Changing up the guards: Oregon transfer interests Gophers, visits campus
Oregon transfer Brennan Rigsby is visiting the Gophers men's basketball team Tuesday and has emerged as a top target to fill out a backcourt that just lost point guard Elijah Hawkins.
Hawkins, the Big Ten's assist leader last season, entered the transfer portal on Monday, the same day Rigsby arrived in Minneapolis.
The 6-3 Rigsby averaged 6.1 points and 2.7 rebounds while shooting 35% from three-point range with the Ducks in 2023-24. He started 13 games, including when he scored a season-high 19 points in a Dec. 2 win vs. Michigan.
The Gophers have one guard remaining on the roster from last season with junior starter Mike Mitchell Jr., who led the team with 77 three-pointers and 39.9% shooting from beyond the arc. Hawkins and sophomore Braeden Carrington entered the portal. Freshman Cam Christie declared for the NBA draft with the option to return to college.
Davidson graduate transfer guard Grant Huffman visited the Gophers earlier this month, but he committed to Vanderbilt.
Here are a couple other guards besides Rigsby that have received interest from the Gophers recently:
Ken Evans Jr., Jackson State — The 6-5, 200-pound Mississippi native averaged 18.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists and shot 39.2% from three-point range last season to earn Southwest Athletic Conference player of the year. Evans had a career-high 37 points against Arkansas Pine Bluff and 25 points vs. Gonzaga.
Seydou Traore, Manhattan — A 6-7, 215-pound New York native capable of playing four positions on the floor, he's best suited attacking from the perimeter. Traore averaged 11.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks as a freshman in 2023-24. Had 16 points vs. Kansas and 13 points vs. national champion UConn last season.
