Niko Medved was brought in to turn around the mess that Ben Johnson left for the Minnesota Gophers. That was always going to be difficult in year one, even if he was clearly a better coach.
At this point the Minnesota roster has been gutted by injury to multiple scholarship players, and Medved is watching the roster grow right before his eyes. The Gophers have played spoiler in some big games already this season.
They added another marquee victory to the ledger on Wednesday knocking off Tom Izzo’s Michigan State Spartans.
Related Headlines
- MN Gophers Left Stunned by Badgers
- Gophers MBB Stuns #19 Iowa at The Barn
- Niko Medved Loses Yet Another MN Gophers Starter
Ranked Michigan State falls to Minnesota Gophers
Niko Medved has coached the Minnesota Gophers to ranked victories over Indiana and Iowa this season. Both resulted in court stormings at The Barn. They were recently left stunned by Wisconsin, and flopped against an 0-10 Penn State team. With #10 Michigan State in town, the Gophers did it again.
Crock with 22 points & 7 rebounds tn 🔥
Gophers beat No. 10 Michigan State, 76-73!#TeamTogetherpic.twitter.com/k4DcjDmTih
— Minnesota Men’s Basketball (@GopherMBB) February 5, 2026
The Barn has shown up and shown out at different times this season. While Ben Johnson limped to just a 15-17 (7-13) record in his final year in Dinkytown, the fanbase seems to understand the page is being turned.
Medved has been vocal all year about the level of support he has seen, and how much the crowds matter in key contests. Minnesota could’ve moped following a 77-75 loss against Penn State (a seventh straight on the season), but instead stopped the bleeding.
Izzo will go down as one of the greatest coaches in basketball history, and his teams are always tough. The Spartans came in 19-3 (9-2) only to be upset by a Minnesota team under .500. Michigan State’s only other losses this season came to teams that have all been ranked in the top five (Duke, Nebraska, Michigan).
Jeremy Fears with a back kick to the nuts? pic.twitter.com/VNF29uN5kO
— mm (@muhtacinm) February 5, 2026
While the Gophers continue to show maturity beyond their years, the same can’t be said for Michigan State talent Jeremy Fears. Not only did he get shut down for just 10 points on 4-of-11 shooting, but he followed through with yet another cheap shot. Izzo said he’s not sure whether the junior guard will start next game noting that he’s “gotta grow up a little bit.”
Gritty MN Gophers keep showing up
Scholarship talent has dwindled with the Gophers continuing to lose players to injury. That hasn’t stopped anyone from stepping forward as the next man up. Cade Tyson led the way early this season, but it has since become the Jaylen Crocker-Johnson show.
The Barn was rocking ‼️@TheAndyKatz spoke with Niko Medved after the huge @GopherMBB win ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/GDek4ASpcC
— Big Ten Men’s Basketball (@B1GMBBall) February 5, 2026
“Our guys showed a ton of toughness. It got hairy down the stretch as you can imagine, but ultimately we made enough free throws, and we just made those last couple plays. I’m so proud of them. You know how many close games we’ve been in. They just keep battling. Didn’t let them get it down, they fought their tails off, they earned this one here tonight.”
All five of the Minnesota Gophers starters played at least 35 minutes. Crocker-Johnson led the way with 22 points and seven rebounds. Tyson poured in 17 points and had a pair of assists while Langston Reynolds had eight dimes on his own.
Both Grasyon Grove (11 minutes) and Kai Shinholster (6 minutes) continue to get valuable time. Neither scored tonight, but the freshman tandem has been forced into the fire due to injuries, and they are growing up quickly this season.
Minnesota is back in action on Saturday against the Maryland Terrapins. The win pushes them to 11-12 (4-8) on the season.
Related Headlines