It’s been a rough offseason for the Gophers basketball program, with a number of significant players opting to transfer out. The loss that’s really stung, though, is Cam Christie, a promising talent with NBA potential. Despite initially signaling his likely intent to remain in the NBA draft, Christie just recently threw his hat into the NCAA transfer portal.
Just before the deadline for entry into the portal passed, Christie made the decision to explore his options. While initial reports left a chance of Cam returning, reports since have all but ruled out that possibility. Christie is keeping his options open, and there’s a chance he could return to college ball.
Minnesota Gophers’ Cam Christie ranked near top of NCAA Transfer Portal class
ESPN insider Jeff Borzello recently shared his top transfers in the portal, and unsurprisingly, Christie made the list at No. 8.
8. Cam Christie, 6-6, SG, Fr., Minnesota Golden Gophers
Christie could opt to keep his name in the NBA draft, projecting as an early-second-round pick. The smooth freshman averaged 11.4 points and shot better than 39% from 3.
Jeff Borzello – ESPN+
Borzello ranks Cam Christie as the eighth-best prospect to hit the transfer portal during this last cycle, trailing behind some of the most talented kids in the country, including Kadary Richmond (Seton Hall –> St. John’s), AJ Storr (Wisconsin –> Kansas), Tucker DeVries (Drake –> West Virginia) and Robbie Avila (Indiana State –> St. Louis).
The Gophers are facing a tough blow as they bid farewell to several crucial members of last season’s roster: Elijah Hawkins, Braeden Carrington, Josh Ola Joseph, and now Cam Christie. Among them, the departure of Cam Christie hits the hardest.
Christie is clearly among a group of incredibly talented players on the list, but it’s definitely disappointing to think about the Gophers losing one of the nation’s top players if he were to decide to return for another year of college.
Christie still has the NBA as a viable path ahead, given that he’s officially entered the draft. However, he’s got until June 16th to withdraw his name if he decides to go back to college.
There’s a slim chance Christie might return to the Gophers, but it’s highly improbable at this stage. It would require a substantial NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) offer to sway him to stay. However, he’s likely to receive offers from the best teams nationwide regardless of his decision.
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