Gophers men’s basketball coach Niko Medved’s first team at his alma mater will have low expectations.

Minnesota was picked to finish 16th in the 18-team Big Ten Conference this season, according to the Columbus Dispatch and Indianapolis Star’s annual Big Ten men’s basketball preseason poll released Wednesday morning.

The U received 95 total votes, which was fewer than No. 15 Northwestern (119) and ahead of only No. 17 Rutgers (54) and No. 18 Penn State (43). Purdue was picked to win the conference with 501 total votes and 25 first-place votes, followed by Michigan 472 and three.

In Ben Johnson’s fourth and final season at the helm, the Gophers finished 13th in the Big Ten with a 7-13 record in league play and 15-17 overall. He was replaced by Medved in March.

The Gophers’ new roster has 13 of 15 new players, returning only reserve point guard Isaac Asuma and redshirted forward Grayson Grove. With only Asuma seeing the floor in maroon and gold last season, Minnesota retains 13.7% of its assists, 9.4% of its rebounds and 8.2% of its scoring.

No Gopher received a vote for player, freshman or transfer of the year in the preseason poll. Purdue’s Braden Smith was the top vote getter for player of the year, Penn State’s Kayden Mingo was the freshman honoree and the transfer nod went to Yaxel Lendeborg, a forward who went from Alabama Birmingham to Michigan in the offseason.

Medved, Asuma and forward Jaylen Crocker-Johnson will be the Gophers’ three representatives at Big Ten media day on Thursday in Rosemont, Ill.

Big Ten’s predicted finish

1. Purdue, 501 (25)
2. Michigan, 472 (3)
3. UCLA, 417
4. Illinois, 411
5. Oregon, 338
6. Michigan State, 360
7. Wisconsin, 328
8. Iowa, 278
9. Ohio State, 272
10. Indiana, 245
11. Washington, 239
12. USC, 227
13. Maryland, 210
14. Nebraska, 149
15. Northwestern, 119
16. Gophers, 95
17. Rutgers, 54
18. Penn State, 43

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