2020–21 Minnesota Golden Gophers men's basketball team

The 2020–21 Minnesota Golden Gophers men's basketball team represented the University of Minnesota in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Gophers were led by eighth-year head coach Richard Pitino and played their home games at Williams Arena in Minneapolis, Minnesota as members of the Big Ten Conference. The Gophers finished the season 14–15, 6–14 in Big Ten play to finish in 13th place. They defeated Northwestern in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament before losing to Ohio State in the second round.

2020–21 Minnesota Golden Gophers men's basketball
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
2020–21 record14–15 (6–14 Big Ten)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
  • Ed Conroy (5th season)
  • Kyle Lindsted (3rd season)
  • Jeff Mailhot (1st season)
Home arenaWilliams Arena
2020–21 Big Ten Conference men's basketball standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
No. 4 Michigan143 .824235  .821
No. 2 Illinois164 .800247  .774
No. 8 Iowa146 .700229  .710
No. 20 Purdue136 .6841810  .643
No. 7 Ohio State128 .6002110  .677
Wisconsin1010 .5001813  .581
Rutgers1010 .5001612  .571
Maryland911 .4501714  .548
Michigan State911 .4501513  .536
Indiana712 .3681215  .444
Penn State712 .3681114  .440
Northwestern613 .316915  .375
Minnesota614 .3001415  .483
Nebraska316 .158720  .259
2021 Big Ten Tournament winner
Rankings from AP Poll

Following the season, the school fired Richard Pitino after eight years at the school.[1] On March 23, 2021, the school named Minnesota alum and former Minnesota assistant coach Ben Johnson the new head coach.[2]

Previous season

The Gophers finished the 2019–20 season 15–16, 8–12 in Big Ten play to finish in 12th place. The Gophers defeated Northwestern in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament[3] before the tournament was canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.[4] All other postseason tournaments including the NCAA Tournament were later canceled effectively ending the season.[5][6]

Offseason

Departures

NameNumberPos.HeightWeightYearHometownReason for departure
Payton Willis0G6'4"200RS JuniorFayetteville, ARTransferred to College of Charleston
Bryan Greenlee3G6'0"175FreshmanGainesville, FLTransferred to Florida Atlantic
Brady Rudrud10G6'2"190SeniorEden Prairie, MNGraduated, walk-on
Daniel Oturu25C6'10"225SophomoreWoodbury, MNDeclared for NBA Draft[7]
Alihan Demir30F6'9"235SeniorAnkara, TurkeyGraduated
Michael Hurt42F6'7"220SeniorRochester, MNGraduated

Incoming transfers

NamePos.HeightWeightYearHometownPrevious School
Brandon JohnsonF6'8"200SeniorChicago, ILWestern Michigan
Liam RobbinsC7'0"235JuniorDavenport, IADrake
Both Gach[8]G6'6"183JuniorAustin, MNUtah

2020 recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Martice Mitchell
PF
Chicago Heights, Illinois Bloom High School 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Oct 7, 2019 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 79
Jamal Mashburn Jr.
CG
Miami, Florida Brewster Academy 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 160 lb (73 kg) Oct 14, 2019 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 80
David Mutaf
CG
Istanbul, Turkey Fenerbahce Basketball Subesi 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 190 lb (86 kg) May 24, 2020 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports:
Overall recruiting rankings:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2020 Team Ranking". Rivals.com.

    2021 recruiting class


    Roster

    2020–21 Minnesota Golden Gophers men's basketball team
    PlayersCoaches
    Pos.#NameHeightWeightYearPrevious schoolHometown
    C 0 Liam Robbins 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)235 lb (107 kg) JrAssumption
    Drake
    Davenport, IA
    G 1 Tre' Williams 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)195 lb (88 kg) SoWasatch Academy Dallas, TX
    F 2 Martice Mitchell 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)190 lb (86 kg) FrBloom Chicago, IL
    G 4 Jamal Mashburn Jr. 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)175 lb (79 kg) FrBrewster Academy Miami, FL
    G 5 Marcus Carr (C) 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)195 lb (88 kg) RS JrMontverde Academy
    Pittsburgh
    Toronto, ON
    G 11 Both Gach 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)185 lb (84 kg) JrArizona Compass Prep
    Utah
    Austin, MN
    G 13 Hunt Conroy (W) 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)165 lb (75 kg) SrJesuit New Orleans, LA
    F 21 Jarvis Omersa 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)235 lb (107 kg) JrOrono Orono, MN
    G 22 Gabe Kalscheur (C) 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)200 lb (91 kg) JrDeLaSalle Edina, MN
    F 23 Brandon Johnson 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)220 lb (100 kg) RS SrThea Bowman Leadership Academy
    Western Michigan
    Chicago, IL
    F 24 Eric Curry (C) 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)240 lb (109 kg) RS SrSouthwest Christian Academy Memphis, TN
    C 32 Sam Freeman 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)240 lb (109 kg) SoNorthwest Dallas, TX
    F 35 Isaiah Ihnen 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)210 lb (95 kg) SoIBA Munich Böblingen, Germany
    Head coach
    Assistant coach(es)

    Legend
    • (C) Team captain
    • (S) Suspended
    • (I) Ineligible
    • (W) Walk-on

    Roster

    Schedule and results

    Date
    time, TV
    Rank# Opponent# Result Record High points High rebounds High assists Site (attendance)
    city, state
    Regular season
    November 25, 2020*
    6:00 p.m., BTN Plus
    Green Bay W 99–69  1–0
     35  Carr  9  Robbins  4  Tied  Williams Arena (0)
    Minneapolis, MN
    November 28, 2020*
    5:00 p.m., BTN
    Loyola Marymount W 88–73  2–0
     28  Carr  8  Robbins  8  Carr  Williams Arena (0)
    Minneapolis, MN
    November 30, 2020*
    7:00 p.m., BTN
    Loyola Marymount W 67–64  3–0
     26  Carr  7  Carr  4  Gach  Williams Arena (0)
    Minneapolis, MN
    December 4, 2020*
    8:00 p.m., BTN
    North Dakota W 76–67  4–0
     21  Gach  9  Gach  9  Carr  Williams Arena (0)
    Minneapolis, MN
    December 8, 2020*
    6:00 p.m., ESPNU
    Boston College
    ACC–Big Ten Challenge
    W 85–80 OT 5–0
     22  Carr  9  Gach  6  Carr  Williams Arena (0)
    Minneapolis, MN
    December 10, 2020*
    7:00 p.m., FS1
    Kansas City W 90–61  6–0
     27  Robbins  11  Ihnen  7  Carr  Williams Arena (0)
    Minneapolis, MN
    December 15, 2020
    6:00 p.m., ESPN2
    at No. 13 Illinois L 65–92  6–1
    (0–1)
     16  Carr  8  Johnson  4  Carr  State Farm Center (173)
    Champaign, IL
    December 20, 2020*
    7:30 p.m., FS1
    Saint Louis W 90–82  7–1
     32  Carr  10  Ihnen  7  Carr  Williams Arena (0)
    Minneapolis, MN
    December 25, 2020
    7:00 p.m., BTN
    No. 4 Iowa W 102–95 OT 8–1
    (1–1)
     30  Carr  9  Johnson  8  Carr  Williams Arena (0)
    Minneapolis, MN
    December 28, 2020
    7:00 p.m., BTN
    No. 21 No. 17 Michigan State W 81–56  9–1
    (2–1)
     19  Carr  9  Tied  5  Carr  Williams Arena (0)
    Minneapolis, MN
    December 31, 2020
    3:30 p.m., BTN
    No. 21 at No. 6 Wisconsin L 59–71  9–2
    (2–2)
     15  Kalscheur  9  Tied  7  Carr  Kohl Center (0)
    Madison, WI
    January 3, 2021
    4:30 p.m., BTN
    No. 21 No. 25 Ohio State W 77–60  10–2
    (3–2)
     27  Robbins  14  Robbins  4  Robbins  Williams Arena (0)
    Minneapolis, MN
    January 6, 2021
    7:30 p.m., BTN
    No. 16 at No. 10 Michigan L 57–82  10–3
    (3–3)
     14  Carr  6  Johnson  2  Tied  Crisler Center (64)
    Ann Arbor, MI
    January 10, 2021
    1:30 p.m., BTN
    No. 16 at No. 5 Iowa L 71–86  10–4
    (3–4)
     13  Tied  8  Johnson  4  Carr  Carver–Hawkeye Arena (569)
    Iowa City, IA
    January 16, 2021
    1:00 p.m., ESPN2
    No. 23 No. 7 Michigan W 75–57  11–4
    (4–4)
     22  Robbins  8  Robbins  6  Carr  Williams Arena (38)
    Minneapolis, MN
    January 23, 2021
    1:00 p.m., BTN
    No. 17 Maryland L 49–63  11–5
    (4–5)
     25  Carr  10  Johnson  3  Tied  Williams Arena (44)
    Minneapolis, MN
    January 30, 2021
    6:30 p.m., BTN
    No. 21 at Purdue L 62–81  11–6
    (4–6)
     15  Robbins  7  Robbins  5  Carr  Mackey Arena (250)
    West Lafayette, IN
    February 4, 2021
    8:00 p.m., FS1
    at Rutgers L 72–76  11–7
    (4–7)
     18  Carr  10  Robbins  7  Carr  Louis Brown Athletic Center (0)
    Piscataway, NJ
    February 8, 2021
    7:00 p.m., BTN
    Nebraska W 79–61  12–7
    (5–7)
     21  Carr  10  Johnson  8  Carr  Williams Arena (29)
    Minneapolis, MN
    February 11, 2021
    4:00 p.m., ESPN2
    No. 24 Purdue W 71–68  13–7
    (6–7)
     19  Carr  10  Robbins  5  Carr  Williams Arena (44)
    Minneapolis, MN
    February 14, 2021
    6:00 p.m., FS1
    at Maryland L 59–72  13–8
    (6–8)
     14  Mashburn Jr.  7  Ihnen  3  Mashburn Jr.  Xfinity Center (0)
    College Park, MD
    February 17, 2021
    8:00 p.m., BTN
    at Indiana L 72–82  13–9
    (6–9)
     19  Tied  7  Johnson  4  Carr  Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall (0)
    Bloomington, IN
    February 20, 2021
    2:30 p.m., FOX
    No. 5 Illinois L 63-94  13–10
    (6–10)
     16  Mashburn Jr.  6  Mashburn Jr.  4  Robbins  Williams Arena (56)
    Minneapolis, MN
    February 25, 2021
    8:00 p.m., BTN
    Northwestern L 59–67  13–11
    (6–11)
     21  Carr  8  Curry  7  Carr  Williams Arena (23)
    Minneapolis, MN
    February 27, 2021
    6:00 p.m., BTN
    at Nebraska L 74-78  13-12
    (6-12)
     41  Carr  8  Curry  3  Carr  Pinnacle Bank Arena (0)
    Lincoln, NE
    March 3, 2021
    6:00 p.m., BTN
    at Penn State L 65–84  13–13
    (6–13)
     22  Carr  10  Ihnen  4  Carr  Bryce Jordan Center (258)
    University Park, PA
    March 6, 2021
    11:00 a.m., FOX
    Rutgers L 70–77 OT 13–14
    (6–14)
     19  Johnson  11  Johnson  3  Gach  Williams Arena (52)
    Minneapolis, MN
    Big Ten Tournament
    March 10, 2021
    5:30 p.m., BTN
    (13) vs. (12) Northwestern
    First round
    W 51–46  14–14
     14  Williams  12  Curry  6  Carr  Lucas Oil Stadium (5,909)
    Indianapolis, IN
    March 11, 2021
    1:00 p.m., BTN
    (13) vs. (5) No. 9 Ohio State
    Second round
    L 75–79  14–15
     24  Carr  8  Tied  4  Tied  Lucas Oil Stadium (6,206)
    Indianapolis, IN
    *Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
    All times are in Central Time.

    Rankings

    Ranking movements
    Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking.
    — = Not ranked. RV = Received votes. т = Tied with team above or below.
    Week
    PollPre12345678910111213141516Final
    APRVRV21т16231721RVRVNot released
    CoachesRV24т17191720RVRV

    *AP does not release post-NCAA Tournament rankings
    ^Coaches did not release a Week 1 poll.

    References

    1. "Minnesota fires coach Richard Pitino after eight seasons leading Gophers basketball program". CBSSports.com. Retrieved 2021-03-17.
    2. "Ben Johnson named Gophers men's basketball coach". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2021-03-29.
    3. "Northwestern vs. Minnesota - Game Recap - March 11, 2020 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2020-06-25.
    4. Solari, Chris. "March Madness cancellation inevitable, unavoidable: 'Bigger than basketball'". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2020-06-25.
    5. Almasy, Steve. "The NCAA is canceling March Madness". CNN. Retrieved 2020-06-25.
    6. "2020 NCAA Tournament canceled due to growing threat of coronavirus pandemic". CBSSports.com. Retrieved 2020-06-25.
    7. "Gophers sophomore Daniel Oturu declares for NBA draft". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2020-06-25.
    8. "Utah's Gach headed home, transfers to Minnesota". ESPN.com. 2020-06-18. Retrieved 2020-06-25.
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