Changing up the guards: Oregon transfer interests U, visits campus

Oregon transfer Brennan Rigsby is visiting the Gophers men’s basketball team Tuesday and has emerged as a top target to fill out a backcourt that just lost point guard Elijah Hawkins.

Hawkins, the Big Ten’s assist leader last season, entered the transfer portal on Monday, the same day Rigsby arrived in Minneapolis.

The 6-3 Rigsby, who’s from Colorado, averaged 6.1 points and 2.7 rebounds while shooting 35% from three-point range with the Ducks in 2023-24. He started 13 games and scored a season-high 19 points in a Dec. 2 win vs. Michigan.

The Gophers have one guard remaining on the roster from last season with junior starter Mike Mitchell Jr., who led the team with 77 three-pointers and 39.9% shooting from beyond the arc. Sophomore Braeden Carrington entered the portal. Freshman Cam Christie declared for the NBA draft with the option to return to college.

Davidson graduate transfer guard Grant Huffman visited the Gophers earlier this month, but he committed to Vanderbilt.

Here are some names among the other guards with recent interest from the Gophers:

Ken Evans Jr., Jackson State — The 6-5, 200-pound Mississippi native averaged 18.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists and shot 39.2% from three-point range last season to earn Southwest Athletic Conference player of the year. Evans scored a career-high 37 points against Arkansas Pine Bluff and 25 points vs. Gonzaga.

Jalen Speer, Florida A&M — A 6-1 senior from Gainesville recently entered the portal after averaging 15.5 points, 4.0 assists and 3.4 rebounds last season. He scored in double figures in 17 of 19 games, including 29 points vs. Pine Bluff and 32 points vs. Bethune-Cookman.

Seydou Traore, Manhattan — A 6-7, 215-pound New York native capable of playing four positions on the floor, he’s best suited attacking from the perimeter. Traore averaged 11.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks as a freshman in 2023-24. Had 16 points vs. Kansas and 13 points vs. national champion UConn last season.

Atin Wright, Drake — The 6-1 junior from California averaged 14.1 points, 2.3 rebounds and shot 40.6% from three-point range last season. Had his ninth 20-point performance in his final game with the Bulldogs in an NCAA tournament first-round loss against Washington State.