Gophers fans barely got to know this year's men's basketball team before the regular season came to an end with Sunday's loss at Northwestern.
In Ben Johnson's first season as coach, the Gophers (13-16, 4-16 Big Ten) captivated fans with a hot start, but it was easy when the losses piled up to wonder how successful they would've been if some players hadn't transferred last year.
Former starting guards Marcus Carr and Gabe Kalscheur are likely to be the only two departed players from last season to make the NCAA tournament this year at Texas and Iowa State, respectively. But there are others who made an impact on their new teams.
With the 2021-22 regular season over, we can look back at how the players who left the Gophers fared elsewhere.
Last season's top five players
Marcus Carr, Texas, senior guard: 11.0 ppg, 3.2 apg, 2.1 rpg, 32.5% three-point shooting.
The former All-Big Ten point guard went from averaging 19.4 points last season to 11 points per game as Texas' floor leader this season. His assists numbers were down from 4.9 to 3.2, but he shot a higher three-point percentage at nearly 33%, and his defense showed improvement. Carr scored in double figures in seven of nine games in February, including a season-high 25 points in a one-point loss against Kansas State. But the Toronto native will look to bounce back in the Big 12 tourney after having five points and fouling out in a regular season-ending overtime loss Saturday at Kansas.
Gabe Kalscheur, Iowa State, senior guard: 9.4 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.5 steals, started 31 games.
Kalscheur's leadership was apparent with the Cyclones all season, especially early with their rise from a projected last-place team in the Big 12 to a top-10 national ranking. His 30-point performance against Memphis was a statement game. The former DeLaSalle standout wasn't the main scoring option, but he also had a memorable 22-point effort against his old teammate Carr in an upset over Texas in January. He finished the regular season with 18 points in a loss against co-Big 12 champion Baylor.