The Gophers men’s basketball team is going into the new season with almost a completely new roster of players.
With the exception of Isaac Asuma, Grayson Grove, and Erick Reader, Gophers fans will be seeing a team of new faces on the court for the 2025/2026 basketball season. The newest addition being Cade Tyson.
On June 2, Tyson announced he would be joining the Gophers after playing at North Carolina and Belmont.
Tyson played a total of 92 games so far in his career, scoring a total of 993 points with 142 3-point shots and 48.3% from the field.
Head coach Niko Medved said in a press release that Tyson is a versatile player who will impact the team.
“He’s a dynamic scorer, a true playmaker and a great rebounder,” Medved said. “Cade is a terrific addition to our program and we can’t wait for him to be a Gopher.”
Tyson will be playing for the Gophers in his senior year and already feels connected to the team.
“I really get along with my teammates and my coaches,” Tyson said. “I think we have a good understanding and connection with one another, and I feel like that is only going to get better.”
Tyson added that one of the things that drew him to Minnesota was the coaching staff.
Tyson is not the only senior to join the Gophers for the 2025-2026 season. Langston Reynolds announced his commitment on April 14.
Reynolds had an impressive three seasons with Northern Colorado before joining Minnesota. In the 2024-2025 season, Reynolds averaged 16 points and 5.6 rebounds.
Reynolds earned first team All-Big Sky honors and was named Big Sky player of the week three times.
Medved said in a press release that he is excited to add Reynolds to the team.
“Langston is a physical, athletic guard who plays well in transition, can get downhill and has good rebounding ability,” Medved said. “He also has a great personality, and we’re thrilled to have him in the Maroon and Gold.”
Another player added to the 2025-2026 roster is Nehemiah Turner. Turner played his freshman year at Central Arkansas.
He played in all 33 games of the season, and he averaged 8.5 points and 4.2 rebounds. In his last two months playing for Central Arkansas, he averaged 17 points.
Turner said one of the main reasons he chose Minnesota is because his and Medved’s goals align.
“I want to go somewhere where I can develop my game and win,” Turner said. “He has put guys in the league and he wins, so it is a no-brainer.”
Medved shares the same excitement Turner does for him joining the Gophers.
“Nehemiah is a terrific addition to our program,” Medved said in a press release. “He has size, strength and skill with great finishing ability.”
Medved added that Turner has good paint presence and a high ceiling, along with looking forward to having him be a part of the roster.
One of the most talked about recruits for the next season is Chansey Willis Jr. Willis played last season at Western Michigan, but also spent time with Henry Ford College and Saginaw Valley State.
Willis led the Mid-American Conference in scoring with an average of 16.8 points and added 5.8 assists. He ranked fifth in the league for steals per game with 1.7 and an assist-to-turnover rate of 1.8.
Willis said that one of the reasons he came to Minnesota was that it is far away from home.
“I wanted to get uncomfortable just to get comfortable,” Willis said.
He added that Medved was also a factor and that he brings a smile and joy.
“Players need that, you don’t know what we go through outside of basketball,” Willis said. “That’s what I look at all of these coaches, they want what’s best for you.”
Medved also said in a press release that Willis is a great playmaker to have on the team.
“He is a dynamic scorer who can use his speed to his advantage,” Medved said. In addition, he’s a great two-way player and we’re excited to have him on our team.”