The Gophers men’s basketball program picked up a commitment from Wayzata forward Nolen Anderson on Thursday.
The 6-foot-6, three-star wing is considered the third-best recruit in the state of Minnesota in the 2026 class, according to 247Sports. The two top recruits are headed elsewhere: Wayzata guard Christian Wiggins (Iowa State) and Fairbault center Ryan Kreager (Loyola-Chicago).
New U head coach Niko Medved started recruiting Anderson soon after his hiring last spring and offered a scholarship on July 14. Since the U’s initial interest, Anderson has grown in height and his game has developed, including a shooting stroke considered to be at a high-major level.
Anderson and Wiggins led Wayzata to the Class 4A stat championship in March, the Trojans were runner-up last year and won it all in 2023.
In the title game against Cretin-Derham Hall, Anderson had 24 points and 10 rebounds at Williams Arena.
Anderson’s major offers are from Virginia Tech, Northern Iowa, Drake, Montana and others. But since his improvement with D1 Minnesota, other Big Ten schools have started recruiting him intently. Those teams include Iowa, Nebraska and Michigan.
The Gophers have a previous commitment in the 2026 class: East Ridge point guard Cedric Tomes, who is considered the sixth best player in the state. The fourth- and fifth-best — Totino-Grace forward Dothan Ijadimbola and Hopkins guard Jayden Moore — are uncommitted.
Originally Published: July 31, 2025 at 1:31 PM CDT
