It has been a bumpy offseason for Ben Johnson and the Gophers, but help is on the way. Oregon transfer guard Brennan Rigsby committed to Minnesota Wednesday, giving them much-needed depth in the backcourt, with one season of eligibility remaining.
Listed at 6-foot-3, 185 pounds, Rigsby averaged 6.1 points and 2.7 rebounds last season for the Ducks. It was his second season in Eugene after transferring in from Northwest Florida State College (JUCO) as the 11th best junior-college prospect in 2022 according to 247sports. He led the program to a NJCAA National Championship, averaging 11.6 PPG on the season.
He entered the transfer portal earlier this month and it ultimately came down to a Samford and a homecoming to Colorado State to play for former Gophers assistant Niko Medved, before settling on Minnesota. He appeared in 57 games, starting 21. He averaged 5.4 points and 2.6 rebounds per game throughout his Ducks career and scored in double figures eight times.
Projected Depth Chart:
G: Isaac Asuma
G: Mike Mitchell Jr./Brennan Rigsby
F: Kadyn Betts/Grayson Grove
F: Dawson Garcia
C: Frank Mitchell/Parker Fox
*Walk-on(s): Erick Reader
Losing Elijah Hawkins to the transfer portal is obviously a huge blow to the Gophers’ 2024-25 roster, but Brennan Rigsby is a fun player who can contribute right away. But the Gophers still need a point guard. Incoming freshman Isaac Asuma played point guard for Cherry High School, but that is in 2A Minnesota High School basketball, not the Big Ten. He might be able to help at that position, but Johnson and his staff need an experienced player at that position. Rigsby is a combo guard that can help facilitate, but should not be your primary ball handler.
The Cam Christie domino will be a massive one for the Gophers’ hopes in 2024-25, but they have four other scholarships to work with. If Christie does return and they add an experienced PG they can get right back to the hope they had before Hawkins entered the portal.
A lifelong Minnesota sports fan, Tony Liebert is one of the biggest voices in Gophers sports coverage and the owner of GoldGophers.com. Within the realm of credentialed media, Tony refined his abilities while serving as the lead writer for Gopherhole and as the sports editor at the Minnesota Daily during various stages of his career. Work has been featured on Bleacher Report, Yardbarker, and more.
