Gophers forward Joshua Ola-Joseph entering transfer portal

The University of Minnesota men’s basketball team took a nice step forward this season and was hoping to continue that momentum next season. However, it’s not getting off to a great start.

Wednesday, KSTP Sports confirmed that sophomore forward Joshua Ola-Joseph is planning to enter the transfer portal.

The Brooklyn Park native played in 29 games this season for Minnesota, including 19 starts, and averaged 7.5 points and 2.2 rebounds per game in over 15 minutes of action per contest. He also played in 31 games for the Gophers during his freshman year, when he averaged 7.4 points and 2.7 rebounds per game in over 22 minutes per night.

While he had a bigger role for most of the season, Ola-Joseph saw more limited action down the stretch, playing less than 10 minutes in each of the team’s last nine games of the season.

The Gophers finished the season 19-15 (9-11 in conference play), ranked 10th in the conference, and lost to Michigan State in their lone game of the Big Ten Tournament. However, they did beat Butler in the National Invitation Tournament before losing Sunday to Indiana State.