Western Michigan transfer guard Chansey Willis Jr. pledged to the Gophers on Monday. The 2024-25 All-MAC second-team standout will add a distinctive skillset to Minnesota’s backcourt next season.
Chansey Willis Jr., a 6-foot-2 guard, averaged 16.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 5.4 assists last season, shooting 42.4% from the field, 28.4% from three, and 72.4% from the free-throw line. He scored 20+ points in eight games, peaking at 34 against Ohio on February 25.
A standout at Detroit King High School, Willis nearly averaged a triple-double as a senior, earning the 2022 Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year and Michigan Mr. Basketball awards.
Willis started at Division II Saginaw Valley State, then played at Henry Ford College (JUCO) in 2023-24. Recent NCAA eligibility trends, as seen with ex-Gopher Brennan Rigsby, suggest JUCO years may not count against eligibility, potentially giving Willis up to two years left.
He’s Minnesota’s second backcourt transfer addition in two days, joining Northern Colorado’s Langston Reynolds. With returning guard Isaac Asuma and freshman Kai Shinholster, the Gophers now have four scholarship guards for 2025-26. The experience of Willis and Reynolds could edge out Asuma, but Minnesota boasts three versatile ball-handlers capable of playing on or off the ball.
Willis marks the Gophers’ sixth transfer portal pickup, with five roster spots still open for next season.
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