Gophers head men’s basketball coach Ben Johnson talked with the media on Wednesday discussing summer workouts and the optimism he has with his team for the upcoming school year.

***Click the video box above to hear full comments from Ben Johnson***

The Gophers held their first summer workout on June 12. Minnesota has five new players in for summer workouts; graduate senior Jack Wilson, juniors Mike Mitchell Jr. and Elijah Hawkins and freshmen Cam Christie and Erick Reader.

Returning for the Gophers in 2023; Dawson Garcia, Braeden Carrington, Kadyn Betts, Parker Fox, Isaiah Ihnen, Joshua Ola-Joseph, Pharrel Payne, Jackson Purcell and Will Ramberg.

Johnson’s Gophers finished 2-17 in the Big Ten last season, and 9-22 overall.