As Dawson Garcia recovers from surgery, Gophers men’s basketball team sees others emerge in summer practice

Senior forward and leader Dawson Garcia taking a break from practice to rest an injury ended up benefiting the Gophers men’s basketball team in a variety of ways this summer.

The Big Ten’s top returning scorer had left foot surgery in July, but he’s on pace to be fully recovered when official practice for the 2024-25 season opens in early September.

“If you see him now, he’s bouncing around the gym,” Gophers coach Ben Johnson said during his summer wrap-up video call Wednesday. “I know he’ll be ready to go.”

In Garcia’s absence, the Gophers were able to give others more opportunities in practice to showcase how they could make an impact in the frontcourt this season, including redshirt sophomore Kadyn Betts.

The 6-8, 220-pound Colorado native played sparingly in his first year after sitting out as an early high school graduate, but Betts is arguably the team’s most improved player this offseason.

“This was a big summer trying to find out what other guys can do,” Johnson said. “I thought KB took a big advantage of it. He’s done a really good job this whole summer of taking his game to another level.”

Primarily known as a shooter as a four-star recruit in the U’s 2022 class, Betts has developed into an all-around player, able to contribute on both ends of the floor.

Betts could see meaningful minutes in a Minnesota frontcourt that lost starting center Pharrel Payne (Texas A&M) and backup forward Joshua Ola-Joseph (California) via the transfer portal.

Payne’s exit was the biggest blow because he had the potential to be a star in the Big Ten as a junior after making significant strides playing alongside Garcia last season.

Replacing Payne’s inside presence could be a three-man job among returning senior Parker Fox and newcomer transfers Frank Mitchell (Canisius) and Trey Edmonds (Texas San Antonio).

A Toronto native, the 6-8, 240-pound Mitchell ranked fourth in the nation in rebounding last season, but he has also impressed the Gophers with his mobility and expanded offensive repertoire.

Don’t be surprised to see Mitchell leading the half-court offense at times in a role Johnson called “point center,” utilizing his court vision and playmaking ability.

Getting Garcia back was obviously a major priority for Johnson.

Garcia, a 6-11 former Prior Lake standout, has spent more time in the weight room while recovering, but he also has put on his coaching hat. He learned different aspects of the game enough to teach his teammates.