The Gophers men’s basketball team filled the final scholarship for the 2024-25 season after receiving a commitment Saturday from Toledo transfer and former Oregon State recruit Tyler Cochran.
Cochran, who averaged 14.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists last season, gives coach Ben Johnson’s team nine new players for next season, including seven transfers. He visited the Gophers on Tuesday.
The 6-2, 225-pound Bolingbrook, Illinois, native is a sixth-year senior after playing for Northern Illinois, Ball State and Toledo in his first five seasons. He has 111 games of experience, including 68 as a starter.
“It’s a dream come true,” Cochran told the Star Tribune on Saturday. “Especially to be a part of Coach Johnson’s team. There aren’t many opportunities a kid gets to play for someone he really wanted to play for.”
Cochran’s connection to Johnson dates back to Northern Illinois after Mark Montgomery was fired in 2021. Johnson, a Xavier assistant, interviewed for the Huskies’ head coaching job before accepting the U.
Last season, Cochran bounced back after missing most of the 2022-23 season due to a toe injury and earned second-team All-Mid-American Conference and co-Defensive Player of the Year honors. He shot 49.5% from the field, 36% from three-point range and led the league with 1.9 steals per game.
“One of my greatest gifts is being able to defend most positions on the court,” Cochran said. “I hope that translates and gets me on the court as much as possible.”
Johnson’s backcourt lost two starters: point guard Elijah Hawkins transferred to Texas Tech and freshman Cam Christie was selected in the second round of Thursday’s NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Clippers.
But the Gophers get senior Mike Mitchell Jr. back and add Cochran to a stacked group of senior transfers that includes Lu’Cye Patterson (Charlotte), Brennan Rigsby (Oregon), Caleb Williams (Macalester) and Femi Odukale (New Mexico State).
Summer practices began a few weeks ago for the Gophers, who welcomed back leading scorer Dawson Garcia from a 19-win NIT team last season.
Cochran, who deferred from his letter of intent with Oregon State earlier this month to find a better fit, hopes to join the Gophers “within the next week.”
“This time I want to put myself in position to play at the highest level possible in college,” Cochran said. “I wanted to have the best opportunity to play at the end of March.”
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