Preview: Gophers begin Niko Medved era with Gardner-Webb on Monday
The Niko Medved era is just hours away. On Monday, the Minnesota Golden Gophers will begin their 2025-26 season when they host the Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs out of the Big South Conference.
The Golden Gophers are coming off a 15-17 (7-13) 2024-25 season under head coach Ben Johnson last season, before Johnson was fired, making way for Niko Medved to be hired to lead the program. The Gophers return just two players from their 2024-25 team in Isaac Asuma and Grayson Grove, while welcoming 13 newcomers to the program for this upcoming season.
Gardner-Webb had a tough 2024-25 campaign off its own, going just 11-20 overall and 5-11 in Big South play. They’ll be led by second-year head coach Jeremy Luther this season. The Bulldogs return five players from last year’s roster, but also had an infusion of talent themselves with 11 newcomers.
GAME DETAILS
Time: 7 p.m. CT
Where: Williams Arena (Minneapolis, MN)
TV: N/A
Stream: Big Ten Network+
Series History: Gardner-Webb 1-0
Last Meeting: 73-72 Gardner-Webb win on November 28, 2005.
Line: Minnesota -25.5 | 146.5 Total
PROJECTED STARTING LINEUPS
MINNESOTA
| Position | Name | 2024-25 Stats |
| G | Chansey Willis Jr | 16.8 Pts, 4.3 Reb, 5.8 Ast |
| G | Isaac Asuma | 5.6 Pts, 2.9 Reb, 2.1 Ast |
| F/G | Cade Tyson | 2.6 Pts, 1.1 Reb, 0.2 Ast |
| F/G | Jaylen Crocker-Johnson | 9.0 Pts, 4.4 Reb, 0.8 Ast |
| F/C | Robert Vaihola | 7.5 Pts, 7.5 Reb, 2.0 Ast |
GARDNER-WEBB
| Position | Name | 2024-25 Stats |
| G | Jacob Hudson | 4.1 Pts, 1.4 Reb, 0.8 Ast |
| G | Colin Hawkins | 2.4 Pts, 0.6 Reb, 0.7 Ast |
| G | Ace Talbert | 10.2 Pts, 2.8 Reb, 1.8 Ast |
| G | Curtis Williams | 3.7 Pts, 2.3 Reb, 0.4 Ast |
| F | Jacob Hogarth | 1.1 Pts, 1.1 Reb, 0.2 Ast |
Rankings
| Minnesota | Gardner-Webb | |
| KenPom | 73 | 311 |
| ESPN BPI | 87 | 267 |
| Haslam | 96 | 307 |
| T-Rank | 85 | 338 |
| NET | N/A | N/A |
PREVIEW AND PREDICTION
Minnesota enters its first game of the 2025-26 season as quite a favorite at 25.5 points. The Gardner-Webb Bulldogs are projected to be one of the worst teams in the country this season, and while the Gophers may not be projected to be a dominant program in 2025-26, they’re expected to be a competitive Big Ten program with some notable upside.
Gardner-Webb does return some talent from last season, but they lost their top six scorers, leaving much of their offensive identity uncertain. Last season, the Bulldogs were strong inside the arc, shooting 53.1%, which ranked 113th nationally. They struggled, however, from beyond the arc at 33% (233rd) and at the free-throw line, making just 69.2% of their attempts (279th). They also attempted relatively few threes, with 19 per game, ranking 336th out of 364 Division I teams.
Opposing teams were able to generate quite a bit of success against the Bulldogs inside the arc as well, as they shot 54.2% last season. Gardner-Webb, usually sporting a smaller lineup, did have solid perimeter defense, keeping opposing teams to a 32.3% shooting percentage from three-point range. They did, however, get into foul trouble with the opposition, averaging over 22 free throw attempts per game.
We once again expect the Bulldogs to utilize a guard-heavy lineup on Monday night, while the Gophers will likely go with two guards and three forwards/centers, giving them a major advantage down low in the paint.
Last season, Gardner-Webb faced two major programs, falling 80-64 to No. 12 Tennessee in its season opener and later losing 83-64 to Pittsburgh. Given the quality of those opponents, the relatively competitive nature of both losses—avoiding 20-plus point blowouts—is notable. That said, this year’s Runnin’ Bulldogs may be even less competitive than last season’s team. For that reason, the Gophers are expected not just to win on Monday, but to secure a decisive, blowout victory to start the season.
Minnesota 85, Gardner Webb 57
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