University of Minnesota Athletics

START FIVE
• For the first time since the 2017-18 season, the University of Minnesota men’s basketball team will host two exhibitions to prepare for the upcoming season. The Golden Gophers welcome Bemidji State to Williams Arena on Saturday, October 19th. It is the first time since the 2016-17 season that the Gophers also opened the season against the Beavers. Minnesota won this game 83-59 on November 3, 2016 at Williams Arena.
• Following the Bemidji State game on Oct. 19, the game against Hamline will be on Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. This is the third year in a row that the Gophers have hosted a team from the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) for an exhibition game at Williams Arena. The first year was 2022-23 with St. Olaf, while 2023-24 was Macalster. Caleb Williamsthe current Gopher, played for the Scots in this competition.
• Ben Johnson enters his fourth year at the helm of Golden Gopher men’s basketball. In Johnson’s third year, the Gophers held an overall record of 19-15 in 2023-24. The Golden Gophers finished the Big Ten Tournament as a No. 9 seed, an improvement of five spots from the 2022-23 season. Minnesota improved from 2-17 in Big Ten play and 9-22 in the 2022-23 season to 9-11 in the league and 19-15 overall in the 2023-24 season. That win improvement was the best in the Big Ten and one of the best nationally among power conference teams. The Gophers also achieved their first winning season in five years in the 2023-24 season.
• Minnesota returns two of its top three scorers Dawson Garcia and Mike Mitchell and Sixth-Man Parker Fox, Kadyn Betts and accessible Erick Reader. Garcia, a 2024 second- and third-team All-Big Ten selection and 2025 preseason All-Big Ten honoree, returns after averaging 17.6 points for his senior year and is the Big Ten’s top returning scorer -Scorer from a year ago. Garcia ranks first in scoring among returning Big Ten athletes and is just one of six returning players to earn All-Big Ten honors during the 2023-24 season. Mitchell Jr. is also a returning starter for the Gophers. He ranked third on the team with an average of just over 10.2 ppg. He and Fox saw action in all 34 games during the 2023-24 season, the only two Gophers to do so.
• The Golden Gophers add seven seniors (Tyler Cochran, Trey Edmonds, Femi OdukaleLu’Cye Patterson, Brennan Rigsby, Caleb Williams as well as walkable Lincoln Mastera junior (Frank Mitchell) and two freshmen (Isaac Asuma And Grayson Grove). Max Sheridan is also an addition as a second year student.

GARCIA LEADS THE ATTACK
• Dawson Garcia enters the season with 1,438 career points, including 943 points as a Golden Gopher. Garcia collected 398 points in the 2022-23 season and another 545 in the 2023-24 season.
• Garcia became the first player since Jordan Murphy in 2017-18 to lead the Gophers in both points (17.6) and rebounds (6.7) last season. The Savage, Minnesota product also averaged 15.3 ppg and 6.7 rebounds per game in 2022-23, becoming the first Gopher to lead the team in two seasons since Dusty Rychart in 1999-2000 and 2000 consecutive seasons led in both points and rebounds -01. The last time the Gophers led a player in consecutive goals was Nate Mason in 2015-16/2016-17. Garcia’s performance increased from 15.3 to 17.6 points. to 17.6, which ranked sixth in the Big Ten.

Veteran crew
• Minnesota has 10 seniors on its team this year, tied with Southern California for the most in the Big Ten. The Gophers have an average team age of 22.3 years. The season breakdown is 10 seniors, one junior, three sophomores and two freshmen.
• Dawson Garcia has played in 100 career games while Parker Fox has played in 120 and Mike Mitchell Jr. in 97. They are joined by experienced athletes, three of whom appeared in over 100 Division I collegiate games (Lu’Cye Patterson, Femi Odukale, Tyler Cochran), while two played in Power 5 conferences (Odukale, Brennan Rigsby).

Looking for the beavers
• Bemidji State was ranked fifth in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference preseason coaches poll, while senior forward John Sutherland earned BSU’s Preseason Player to Watch award. Sutherland, a former All-NSIC member, led BSU with 559 points and averaged 20 per game with a league-best field goal percentage of .573.
• BSU went 13-16 in the 2023-24 season and 9-13 in the NSIC. Brayden Williams and Tate Olson also return to the squad with 218 and 190 points, respectively. Sutherland had 222 rebounds, Olson 165 and Williams 94.
• The Beavers are coached by Mike Boschee, who is in his 13th season at the helm.

ON THE CEILING
• Minnesota plays Hamline on Oct. 29 at 7 p.m. The game will be streamed on B1G+.