When it came to Nolan Groves, Gophers won recruiting battle over Badgers

Texas Tech transfer wing Nolan Groves visited the Gophers on Wednesday and planned to go to see the Badgers later on this week. That trip to Madison, Wis., was called off soon after the Long Lake, Minn., native stepped on the U campus.

Groves signed with the Gophers, announced his decision on social media Wednesday night and became head coach Niko Medved’s first addition via the transfer portal this spring.

“I had a great visit,” Groves told the Pioneer Press on Thursday. “Going into it, I kind of knew that hometown aspect was definitely a big pull. I just thought that Niko really laid it all out for me, and I really love what that coaching staff has going. I think this thing is headed in the right direction, and I wanted to be a part of it. It was a no-brainer.”

At 6 feet 5, Groves was a three-star recruit coming out of Orono High School. He won Minnesota’s Gatorade Player of the Year in 2024-25 and was originally committed to Yale, but backed out of it. He then heard from Texas Tech, Minnesota and Wisconsin, picked the Red Raiders and was off to Lubbock in west Texas for his true freshman year.

“Playing at Tech was a phenomenal experience,” said Groves, who entered the portal April 3. “A lot of things I learned, a lot of things I know I got to get better at. It was a really tough year, but it was also what I needed. Maybe a healthy slap in the face.”

Groves went from leading Orono to the Class 3A state tournament as a senior, averaging 34.1 points and 8.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 3.0 steals per game. Then for a Texas Tech squad that advanced to the NCAA tournament second round, Groves barely got off the bench, averaging 5.8 minutes, 0.9 points and 1.2 rebounds across 23 games.

At the Big XII Conference school, Groves learned he needed to improve defensively and adjust his shooting motion in order to be successful over his final three seasons of college eligibility.

Texas Tech coach “Grant McCasland, the one thing I will say about him is he really knows how to teach (defense),” Groves said. “By the end of the year, I really started to get the hang of it, and it kind of became my calling card on the team. One of my strong suits is guarding the ball and guarding multiple positions. I have the speed to guard quick guards, but also the physicality to guard bigger positions, too.”

Groves said he had a lower release point with his shot coming out of high school, and it needed to be higher and faster.

“That honestly was probably the hardest transition I’ve had to make in my career because you grow up your whole life shooting the ball a certain way and all of a sudden you have to change it, and you have to do it at a really high level,” Groves said. “I’ve spent the last probably six or maybe even seven months working on that. It’s getting to the point it’s feeling better than ever. I’m really excited about it.”

During his visit to the U, Medved emphasized how the Gophers would implement Groves on the court.