready to work, early in the season. If he was hardly playing or playing a little bit, it never changed the way he approached his daily process. Now he's getting a huge opportunity because of the injuries, and because of that, he's making the most of it," Medved said after Saturday's win over Rutgers.

Grove is making the most of his opportunity. He has played 38 minutes in back-to-back wins over Oregon and Rutgers. He has averaged 12 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 2.5 steals per game in those two victories.

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"He's really learning how to be an excellent defender... He's doing a great job understanding angles, anticipating, and walling up. He's doing a really good job on the board. As time goes by, he's getting a little more comfortable and confident too, in what we're doing offensively."

Anyone who watched the Gophers earlier this season should be seriously impressed by the improvements Grove has made. He went from a reserve that gave Crocker-Johnson a break to a legitimate starting big man in the Big Ten.

If Vaihola or Crocker-Johnson weren't hurt, Grove might've not have even started on game this season. He still has three years of college eligibility remaining, and he's a player who should be heavily involved in Minnesota's roster building plansgoing forward.