Nolan Groves, recently named the 2025 Minnesota Gatorade Player of the Year, has decided not to stay in-state to play for the Golden Gophers.
Instead, the Orono High School star committed to Texas Tech on Saturday, shortly after wrapping up an official visit with the Red Raiders. While the University of Minnesota showed increased interest in Groves following the coaching change from Ben Johnson to Niko Medved, it wasn’t enough to keep him close to home.
According to Orono head coach Barry Wohler, former Gophers coach Ben Johnson never pursued Groves, but Medved made a strong push to convince him to play in maroon and gold.
Groves, a 6-foot-5 guard, had an impressive senior season—averaging 34.1 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game—while leading his team to the Class 3A state semifinals. He had previously committed to Yale in June, boasting a 4.40 GPA per his X profile, but reopened his recruitment earlier this month.
Groves wasn’t the only high-profile Minnesota prospect to head elsewhere over the weekend—Christian Wiggins, the state’s top 2026 recruit, committed to Iowa State.
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