Iron Range star Asuma commits to Gophers in school gym after team wins

Gophers coach Ben Johnson picked up his first recruit in the 2024 class on Thursday night with a commitment from three-star Cherry guard Isaac Asuma, the No. 2-ranked junior in Minnesota.

Asuma made the announcement on Thursday night after his Class 1A high school team defeated Rock Ridge 87-55 to improve its record to 21-4.

"I have a great relationship with the staff and Coach Johnson," Asuma said previously. "I believe that they fully trust me and my abilities."

The 6-2, 185-pound Asuma took an official visit to the Gophers last month, which included attending the Feb. 18 game against Penn State at Williams Arena. He also had offers from Iowa State, Iowa, Nebraska, Xavier and Butler.

Sitting behind the bench recently at the U's 76-69 loss against Penn State, Asuma and his family weren't discouraged by the program's struggles. They watched an announced crowd of 11,693 support a young squad that competed with the most experienced team in the Big Ten.

"This season hasn't had a lot of highs with the wins, but I still know they're playing a bunch of young guys," Asuma said. "They can't control the injuries, which are a big part of that. I think the direction they're heading with the young guys getting more experience is a good way to go."

As a sophomore last season, Asuma averaged 27 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists while leading the Tigers to their first Minnesota state tournament since 1997.

The Iron, Minn., native has Cherry back into contention this season while averaging nearly 21 points, nine rebounds and six assists as a junior.

Asuma would be the first Minnesotan to sign with the Gophers since locals Pharrel Payne, Joshua Ola-Joseph and Braeden Carrington in the 2022 recruiting class. The Gophers have seven scholarship players from Minnesota on the current roster, which shows Johnson's commitment to building the program around in-state talent.

During his recruitment, Asuma said Johnson and assistant Dave Thorson told him playing for the Gophers "could have the whole state backing me."

"My family could always come and watch me play," he said. "It'll be nice for them to be just a three-hour drive away. As close as they could be."

The Gophers' 2023 recruiting class took a hit with five-star center Dennis Evans III being released from his letter of intent recently. But Johnson also signed four-star Rolling Meadows guard Cameron Christie, who is arguably the top senior prospect in Illinois.

"I would have to prove myself, but I could totally see myself earning enough minutes and leading the offense with the talent that would be there," Asuma said.