The Gophers men’s basketball team renewed the maroon and gold scrimmage on Saturday at Williams Arena.

For new head coach Niko Medved, the focus was not on learning new things about his squad, but more about re-establishing fans’ connection to its hoops team. After the one-hour sessions, there was a meet-and-greet for players and fans.

“If one of these guys makes a connection with a new young Gopher fan, that can last for the rest of your life,” Medved told reporters. “That happened to us in Colorado (State). It might be an organic connection that happens right here with a family and a young kid that gets to meet a player and come watch them. (They might say:) “Mom and dad, I want to keep going to the Gopher games.”

More than 1,000 fans turned out to The Barn for the first such scrimmag

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