Gophers basketball coach Ben Johnson lost two of his top forwards to season-ending knee injuries this summer, so the addition of recruit Kadyn Betts comes at just the right time.
Betts, a 6-8, 210-pound Colorado native, will officially join the team Saturday after reclassifying from the 2023 class earlier this month.
The Gophers were strongly considering redshirting Betts. But the loss of juniors Parker Fox and Isaiah Ihnen for the second straight year to injuries could mean their latest newcomer might be needed sooner than later.
"I'm confident," Betts said. "I'm ready to get there and work."
Johnson's 2022 recruiting class has the potential to be one of the program's most impactful in years. Betts joins Pharrel Payne, Jaden Henley, Josh Ola-Joseph, and Minnesota Mr. Basketball Braeden Carrington.
It wouldn't be a surprise to see all five talented freshmen see the floor this season, especially with only Jamison Battle and Treyton Thompson returning with minutes played as scholarship players in 2021-22.
"They talked about how good their freshmen class is," Betts said. "They're just excited for me to get out there as well, work with the team and get better."
On a trip to Minnesota in May, Betts didn't get an opportunity to see his future Gophers teammates because they had left for spring break. But he met the coaching staff. He also has family on his mom's side who live in Minnesota and own Zorbaz restaurant on Gull Lake.
Betts received a scholarship offer from the U while playing locally at the Prep Hoops Battle at the Lakes tournament.
This summer, Betts, who has a 7-foot-2 wingspan, expanded his game to become more of a perimeter threat, highlighted by a 43-point performance with seven three-pointers for P.L.U.T.O. Prospects in an AAU game in Atlanta.
"Shooting the ball I've improved incredibly," Betts said. "I've been in the gym trying to become a knockdown three-point shooter. That's something at the college level I'll need to work on to play the wing, which I have been doing."
As a junior last season, Betts led the state of Colorado's big class in double doubles (22) and blocks per game (2.5), while also finishing second in scoring (22.7) and rebounding (12.3) at Pueblo Central.
A four-star prospect and the 87th player in the 2023 class by PrepHoops.com, Betts had planned to transfer to Huntington Prep in West Virginia for his senior season before reclassifying.
"We really liked him," Johnson said. "When he was open to possibly redshirting, if you could get a guy who is all about the development of the program and development process, why would we not have him here every day where we could be with him in the weight room, on the court, and learning the system?"
In the frontcourt, the Gophers are returning their leading scorer and rebounder in Battle. Payne has stood out this summer as a potential starter in the middle. But they're also hoping to hear back soon from the NCAA on the waiver for North Carolina transfer Dawson Garcia to have immediate eligibility.
How Betts fits into the mix with the Gophers will be determined once practice begins next month.
Redshirting would have been ideal if Johnson's frontcourt had been healthy entering the 2022-23 season, but depth issues will force the Gophers to take a serious look at Betts this fall.
"I'm not going to determine his future based on what we have or don't have," Johnson said. "With him because he's got such a bright future, it's about what's best for him and our team long term rather than not going down the redshirt road to play a couple minutes here or there. It's going to have to make sense."
