Rick Rickert was a phenom from Duluth East in 2001 when he joined the Gophers. He remembers a switch from Northwestern who ran the scout workforce throughout practices that 12 months.
“You could definitely see the leadership come out in him,” Rickert stated. “I didn’t think coaching would be in his future, I was just thinking he was a good cat.”
Ben Johnson was the chief of that scout workforce earlier than he performed his ultimate two seasons for the Gophers. Johnson’s basketball life has introduced him back to Minnesota to revive the Gophers program. Rickert was one in every of many former teammates to congratulate Johnson when he landed the job.
After two terrible seasons throughout which the Gophers went 22-39 — together with 6-33 within the Big Ten — Johnson’s crew has received 19 video games this season, together with Tuesday’s first-round NIT victory over Butler, and can play Indiana State within the second spherical Sunday. The Sycamores are the tourney’s high seed. Regardless of the result, Johnson has had the season he desperately wanted.
Picked to be the caboose of the Big Ten prepare this 12 months, the Gophers went 11th of September in convention play and despatched a message: no extra rock-bottom basketball.
Rickert is thrilled — in addition to relieved — for his former teammate.
“I gotta be honest: I was always really nervous for him going into this year because he’d had very underwhelming performances the past two years,” Rickert stated. “Your first year should be your worst year. They should get better from there. But the second year wasn’t much better. I was like, man, he has another bad year, they’re just gonna let him go because you can’t have just losing seasons, but really bad losing seasons. We grew up in the Clem Haskins era so we were used to winning. I’m glad he has had some success this year.”
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Johnson’s roster building included two newcomers who’ve helped stabilize this system. Transfer level guard Elijah Hawkins obtained probably the most out of the offense. Freshman Cam Christie was second on the workforce in scoring common. While Hawkins is anticipated back next season, Christie might depart if there’s an opportunity he could be drafted.
This is Johnson’s next challenge: constructing on this season and keeping his roster intact. Winning 19 video games, 10 greater than final season, ought to assist with recruiting — that means recruiting prep stars, recruiting within the switch portal and even re-recruiting his present gamers and holding them out of that portal.
Johnson has two gifted Minnesotans approaching as freshmen next season within the two stars from up north: Isaac Asuma (Cherry) and Grayson Grove (Alexandria). Johnson, nonetheless, wants extra success within the metro.
The Star Tribune launched its annual All-Metro boys basketball workforce final week. Of the 25 gamers on the primary, second and honorable point out groups, none are dedicated to the Gophers. Two are going to Wisconsin. Two are headed to Colorado State.
Rickert lives in Sandpoint, Idaho, the place he sells well being and life insurance coverage for the Healthcare Solutions Team. Why Idaho? His spouse, Cici, has household there they usually used to go to. Then they determined to settle there. He’s about 75 miles from Gonzaga University, the place he would play pickup video games throughout offseasons. He was a second-round choose of the Timberwolves in 2003 however his 16-year skilled profession was spent largely abroad, together with Australia and Japan.
He has monitored the Gophers from afar and believes Johnson could make Minnesota a constant winner due to his management expertise and self-discipline — qualities Rickert noticed in his teammate a few years in the past.
This was the season Johnson wanted to stabilize this system whereas holding his seat from getting heat. “A little more than warm,” Rickert stated with a chuckle.
Then he added: “You have to get that reputation back. And I think he’s in the beginning stages of that. It takes time.”