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Gophers men’s basketball coach Niko Medved asked his short-handed roster a few weeks ago if they wanted to participate in the College Basketball Crown tournament in Las Vegas.
“They wanted to play,” Medved said. “And if they wanted to play, then I’m all in.”
Minnesota is betting on itself, pushing its chips into the middle as one of eight high-major programs to participate in the second-year tournament. A purse of $500,000 in name, image and likeness (NIL) surely had something to do with U players wanting to keep their season going.
The criteria for the Crown’s field was expected to be the top two Big Ten teams in the NET ranking who were not included in the NCAA Tournament. If that’s the exact order, Indiana, Washington, Northwestern and Southern Cal would have had to say, ‘no thanks,” for Minnesota to eventually get the nod.
But Medved said he wasn’t surprised to get the call.
“I knew going down the wire; we were right there,” he said Monday. “We finished 11th in the Big Ten (and nine made March Madness). I think, obviously, they look at NET rankings and stuff. Maybe for some of the teams, with a different situation where they were, it didn’t make sense.”
The Gophers (15-17) will play Baylor (16-16) at 9:30 p.m. Wednesday at MGM Grand Garden Arena. It’s a chance for Minnesota to continue its first season under Medved, one underscored with season-ending injuries to three starters and three encouraging upsets of ranked teams.
The U will continue to have the same rotation of six players against the Bears.
“It’s going to be the same way that we ended the season,” Medved confirmed. “So, I guess, the good news is we’ve had to do that.”
The semifinals are Saturday and the championship game is Sunday. Last year, Nebraska won it and took home $300,000 in NIL, while runner-up Central Florida took home $100,000. Semifinalists Villanova and Boise State each got $50,000.
If it’s the same payout structure this year, Minnesota will get a check if it beats Baylor.
Medved said the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) didn’t feel like it “made sense for us” this year. But the FOX-run Crown tourney in Vegas sure did.
An added bonus is how the Crown pays the team’s travel expenses, including flights, hotel rooms on the Strip, local transportation costs, food and beverage allowances and training facilities.
The Gophers doubled on Tuesday the total of key players returning for next year. Dinkytown Athletes, the U’s NIL collective, said point guard Isaac Asuma and wing Bobby Durkin will come back for the 2026-27 season.
On Monday, forwards Jaylen Crocker-Johnson and Grayson Grove were announced as returners for next season.
Asuma has started all 32 games, averaging 11.1 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. Durkin moved into the starting five in December and put up 10.3 points, while shooting 40% from 3-point range.
Durkin will be a senior next winter; Asuma a true junior.
Gophers assistant coach Chad Warner has left the U to become an assistant coach at Clemson, the Tigers said Monday. Warner’s exit will create an opening on Medved’s bench going into his second year at the U. … Two players from this year’s roster are expected to enter the portal when it opens next week: center Nehemiah Turner and wing B.J. Omot.
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“They wanted to play,” Medved said. “And if they wanted to play, then I’m all in.”
Minnesota is betting on itself, pushing its chips into the middle as one of eight high-major programs to participate in the second-year tournament. A purse of $500,000 in name, image and likeness (NIL) surely had something to do with U players wanting to keep their season going.
The criteria for the Crown’s field was expected to be the top two Big Ten teams in the NET ranking who were not included in the NCAA Tournament. If that’s the exact order, Indiana, Washington, Northwestern and Southern Cal would have had to say, ‘no thanks,” for Minnesota to eventually get the nod.
But Medved said he wasn’t surprised to get the call.
“I knew going down the wire; we were right there,” he said Monday. “We finished 11th in the Big Ten (and nine made March Madness). I think, obviously, they look at NET rankings and stuff. Maybe for some of the teams, with a different situation where they were, it didn’t make sense.”
The Gophers (15-17) will play Baylor (16-16) at 9:30 p.m. Wednesday at MGM Grand Garden Arena. It’s a chance for Minnesota to continue its first season under Medved, one underscored with season-ending injuries to three starters and three encouraging upsets of ranked teams.
The U will continue to have the same rotation of six players against the Bears.
“It’s going to be the same way that we ended the season,” Medved confirmed. “So, I guess, the good news is we’ve had to do that.”
The semifinals are Saturday and the championship game is Sunday. Last year, Nebraska won it and took home $300,000 in NIL, while runner-up Central Florida took home $100,000. Semifinalists Villanova and Boise State each got $50,000.
If it’s the same payout structure this year, Minnesota will get a check if it beats Baylor.
Medved said the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) didn’t feel like it “made sense for us” this year. But the FOX-run Crown tourney in Vegas sure did.
An added bonus is how the Crown pays the team’s travel expenses, including flights, hotel rooms on the Strip, local transportation costs, food and beverage allowances and training facilities.
Asuma, Durkin to return
The Gophers doubled on Tuesday the total of key players returning for next year. Dinkytown Athletes, the U’s NIL collective, said point guard Isaac Asuma and wing Bobby Durkin will come back for the 2026-27 season.
On Monday, forwards Jaylen Crocker-Johnson and Grayson Grove were announced as returners for next season.
Asuma has started all 32 games, averaging 11.1 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. Durkin moved into the starting five in December and put up 10.3 points, while shooting 40% from 3-point range.
Durkin will be a senior next winter; Asuma a true junior.
Briefly
Gophers assistant coach Chad Warner has left the U to become an assistant coach at Clemson, the Tigers said Monday. Warner’s exit will create an opening on Medved’s bench going into his second year at the U. … Two players from this year’s roster are expected to enter the portal when it opens next week: center Nehemiah Turner and wing B.J. Omot.
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