Niko Medved: ‘I think people really care about Gopher basketball’
Gophers, Niko Medved conclude summer workouts [RAW]
Gophers men's basketball coach Niko Medved spoke with reporters on Thursday from Athletes Village as the team concluded eight weeks of summer workouts. Medved replaced Ben Johnson in spring after seven seasons at Colorado State, which featured 143 wins and three NCAA Tournament appearances.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The University of Minnesota men’s basketball team concluded its first summer workouts under new coach Niko Medved on Thursday.
It still doesn’t feel fully real to Medved that he’s wearing Gophers’ gear. He said as much after running into legendary coach Clem Haskins at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. Haskins led the Gophers to their only NCAA Final Four appearance in 1997, which now doesn’t count after an academic scandal.
What’s the best advice Haskins gave Medved?
"He said, ‘Niko, you can run all the pretty little plays you want in the world. At the end of the day, better have a guy who can ring the bell,’" Medved said. "You’ve got to get some guys who can make shots, and I think we’ve been able to do that."
The 2025-26 Gophers
What we know:
Medved and the Gophers held their final session of an eight-week summer program Thursday. He has almost an entirely new roster, with the only returnees being guard Isaac Asuma and forward Grayson Grove. What stuck out to Medved this summer? The group’s energy.
"What I’ve really been impressed with for as many new guys, almost an entirely new team, is how hard they’ve worked every day. They’ve really come in with a great attitude," Medved said.
Leaning on Jaylen Crocker-Johnson
Why you should care:
Medved comes home after seven seasons at Colorado State, including three NCAA Tournament appearances. He went 143-85 with the Rams, and brought forward Jaylen Crocker-Johnson with him via the transfer portal. Crocker-Johnson started 29 games last year and averaged nine points and 4.4 rebounds per game.
He’s been the leader in practice, since he knows Medved’s standard better than anyone.
"It’s been great for him, he’s been awesome. All the things we’re introducing, he gets the luxury of having to be the guy who goes out and shows everybody else how to do it, that’s been great," Medved said. "I don’t know what we’d do without him to be honest."
Rebuilding the program
Dig deeper:
Medved is replacing Ben Johnson, who was fired after four seasons and a 22-57 Big Ten record. The Gophers went 15-17 last year, 7-13 in Big Ten play and saw attendance dwindle at Williams Arena. With Medved’s hire, there’s been a jolt of new energy.
"I think people really care about Gopher basketball, they want it to be great. I think the time is now, it’s a perfect time to reignite it for us," Medved said. "People are waiting for something to get behind, and it’s our job to build that."