Sports

Gophers Men's Hoops Get Minnesota Native, UNC Transfer Dawson Garcia

April 26, 2022 / 11:17 PM CDT / CBS Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota men's basketball team has finalized the addition of two transfers, forward Dawson Garcia from North Carolina and guard Ta'Lon Cooper from Morehead State.

The university announced the addition of Garcia and Cooper on Tuesday.

Garcia is a Minnesota native who played his first season at Marquette and last season at North Carolina. He left the Tar Heels program midway through the season to be home while his father and grandmother each battled serious medical issues.

CHAPEL HILL, NC - DECEMBER 14: Dawson Garcia #13 of the North Carolina Tar Heels shoots a foul shot against the Furman Paladins at Dean E. Smith Center on December 14, 2021 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. North Carolina won 74-61. (Photo by Peyton Williams/UNC/Getty Images)

The 6-foot-11, 235-pound Garcia, who was a McDonald's All-American for Prior Lake High School in the Twin Cities area started all 27 games in 2020-21 for Marquette and averaged a team-leading 13 points and 6.6 rebounds. Garcia started 12 of 16 games he played in for North Carolina in 2021-22.

Because Garcia already transferred once, he will need an NCAA waiver to be eligible to play immediately for the Gophers in 2022-23.

The 6-foot-4, 190-pound Cooper is a native of Roebuck, South Carolina, who played 95 games over three seasons for Morehead State in Kentucky. Last season, he averaged 5.9 assists per game, seventh-best in the nation.