AS THE PORTAL TURNS - Pioneer Press

GOPHERS BASKETBALL SPOTLIGHT

AS THE PORTAL TURNS

Medved heads into NCAA transfer period with nine open scholarship spots

Colorado State guard Nique Clifford, left, is projected to be a late-round NBA draft pick and could become the third NBA player developed by new Gophers coach Niko Medved. RYAN SUN — ASSOCIATED PRESS

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By Andy Greder

agreder@pioneerpress.com

Niko Medved outlined one of his biggest challenge as the new Gophers men’s basketball coach during his introductory news conference last week.

“Listen, it’s a talent-acquisition business,” Medved said from the U’s practice courts on March 25.

Medved will be putting in overtime to remake the U roster going into his first season at Minnesota. Through his first week on the job, Medved has kept two players on the roster from last season — rising sophomores in guard Isaac Asuma and forward Grayson Grove.

Two of the three incoming freshman signed under former coach Ben Johnson — center Parker Jefferson and guard Jacob Ross — have asked out of their national letters of intent, while a third, guard Kai Shinholster, has yet to share his intentions for next season.

One of Medved’s former players at Colorado State will join him in Dinkytown; 6-foot-9 forward Jaylen Crocker-Johnson will come to Minnesota, according to 247Sports on Tuesday. Crocker-Johnson averaged 9.0 points on 49% from the field and 4.4 rebounds last season. The San Antonio native spent his freshman year at Little Rock and won the Ohio Valley Conference freshman of the year award with 9.1 points and 5.3 rebounds.

Another key former Colorado State player, 6-foot-2 sophomore guard Kyan Evans, is also in the portal.

Evans averaged 10.6 points and 3.1 assists in 36 games last season. The Kansas City, Mo., native shot 47% from the field and 45% from 3-point range last year, and poured in 23 points off six treys in 12th-seeded Colorado State’s win over No. 5 Memphis in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

A week ago, Medved steered clear of whether he would bring in former players, pointing out how his news conference came less than 48 hours after Colorado State lost to Maryland in Seattle with a Sweet 16 berth on the line.

“I told every one of them, when I talked to them, how much I love them, how proud I am of them,” Medved said. “They just need to take a couple of days here to process what happened, to be proud of what they did and enjoy it, because I do. I don’t want to take that from them.”

Counting Crocker-Johnson and Shinholster, Medved needs to fill nine scholarship spots. He was asked by the Pioneer Press last week what attributes he was looking for in new additions. He answered more broadly.

“I think anyone can look at a film and understand what their skill set (is), the way they shoot, pass, handle, their balance,” Medved said. “All the different skills that you look for, vision.

“But I want guys. There’s like-it guys, love-it guys, and there’s live-it guys. You’ve got to love it or live it to have a chance. If you don’t love basketball, this isn’t gonna be the program for you. And you’ve gotta have highly competitive people, who really want to compete at the highest level and do that … as part of a team, who want to win.”

It’s not just a talent-acquisition business; it’s also a talent-development business. Medved touts how he just coached his third NBA player at Colorado State. Nique Clifford is projected as a late-round pick in June. He would join Minneapolis natives David Roddy (Houston Rockets) and Isaiah Stevens (Miami Heat) as former Rams players in the league.

“Obviously, we need guys who we think can compete at the top part of the Big Ten — which, if you do that, you’re gonna have an opportunity to play in the NCAA tournament,” Medved said. “That’s the goal for every program. … I’ve had NBA players (at) places I’ve been. They’ve all been great players, but they’ve also been some of our best people and leaders, and I think when your best players are the ones who can emulate the way that you want your program to look, that’s when something great can really happen.”

More than 1,600 players have entered the portal since it opened on March 24 — the day Medved was officially hired — and it will close April 22.

The U has had three former players enter the transfer portal and already find new destinations: forward Frank Mitchell (St. Bonaventure), guard Brennan Rigsby (Radford) and wing Kadyn Betts (Montana). Tyler Cochran, Trey Edmonds and Mike Mitchell also have entered the portal.

Briefly

Cretin-Derham Hall alum Tre Holloman is also entering the portal, per multiple media reports. The junior guard averaged 9.1 points and 3.7 assists this year for Michigan State.