Shorthanded Gophers Basketball Changing Culture Under Niko Medved

Despite mounting injuries, Minnesota continues to exceed expectations in Medved's first year as head coach.

Feb. 21, 2026 at 9:08pm

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Despite being decimated by injuries, with six scholarship players out for the season, the Minnesota Gophers basketball team has continued to exceed expectations under first-year head coach Niko Medved. The Gophers recently beat Rutgers by 19 points, moving to 13-14 on the season and 6-10 in the Big Ten. Medved praised his team's buy-in and commitment to changing the culture of the program, even as they face significant adversity.

Why it matters

In modern college basketball, it's common for teams to fall apart when faced with major injuries and roster turnover. However, the Gophers have managed to stay motivated and focused on their goals, suggesting a meaningful shift in the program's culture under Medved's leadership.

The details

The Gophers' latest win came despite the loss of starting big man Jaylen Crocker-Johnson, the third starter and sixth scholarship player to be ruled out for the season. Medved has been able to keep his six-man rotation bought in and committed to changing the culture of Gopher basketball.

  • On February 21, 2026, the Gophers beat Rutgers by 19 points.
  • On February 10, 2026, the Gophers lost to No. 10 Michigan State.

The players

Niko Medved

The first-year head coach of the Minnesota Gophers basketball team, who has been praised for keeping his shorthanded squad motivated and focused on changing the culture of the program.

Jaylen Crocker-Johnson

The Gophers' starting big man who was ruled out indefinitely with a foot injury, the third starter and sixth scholarship player to miss the rest of the season.

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What they’re saying

“The biggest thing that this group wanted to do is they wanted to find a way to be the group changed the culture, set a culture of what we want Gopher basketball to look like. We look back, and fans will look and say that's the group right there that started this, moving the train in the direction we want to go. People will remember this group.”

— Niko Medved, Head Coach (SI.com)

“I don't know if people really understand what they're going through right now, and I've never seen anything like this in my life with the injuries. They're all about what I believe in, and coaching, and the kind of spirit of people that you have. So, hopefully that's what we have to continue to do, is attract those kinds of people.”

— Niko Medved, Head Coach (Twitter)

What’s next

The Gophers will look to continue their momentum and culture change as they face additional Big Ten opponents in the coming weeks.

The takeaway

Despite facing significant roster challenges due to injuries, the Minnesota Gophers basketball team has remained focused and committed to changing the culture of the program under first-year head coach Niko Medved, suggesting a promising future for the team.