Almost all new
You will want to keep that Gophers men's basketball program handy this coming season. Here's the roster as of mid-June:
Returning player
Isaiah Ihnen Junior forward
The Gophers hope potential finally turns into more production from the 6-9, 220-pound native of Germany. The last man standing from the Richard Pitino era had three double-figure scoring games last season, but two of them were also double-doubles.
Transfers
Jamison Battle Sophomore forward George Washington
Arguably the top transfer to sign with the Gophers, the 6-7 former DeLaSalle standout averaged 17.3 points and 5.2 rebounds as a sophomore. Also set a school record for threes made (89) and attempted (243) as a freshman in 2019-20.
Charlie Daniels Senior forward/center Stephen F. Austin
At 6-9 and 230 pounds, Daniels will play both frontcourt positions, but his main role is likely to be the backup to a starting center yet to be added to the roster. Played at the same junior college as Abdoulaye Thiam, but Daniels was there a couple years earlier.
Parker Fox Junior forward Northern State
The 6-8 Division II All-America averaged 22.3 points, 9.9 rebounds and a national-best 3.5 blocks last season. The Mahtomedi native could miss the 2021-22 season after suffering a torn ACL and meniscus in his left knee in March.
Luke Loewe Senior guard William & Mary
The Fond du Lac, Wis., native brings experience (80 starts the last three seasons) to the backcourt, as well as two-way ability (two-time all-league defense) and three-point shooting (led Colonial Athletic Association at 43.9%).
E.J. Stephens Senior guard, Lafayette
The Florida native has improved his scoring average every season in college — from 6.8 to 7.1 to 12.1 to 16.4. Last season, he scored in double figures in 13 of 15 games, including 30-point performances vs. Lehigh and Bucknell.
Sean Sutherlin Senior guard New Hampshire
The 6-5 former Irondale standout missed last season with a torn labrum, but he's expected to be fully cleared this summer. Sutherlin was one of the top rebounding guards in the country in 2019-20, leading the America East in double-doubles (12) and finishing second with 9.3 boards per game.
Abdoulaye Thiam Freshman guard Indian River State College
Despite coming off the bench for his junior college team in Florida, Thiam averaged 15.0 points and shot 48% from three-point range. An explosive scorer, he reached 20 points in seven of his last 13 games, including a career-best 31-point performance on 7-for-11 threes.
Payton Willis Senior guard, Charleston
Desperate for an intelligent player and leader to help run the offense this season, the Gophers asked Willis to return to where he played from 2018 to '20. He is best friends with former U big man Eric Curry, who is now a graduate assistant.
incoming freshman
Treyton Thompson Center, LaLumiere Prep (Ind.)
At 6-11 and 190 pounds, Thompson has much room to grow physically to compete inside in the Big Ten, but he could impact early in his career as a rim protector. He spent the past two seasons in prep school after leaving Alexandria in 2019.
Marcus Fuller
