Niko Medved may have wrapped up his 2026 Gophers basketball recruiting class with three early commitments, but attention is already shifting to what his 2027 group might look like.
Recruiting has become increasingly unpredictable with NIL deals and the transfer portal reshaping the landscape — and it could get even trickier if the NCAA approves a proposal granting all student-athletes five years of eligibility. Still, landing top high school talent remains crucial, and Medved has several promising 2027 prospects close to home. The question is: will he pursue them?
According to On3’s updated top-150 rankings for the 2027 class (subscription required), four Minnesota players made the list:
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Ahmed Nur, 6’7″ forward, Hopkins
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Baboucarr Ann, 6’4″ guard, Maple Grove
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Jack Thelen, 7’0″ center, Maple Grove
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Ty Schlagel, 6’5″ forward, Cretin-Derham Hall
Nationally, Nur checks in at No. 41 per On3/Rivals, followed by Ann at No. 56, while Thelen and Schlagel are ranked Nos. 123 and 139, respectively.
Gophers have offered two of them
It doesn’t appear that Ahmed Nur has an offer from the Gophers yet, but the rising 6’7” forward from Hopkins has already caught attention from programs like Arizona State. His stock has skyrocketed, jumping from unranked to a top-100 national prospect almost overnight.
Baboucarr Ann, a 6’4” guard from Maple Grove, has received an offer from Minnesota — though competition is heating up. Iowa State, Notre Dame, and Arizona State are all in pursuit.
“They’re trying to get back to the NCAA Tournament,” Ann told On3’s Jamie Shaw in August. “They see a big role for me if I come in — and that’s what I’m looking for. They like how I bring energy, play with a high motor, and always compete.”
Ty Schlagel has also drawn major attention, holding offers from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Nebraska, and Iowa, among others.
It’s unclear whether the Gophers have reached out to Jack Thelen, a 7-footer who recently transferred to Maple Grove to team up with Ann after previously playing at St. Michael-Albertville.
For now, Minnesota’s 2026 high school class includes three commitments:
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Nolan Anderson, 4-star guard from Wayzata (MN)
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Chadrack Mpoyi, 3-star forward from Crean Lutheran (CA)
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Cedric Tomes, 3-star guard from East Ridge (MN)
“Possibility for one more. Potentially. It’s gotta be the right guy,” Medved said in September. “We’ve had some guys visit that we really like. We’ll see where that goes. After that, we’re pretty happy with the class we have.”
The Gophers will tune up for the season with exhibition games against North Dakota State (Oct. 16) and North Dakota (Oct. 25) at Williams Arena, before officially opening the 2025–26 campaign Nov. 3 vs. Gardner-Webb.
Source: SI.com
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