Niko Medved's Shorthanded Squad Is Changing the Culture of Gophers Basketball

Minnesota continues to punch well above its weight, as the injuries continue to pile up.

Jan 6, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers head coach Niko Medved is interviewed after the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the second half at Williams Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

After beating Rutgers by 19 points at Williams Arena on Saturday, the Gophers moved to 13-14 on the season and 6-10 in the Big Ten. They're nowhere near getting an at-large invitation, but the culture of the program feels like it's changing in Niko Medved's first year as head coach. Here's why.

Rutgers is rated as the 152nd-best team in the country according to KenPom.com. In a vacuum, a win over the Scarlet Knights doesn't exactly move the needle, but context is needed to emphasize how impressive the Gophers' performance was.

Starting big man Jaylen Crocker-Johnson was ruled out indefinitely with a foot injury on Friday. He will likely be the third Gophers starter and sixth scholarship player to miss the rest of the season. It would be hard for any coach in the country to keep a six-man rotation bought in, but Medved and his staff have been able to keep their team motivated.

"The biggest thing that this group wanted to do is they wanted to find a way to be the group changed the culture, set a culture of what we want Gopher basketball to look like. We look back, and fans will look and say that's the group right there that started this, moving the train in the direction we want to go. People will remember this group," Medved said after Saturday's win over Rutgers.

“I don’t think people understand what they’re going through right now.”

Niko Medved on the Gophers continuing to overcome injuries. Well worth the listen. 👇 pic.twitter.com/uDyFJjd7GB

— Tony Liebert (@TonyLiebert) February 21, 2026

"I don't know if people really understand what they're going through right now, and I've never seen anything like this in my life with the injuries. They're all about what I believe in, and coaching, and the kind of spirit of people that you have. So, hopefully that's what we have to continue to do, is attract those kinds of people."

In modern college basketball, it's very easy for a season to fall off the rails. Players begin to plan their transfer portal destinations, and distractions can begin to mount. That has not been the case for Minnesota this season. Every healthy player is bought in.

The worst team in the Big Ten came to the Barn for an 11 a.m. CT start time, and the Gophers looked just as prepared for Rutgers as they did for No. 10 Michigan State in the first week of February. Fans have been told the future is bright in Dinkytown for quite a while since last playing in the NCAA Tournament in 2018-19. This time feels different.