What We’ve Learned About Gophers Men’s Basketball During Impossible 3-Game Win Streak

By Ezra Greenman |

Updated: Jan 25, 2025

NCAA Basketball: Oregon at Minnesota — Credit: Nick Wosika-Imagn Images

The Minnesota Golden Gophers basketball team is on a serious hot streak. They just took down No. 15 Oregon at home, marking their third straight win. Even more impressive, they’ve now snagged back-to-back victories against ranked opponents after beating No. 20 Michigan last week at home and Iowa on the road.

After starting conference play with a rough 0-6 record, they’ve turned things around and now sit at 3-6. With plenty of basketball still ahead, the rest of the season is anyone’s guess. But during this three-game win streak, here are three key takeaways we’ve learned.

Dawson Garcia is one of the best players in the country

Now in his third season with the Gophers and fifth overall after stints at Marquette and North Carolina, Dawson Garcia is living up to the hype that came with being a four-star recruit out of Prior Lake high school. He’s proving to everyone why he’s one of the top players in college basketball right now.

Over the last three games, Garcia has been on fire, dropping 31, 20, and 27 points, leading the Gophers in scoring each time. But this isn’t just a recent hot streak, he’s been playing at a high level all season. He’s averaging 19.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, and shooting an impressive 48.4 percent from the field.

He’s making an impact on the defensive end, too, racking up three blocks in today’s win over Oregon. He’s really showcasing his all-around game and has been the key piece for this Gophers team. If they want to keep winning, he’ll need to keep up this level of play.

Maybe Ben Johnson can save his job?

NCAA Basketball: Minnesota at Maryland — Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

Just when it seemed like Ben Johnson’s seat couldn’t get any hotter, he pulled off his first win over a ranked team as a head coach, and then followed it up with another one just nine days later. Now he’s turning heads and has his team playing some impressive basketball over the past three games. It makes you wonder: could he actually save his job?

Now in his fourth season as the Gophers’ head coach, with a 52-63 overall record and an ugly 18-50 mark in Big Ten play, Johnson seemed to be coaching himself out of a job. But if the Gophers can keep stringing together wins, especially in conference play, he might just hang on to his role heading into next season. The pressure’s on, though, and there’s no room to take his foot off the gas now.

With the Big Ten now expanded, only 15 of the 18 teams qualify for the conference tournament in March. If the Gophers don’t make the cut, I’d bet Johnson’s time is up. But after today’s win, the Gophers are sitting in a much more manageable spot in the standings.

Big Ten Standings

Rank	Team	Conf	W-L
1	Michigan State	8-0	17-2
2	Purdue	8-2	16-5
3	Michigan	6-2	14-5
4	UCLA	5-4	14-6
5	Indiana	5-4	14-6
6	Illinois	5-4	13-6
7	Maryland	5-4	15-5
8	Oregon	5-4	16-3
9	Wisconsin	5-3	15-4
10	USC	4-4	12-7
11	Iowa	4-5	13-7
12	Northwestern	3-5	12-7
13	Ohio State	3-5	11-8
14	Penn State	3-6	13-7
15	Minnesota	3-6	11-9
16	Rutgers	3-6	10-10
17	Nebraska	2-6	12-7
18	Washington	1-8	10-10

Maybe this roster is NCAA tournament caliber?

The Gophers’ roster is mostly made up of transfers, though there are some homegrown players like Isaac Asuma, who Coach Johnson recruited and has been a key part of the team this year. But the real standouts, like Dawson Garcia, Mike Mitchell, Parker Fox, Femi Odukale, and Lu’Cye Patterson, all came through the transfer portal. Over the last three games, they’ve really started to find their rhythm, showing they can compete with the best.

Mitchell played a huge role in the Gophers’ wins over Oregon and Michigan, dishing out 10 assists against the Ducks and scoring 20 points against Michigan. Parker Fox also had a standout performance, recording a double-double against the Ducks, which was key to the Gophers’ victory. Femi Odukale has been finding his rhythm, scoring double digits in back-to-back games with 18 against Michigan and 10 against Oregon.

Lu’Cye Patterson is also coming into his own, posting 22 points against Michigan and 11 against Oregon. And, of course, let’s not forget about Dawson Garcia, the Gophers’ best player, who we mentioned earlier. All of this points to the Gophers finally looking like a complete team that could maybe compete in March.

The Gophers have 11 games left this season, and it’ll be interesting to see how things unfold if they keep winning. Their next game is a big one against Michigan State, who is currently undefeated in the Big Ten at 8-0. If the Gophers can pull off the upset, March Madness could definitely be within reach.