Gophers men’s basketball coach Niko Medved accepts the Big Ten challenge

Gophers men’s basketball coach Niko Medved knows coaching in the Big Ten Conference will be daunting.

“We’re really excited,” Medved said Thursday at Big Ten media day in suburban Chicago. “It’s sobering, when you look at the programs and the coaches. But I’m excited to challenge ourselves against the best in the business.”

Medved, hired in March as a replacement for Ben Johnson, goes into his first season as Gophers coach with one player on the roster, Isaac Asuma, who played for the Gophers last season. Freshman Grayson Grove, who redshirted last season, also returns. The Gophers’ top five scorers last season did not return.

Medved, who coached Colorado State for seven seasons and reached the NCAA tournament in three of the past four, and his staff have assembled a roster with 11 newcomers — nine from the transfer portal.

In a poll compiled by the Columbus Dispatch and Indianapolis Star that was released this week, the Gophers were predicted to finish 16th in the Big Ten this season. Last season, the Gophers finished in a tie for 12th place in the league with a 7-13 conference record. The Gophers were 15-17 overall.

“You look at there are 18 teams [in the Big Ten] now,” Medved said. “Look at the guys leading all 18 of those programs. Everyone knows there’s no nights off, but there are really no nights off. That’s going to be an incredible challenge. Can you stay in the fight? You can’t get down. You can play well and lose three in a row in this league. Easily. But you find a way to win two in a row and your life feels like it’s changing. You just have to enjoy the journey and keep getting better.”

Asuma, who averaged 5.6 points and 2.9 rebounds while shooting 36 percent from three-point range last season, indicated he’s fired up about his new coach.

One of the transfers, 6-8 forward Jaylen Crocker-Johnson, is positioned to smooth the transition for the revamped roster. He played for Medved at Colorado State last season.

“He really, really came on last year as a sophomore when we had such a good year,” Medved said. “He’s been able to bring some stability.”

Crocker-Johnson said he didn’t want to let Medved get away.

“When I was with Coach Medved at CSU, we built a strong relationship throughout the year on and off the court,” he said. “I knew when he left I wanted to go with him.”

Among the newcomers to the program are BJ Omot, a transfer from California who played at Mankato East High School; Cade Tyson, who appeared in 31 games for North Carolina last season; Bobby Durkin, who averaged 13.5 points per game for Davidson last season; and Chansey Willis Jr., who led the Mid-American Conference in scoring last season while playing for Western Michigan.

The Gophers will give the public its first look at the team Saturday afternoon, when they hold their Maroon and Gold Open Scrimmage at Williams Arena,