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Dawson Garcia announces he will return to Gophers men’s basketball next season

Pioneer Press
·1 min read

The Gophers men’s basketball team got some much-needed good news on Thursday when star player Dawson Garcia announced he would be returning to the program for the 2024-25 season.

He said on social media that he is electing to use his COVID year for next season and will return to the University of Minnesota for his fifth and final year of eligibility. That’s especially notable considering the Gophers’ growing list of players who have said over the past week they plan to transfer out of the program.

“I take extreme pride and gratitude in wearing ‘Minnesota’ across my chest,” Garcia said. “I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to run it back one last time and represent this state. Let’s make it a special year Gopher nation!”

Garcia, a forward from Savage, Minn., led the Gophers in nearly every statistical category this past season. A second- (media) and third-team (coaches) All-Big Ten selection, Garcia led the team in points (545), points per game (17.6), rebounds (207), rebounds per game (6.7), free throws attempted (177), free throws made (142) and free throw percentage (.802).

He ranked second on the team in minutes played, averaging 32 per game, and he started all 31 games he participated in this past season. Garcia shot 48.6 percent from the field and had 28 double-digit games, 12 20-point games, and three 30-point performances, while leading the team in scoring in 17 games.

Garcia, who is 6-foot-11 and 230 pounds, has played two seasons at the U under coach Ben Johnson after starting his college career at the University of North Carolina. He was a 2020 McDonald’s All-American selection at Prior Lake High School.

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