Gophers men’s basketball: Freshman guard Isaac Asuma draws comparison to Cam Christie – InForum

The Gophers men’s basketball team posted a 10-win improvement on last season, including nine wins in Big Ten Conference games and a postseason win en route to the second round of the NIT.

When listing the accomplishments of last season, head coach Ben Johnson also mentions true freshman guard Cam Christie, the first U player selected in the NBA draft since Daniel Oturu in 2020. The Los Angeles Lakers took Christie with the 46th pick – the overall pick, in the second round. .

But Christie is gone and Johnson must replace his production as the team’s second leading scorer from last year. Christie and guard Mike Mitchell were the Gophers’ best three-point shooters a year ago. Both shot 39 percent from beyond the arc.

Current true freshman Isaac Asuma of Cherry, Minn., should shoulder some of Christie’s workload as the season progresses. Asuma’s maturity can help him contribute early.

“There’s a lot of similarities in IQ, feel, play the right way,” Johnsons said of Asuma and Christie in late August. As Christie Asuma is “a developmental player who understands that you have to put in the work.”

Johnson didn’t start Christie at the start of last season, but Christie soon became a regular, making 26 starts. With seven new transfer players, including several transfer veteran guards, Asuma will likely start further down the pecking order. He doesn’t expect to be there long.

“I think he’s going to have an extremely bright future,” Johnson said. “Really, very excited to now fully involve him in our program.”

At 6-foot-3, Asuma isn’t as tall as the 6-6 Christie, but he’s thicker and stronger at 196 pounds. “He’s not built like a typical freshman, which will help,” Johnson said.

The Gophers also brought Alexandria’s Grayson Grove into their 2024 recruiting class. The 6-foot-9, 220-pound forward doesn’t have as open a path to the court with a host of veterans ahead of him in this winter.

The Gophers will have two exhibition games at Williams Arena: Bemidji State on Oct. 19 and Hamline on Oct. 29. The U decided not to have a close game against another team this preseason, opting for their new players to make an early impression for The. Barn.