Another View
Both Gopher basketball teams are in the midst of their respective summer workouts, which began in June.
The Minnesota men added six seniors to the 2024-25 season roster along with two returning starters (Dawson Garcia and Mike Mitchell) to a squad that was last season’s Big Ten best in terms of win improvement (19-15 overall) in 2023-24.
The Gopher women finished as 2024 WNIT runners-up and finished 20-16 overall in Dawn Plitzuweit’s first season as head coach. Minnesota returns four starters, including junior Amaya Battle, who last week was one of three players named 2023-24 Big 10 Distinguished Scholar Award recipients.
“She has the potential to be an elite guard, but an elite leader, too,” Coach P said of Battle. She told the MSR that the 5’11” guard from Hopkins “is someone who wants that but doesn’t really know what that all encompasses yet and asks a lot of very good questions.
“I think she can be one of the best, not only in our conference, but nationally,” predicts the head coach.
Head Coach Ben Johnson, now in his fourth season, told us before a recent summer practice, “It is just about building, staying healthy, and continuing to do what we do and not get sidetracked.” The Minneapolis native added, “You want to have a locker room full of guys that expect to win.”
Once again, Johnson must “rebuild” his roster due to transfers. Nonetheless, he reaffirmed, “We’re on the right trajectory.”
He also pointed out that along with the returning players, the nine newcomers “understand what goes into winning. I like the fact that they all have pretty good feel, pretty good IQ.”
Now in her second season in Minnesota, with most of her players back from a year ago, “I think our returning players just have more understanding, more confidence for more skills,” noted Plitzuweit. “I think the new players have brought us some size, athleticism, speed. They’ve added some different pieces.”
The newcomers include sophomore transfer Taylor Woodson from Michigan—the Minnetonka native is one of three new Blacks on the squad.
“We can get through the drills a little quicker and not have to explain our drills anymore,” added Assistant Coach Aaron Horn. He and fellow assistant Ariel Braker rejoined Coach P last season after being together with her in West Virginia.
“I like the new kids that we brought in as well,” said Braker.
Plitzuwitz told the MSR that Horn and Braker’s presence on the staff is invaluable. “They’re two individuals that we rely on an incredible amount, whether that’s recruiting, player development, whether that’s really connecting with our players, whether that’s helping put together game plans and strategies. I think it’s really important for us to continue moving forward,” surmised the head coach of the two Black assistant coaches.
“They have great connections with our recruits, and they just have a great desire to be really good. Their work ethic has been off the chart.”
Finally…
Gopher sophomore softball player Breezy Burnett also made the Big Ten Distinguished Scholar list, one of 121 U of M athletes so honored.
Next week: Johnson and Plitzuwitz talk about coaching today in the NIL era.