MINNEAPOLIS — The University of Minnesota men's basketball team will be getting a big addition next year. Real big.
Dennis Evans, a 7-foot-1, 210-pound center out of southern California, has verbally committed to play for the Gophers next season. Evans, who many regard as one of the highest rated high school basketball players in the country, announced his decision on Instagram Monday.
Evans is the top recruit to commit to the University of Minnesota since second-year head coach Ben Johnson has taken over, and one of the best high school players since Hopkins star Kris Humphries committed to the Gophers back in 2003.
"I wake up at five every morning before school to go work out. I am a gold medalist, I want to major in business, and next year I'll be a Golden Gopher at the University of Minnesota," said Evans in his video post.
Evans won a gold medal with the Team USA at the 2022 FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup over the summer, and is a senior at Hillcrest High School in Riverside, California. According to Ryan James with Gopher Illustrated, Evans is the 27th ranked player in the country.
The Gophers finished at the bottom of the Big Ten with Nebraska last season, finishing just 4-16 in conference play in Johnson's first season. The Gophers finished near the bottom of the conference in several statistical categories in 2021-22, including rebounding. Minnesota had the worst team rebounding in the conference, so the addition of a top-tier big man is a welcomed addition if they're going to compete in the Big Ten, which is typically one of the more physical conferences in the nation.
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