Gophers knocked out of NIT by Indiana State, end season 19-15

After thoroughly exceeding preseason expectations, the Gophers accepted an invitation to the 2024 National Invitational Tournament (NIT). After getting knocking off the Butler Bulldogs on the road in round one, Ben Johnson’s team ran into a buzz-saw in round two vs. Indiana State, falling 76-64.

Minnesota was a consensus pick to finish last in the Big Ten conference preseason. Any realistic fan would’ve been really pleased with an NIT appearance. With that being said, a home loss to Missouri, blowing opportunities at Michigan State and Purdue and at home vs. Wisconsin were certainly missteps along the way in a season that could’ve been even better.

But Ben Johnson just finished only his third season as a head coach. He has shown improvement every season, but there is still room to grow. It was never going to happen overnight with a first-year head coach, but the ship is pointed in the right direction. The offseason will say a lot about expectations for the 2024-25, but there is plenty of reason for optimism in Dinkytown, which was hard to come by this time last year.

What’s Next:

There are a couple huge decisions coming up for players in this program. Firstly, Parker Fox needs to decide if he wants to come back for another season, but after already participating in senior day festivities an eighth year of college could be a lot for anyone.

Next, Cam Christie will need to decide if he wants to test the NBA Draft waters and he’s already receiving some first-round hype. So whether or not the Gophers’ star freshman returns for another season in Dinkytown will play a major impact on their ceiling heading into next season.

Lastly there is surprise transfers (Ihnen, JOJ, Mitchell Jr. Kadyn Betts or Carrington). I have no information on what these players are thinking, but in today’s era of college sports I think it more than fair to analyze there is a chance that any of them could. While there is also a chance all of them stay, I find that far less likely.

There is also the future of Elijah Hawkins and Dawson Garcia — two players that have the potential to play professional basketball, but the question is at what level? Both players said they’d make a decision after the season, but they both have the eligibility remaining and an opportunity to return next season.