Jamison Battle is gone, but Ben Johnson is focused on Gophers who stayed

Summer practice opened for the Gophers men's basketball team last week with more returning players than Ben Johnson has had since taking over as coach in 2021.

One notable absence is two-year starter Jamison Battle, who is reportedly receiving significantly more NIL (name, image, likeness) money after transferring to Ohio State than he did at Minnesota.

Johnson has moved on from Battle. The third-year coach is excited about his returning players.

"This is the first time we've had multiple guys returning who are significantly part of the team," Johnson said Wednesday. "What those guys learned from last year has put them so far ahead."

Sophomores Pharrel Payne, Braeden Carrington and Joshua Ola-Joseph could haveentered the transfer portal after the U's disappointing 9-22 finish, but they stayed. They're a talented young core to build around returning leading scorer Dawson Garcia and several newcomers this summer.

"All of those guys could've left," Johnson said. "All of those guys had the option. But each player looks at it differently. In this NIL space, there is no rule book for it, there's no handbook. Each team gets hit differently."

Payne, a 6-9, 255-pound Cottage Grove native, would have likely been one of the most sought-after big men in the portal this spring. He returned to grow with Garcia into possibly one of the Big Ten's top frontcourt tandems.

In workouts with alumni earlier this month, Garcia and Payne more than held their own against pros, including former All-America center Daniel Oturu, the last Gophers player to be picked in the NBA draft in 2020.

"They're getting comfortable playing with each other," Johnson said. "Spacing wise and being able to be a really good combo."

Payne's athleticism and physical presence was there when he arrived as a wide-eyed 18-year-old last year, but now he combined that toughness with the confidence he gained from experience.

In the last five games, playing 22-plus minutes last season, Payne averaged 14.8 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks, including a team-high 17 points and nine rebounds in a 70-54 Big Ten tournament loss to Maryland.

"I think it was great Pharrel was able to get the minutes that he got," Johnson said. "He knows what it takes now and that's important. … Pharrel's been through it. His work ethic and level has just been upped."

Ola-Joseph saw more time on the court than any Gophers underclassmen after starting the last 24 games last season. The 6-7 forward from Brooklyn Park is motivated to make a bigger impact, but he also has embraced sharing what he has learned with the freshmen.

"Josh is in a leadership role," Johnson said. "He can show these young guys the intensity level that it takes. But he's also hungrier because he's experienced playing. So, there's such a value in that."

Carrington missed nine games as a freshman because of injuries, but Johnson said he's the team's most improved player right now. The former Minnesota Mr. Basketball from Park Center has shot the ball more efficiently from three-point range and added nearly 10 pounds since the season ended in March.

"Braeden's another guy who has taken a step," Johnson said. "He was able to have a really good spring. He got back healthy, got back feeling right. He's gained great weight and strength in the weight room. If you saw him walking around, he doesn't move like a sophomore. He has a confidence and bounce to himself."