Following four seasons under Ben Johnson, the Minnesota Gophers opted to go in a different direction, parting ways with Johnson and hiring Niko Medved as head coach. With the 2025-26 season not even underway yet, Medved still got to the recruiting trail already landing two recruits for the 2026-27 season. Minnesota added a third recruit for the class of 2026 this week with the commitment of Chadrack Mpoyi, as per Eric Bossi of 247Sports.com.
The addition of Mpoyi gives Minnesota three incoming recruits for the 2026-27 season, and Mpoyi might be their most intriguing commit overall. He is considered one of the top center prospects in the country, and he will be playing his senior year this season at Crean Lutheran High School in Irvine, CA.
Joining Mpoyi for the 2026-27 season is guard Cedric Tones and forward Nolen Anderson. Mypoi and Tones are considered three-star prospects while Anderson is a four-star prospect. According to Mpoyi, it was Medved’s vision that sealed the deal for his commitment.
“It is a good program and the coaching vision is very clear and I think it will be the best fit for me,” Mpoyi said. “The style is a fit for me and the coaches can improve my basketball skills, my shooting and my passing.”
But with the 2025-26 season at hand, Medved will have to wait another year until his first full recruiting class arrives on campus. He will be immediately tasked with trying to turn around a team that has missed the NCAA Tournament for the past six years.
Medved was highly successful coach at Colorado State, having led the Rams to an overall record of 143-85 in his tenure, including three NCAA Tournament appearances in seven seasons. Prior to that, Medved as head coach at Drake for a season, and he got his start at the helm at Furman from 2013-2017.
