Gophers guard Carrington taking indefinite leave of absence
The University of Minnesota men’s basketball team will be without one of its starting guards for the foreseeable future.
Tuesday, sophomore Braeden Carrington announced that he’s taking an indefinite leave of absence from the program to focus on his mental health.
Carrington, a standout at Park Center High School and 2022 Mr. Basketball Minnesota, has started all 10 games for the Gophers this season, averaging 5.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game in nearly 25 minutes per night after playing in 22 games as a true freshman last year.
Gophers Head Coach Ben Johnson announced his support for Carrington both in a statement and on social media.
“We fully support Braeden as he takes this time to focus on his mental health,” Johnson said. “Myself, our administration and our team will do whatever we can to help him and I admire Braeden for his courage. We will be here to assist him every step of the way.”
Carrington also posted a message on social media, saying he has “areas of my life I am looking to improve” and will return “when the time is right.”
Entering Tuesday, the Gophers were 7-3 on the season (1-1 in conference play) and were coming off wins last week over Nebraska and Florida Gulf Coast. The team is back in action Tuesday night against IUPUI. The team will also host Ball State and Maine before the end of the year, then will dive into conference play next month.