Local 2027 Basketball Recruits Gophers Fans Should Know

The Gophers are beginning to hit the 2027 recruiting trail hard.

Nov 8, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers head coach Niko Medved looks on during the second half against the Alcorn State Braves at Williams Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

The Gophers have finalized their roster for the 2026-27 season, but recruiting never stops. They signed three scholarship freshmen in the 2026 high school cycle, two of whom are from Minnesota. Here are the top local prospects in the 2027 high school class that Gophers fans should know.

Baboucarr Ann, G (Maple Grove)

Ann is far and away Minnesota's No. 1 in-state target in the 2027 cycle. Re-offering him a scholarship and getting him on campus for an unofficial visit last June was a priority for Niko Medved after taking over the program. He has returned to campus a few times since, but the Gophers will have to recruit against some of the other top college programs in the area, mainly Wisconsin and Iowa State.

Ann is a consensus four-star prospect and a top-60 player in the country, according to the 247Sports Composite. He plays high school basketball at Maple Grove, and he's currently playing his final AAU season with D1 Minnesota. A commitment from the 6-foot-5 wing would be a game-changer for Medved's program.

Ahmed Nur, F (Hopkins)

Nur is the top-ranked player in the state, according to 247Sports, and No. 2 behind Ann, according to Rivals. He has been a fast-rising prospect, and he's a four-star on both services. The Gophers had yet to offer him a scholarship, but they've shown preliminary interest. He currently holds offers from Arizona State, Washington, Mississippi State, West Virginia and San Diego State.

Top50 ranked Ahmed Nur turned heads during the @3SSBCircuit live period last weekend and is hearing from several new schools while Minnesota and Marquette remain in pursuit.

VIP: https://t.co/GXC0I4gnX9 pic.twitter.com/mcMjKXYGLv

— Travis Branham (@TravisBranham_) May 22, 2026

The 6-foot-8 forward plays his high school ball for Hopkins, and he plays on the 3SSB AAU circuit. A recent article from National Basketball Analyst for 247Sports, Travis Branham, makes it seem like momentum could be building with the Gophers. It's still relatively early in the cycle, but he's certainly a name to keep an eye on. He could continue to rise up recruiting boards very quickly.

Jack Thelen, C (Maple Grove)

Thelen is another player who doesn't currently hold an offer from the Gophers, but he's quickly establishing himself as one of the best talents in the state. At 7-foot-1, 240 pounds, he obviously has Big Ten size. He grew up in Monticello, began his high school career at St. Michael-Albertville, and spent last season at Maple Grove with Ann.

Thelen has plenty of connections with the Gophers; mainly, he's a cousin of incoming freshman Nolen Anderson. He continues to show huge improvements with D1 Minnesota on the AAU circuit this spring, and he now holds offers from Murray State, Montana and Miami (OH). We saw how valuable talented bigs can be on the transfer portal market this offseason in college basketball, so it might behoove Minnesota to get involved with the state's top big man sooner rather than later.

Other notes

Cretin-Derham Hall guard Ty Schlagel received an offer and interest from the previous Gophers staff, but he has been verbally committed to Nebraska since October of last year. Edina forward Vincent Cronin might be another name to keep an eye on, as he has picked up offers from Oral Roberts, UIC, South Dakota State and Miami (OH) this spring.