Jamison Battle, Gabe Madsen, other Minnesotans to watch in NCAA men’s basketball

Starting five

Curtis Jones, Iowa State

Former Cretin-Derham Hall guard Curtis Jones was honored as an All-Mid-American Conference selection. He showcased impressive stats last season, averaging 15 points, 4.8 rebounds, and three assists while playing for Buffalo. Jones then made the decision to transfer to Iowa State.

Gabe Madsen, Utah

Gabe Madsen, a talented player representing Rochester Mayo, emerged as the second-leading scorer for the Utah Utes. He consistently contributed an average of 11.6 points per game and led the team with 62 successful three-point shots. Madsen demonstrated his skills with an outstanding performance of 26 points and seven three-pointers against TCU.

Jamison Battle, Ohio State

Jamison Battle, formerly a star player at DeLaSalle high school, showcased his scoring abilities by leading the Gophers in points during Ben Johnson’s first season as coach (2021-22). In the following season (2022-23), Battle continued to impress with an average of 12.4 points and 59 successful three-point shots. His exceptional performance caught the attention of the Ohio State Buckeyes, leading to his transfer.

Steven Crowl, Wisconsin

Steven Crowl, an impressive 7-footer hailing from Eagan, exhibited remarkable improvement as a player in the Big Ten. Crowl’s contributions to the Wisconsin team included averaging 12.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 2.5 assists. Notably, he achieved a career-high of 36 points in the National Invitation Tournament game against Bradley.

Dain Dainja, Illinois

Dain Dainja, a dominant presence as a 6’9″, 270-pound big man from Park Center, had an impressive debut season with the Illinois Fighting Illini. He showcased his skills by contributing an average of 9.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game. Dainja’s shooting accuracy was notable, with a 63.6% field goal percentage, making him the second-best in the Big Ten for two-point shots.

The next five

J’Vonne Hadley, Colorado: J’Vonne Hadley, a talented guard from Cretin-Derham Hall, was consistently impactful, leading his team with an average of 5.9 rebounds per game in the previous season.

B.J. Omot, North Dakota: B.J. Omot, a sophomore player standing at 6’8″, hailing from Mankato East, was recognized for his skills by being selected for the preseason All-Summit League team.

Francis Nwaokorie, UC San Diego: Francis Nwaokorie, a former standout from Champlin Park, consistently contributed an average of 12.8 points and 7.1 rebounds per game.

Tyler Wahl, Wisconsin: Tyler Wahl, a product of Lakeville North, is the most experienced player on the Wisconsin Badgers team. With an impressive record of 126 games played and 85 starts, Wahl brings valuable expertise to the court.

Andrew Morgan, North Dakota State: Andrew Morgan, originally from Waseca, significantly improved his scoring capabilities, averaging 10.5 points per game.

Ten others: In addition to the aforementioned players, there are ten other notable talents making their mark in college basketball. These include Prince Aligbe from Boston College, Ben Carlson representing Utah, Camden Heide from Purdue, Tre Holloman representing Michigan State, Michael Jones from Stanford, Robert Jones from Iowa State, Mason Madsen from Cincinnati, Lu’Cye Patterson from Charlotte, Will Tschetter from Michigan, and Kerwin Walton from Texas Tech.