A couple of days before Gophers women’s basketball coach Dawn Plitzuweit’s team played on a West Coast road trip, she was in the gym watching Crosby-Ironton senior Tori Oehrlein reach the 5,000-point career milestone Jan. 16.

Making the time to see Oehrlein, who signed with the Gophers in November, was a sign of how much Plitzuweit prioritized Minnesota recruiting, much like her counterpart, coach Niko Medved, with the Gophers men.

“That meant a lot to me,” said Oehrlein, who battled with Providence Academy’s Maddyn Greenway to be the state’s all-time scoring leader before her high school career ended Tuesday, March 3, with a section semifinal loss vs. Pequot Lakes.

Winning at a high level this season has Plitzuweit and the Gophers women building excitement and support around the state. Minnesota prospects, from committed ones like Oehrlein and Rosemount’s Amisha Ramlall to top underclassmen targets, like what they’re seeing at Williams Arena.

The Gophers (22-7 overall, 13-5 Big Ten), ranked No. 19 nationally and seeded fourth in the Big Ten tournament this week, are predicted to make their first NCAA tournament since 2018.

“It’s been a really fun team to watch,” said five-star Duluth Marshall sophomore Chloe Johnson, the state’s highest-rated recruit regardless of class. “I think they’ve had a really good season so far. I’m excited to keep watching them.”

On March 1, the projected top 16 seeds in the NCAA women’s tournament were announced. The Gophers were No. 15, meaning they would potentially host the first two rounds.

Last fall, the Gophers received public scrutiny when the Minnesota State High School League had to push back this month’s boys state basketball tournament one week to March 24-28 because Williams Arena was booked to host the NCAA women’s tournament if Minnesota made it. That didn’t seem as realistic then, but it certainly does now.

“I’d say a lot people didn’t have faith,” Oehrlein said. “I knew Dawn would be able to turn the program around and surprise a lot of people. I knew Dawn was that type of coach that really pushes her players and gets everything out of them. She has a great IQ for the game, and you can see them putting that into play at the end of the season.”

Since being hired in March 2023, Plitzuweit has had three consecutive 20-victory seasons while developing former in-state standouts Amaya Battle from Hopkins and Mara Braun from Wayzata. Battle and Braun were recruited and signed by former coach Lindsay Whalen.

Minnetonka’s Tori McKinney also went from being a solid contributor as a freshman last year to leading the Gophers in points per game as a sophomore.

“It’s been super fun to watch,” said Hill-Murray coach Betty Trull, who had trained McKinney since high school. “When she went to college, she was able to open up her game.”

Trull took her Hill-Murray basketball team to watch the Gophers play this season. The Pioneers’ top players are Mya and Ashlee Wilson, the No. 1 prospects in Minnesota’s 2027 and 2030 classes, respectively. They both have been offered by the Gophers.

“We have a closer connection with the coaching staff because of Mya and Ashlee,” Trull said. “But they’re just so invested in Minnesota. I really like that. I feel like they’re always at games and go to as much stuff as they can. I feel like they’re really involved in the community, and that’s really important. Dawn’s literally building her fan base by doing that — and winning helps.”

Ramlall, who committed to the U in November 2024, saw signs of a turnaround coming well before the Gophers’ nine-game winning streak this season, which included top-10 victories over Iowa and Ohio State.

“Dawn is an amazing coach, and she came to this program and developed players,” said Ramlall, a Rosemount junior guard. “I think everyone is finally seeing the potential and how talented that group is. ... Almost the whole starting five is local. [The Gophers] keep grabbing in-state talent and nearby talent. There are a lot of great players in the Midwest. Dawn and the staff are doing a really good job recruiting them.”

Andover’s Logan Miller, a rising sophomore prospect being recruited by the Gophers, plays on the same Minnesota Fury AAU team as Ramlall’s younger sister, Ashna.

During Miller’s breakout season, she set Andover school records for points (46) and rebounds (25) in a game. The 6-foot-4 Miller’s recruitment includes offers from Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio State, Wisconsin and others, but she has been keeping a closer eye on how the Gophers utilize senior center Sophie Hart, a former Farmington star. Miller has also noticed how the team’s chemistry has grown stronger.

“I’ve definitely noticed them getting a lot better and playing more as a team,” Miller said. “Watching their practices from the summer and watching them play in games now, I definitely have been able to see a difference.”

Lakeville North forward Sahara Wilson recognized a big difference in the program since the Gophers started recruiting her Johnson and Minnetonka’s Ari Peterson in the 2028 class. Wilson received her offer in May 2024.

“It’s really good to see a team like Minnesota that’s recruiting you, playing well as a team and getting really big, high-ranked wins,” Wilson said. “They always talk about they want to keep Minnesota kids home. So it’s great to see those Minnesota kids able to thrive in their [home state].”

Wilson said that her Lakeville North head coach uses the Gophers as an example of how to play as a team.

“After every play, there’s a smile on their face,” said the 6-4 Wilson, a four-star prospect. “Even after a mistake they will high-five each other.”

Several in-state prospects attended the U’s 100-99 double-overtime loss to Maryland on Dec. 7 at Williams Arena. The outcome was tough to swallow, but the Barn atmosphere made a lasting impression.

“The atmosphere there is so much different compared to last year,” Wilson said.

Plitzuweit’s Gophers showed even in defeat that they had the potential to become one of the top teams in the Big Ten and the nation this season.

“I think it’s amazing that they’re on the rise,” Oehrlein said. “I’m proud to see how far the Gophers have come and how much they battled. They faced a lot of negativity early. They kept proving people wrong. And I’m proud to say that I’m going to be a Gopher.”

Basketball Across Minnesota

Fuller’s five

Five Minnesota ballers who stood out:

Myles Barnette, Gustavus: The former Wayzata guard had 29 points and shot 14-for-17 from the field to help the Gusties erase a 12-point deficit Feb. 28 to beat St. John’s for the MIAC tournament title.

Bobby Durkin, Gophers: The 6-foot-7 junior led the Gophers with a season-high 23 points and shot 7-for-11 from beyond the arc in 40 minutes in the 78-73 win Feb. 28 against visiting UCLA.

Regan Juenemann, Omaha: The former Crosby-Ironton standout scored a career-high 40 points and shot 13-for-19, including 7-for-11 from three-point range, off the bench in a Feb. 25 win vs. Oral Roberts. Juenemann earned All-Summit League freshman team honors.

Pierce Petersohn, Triton: The 6-foot-5 Virginia Tech football recruit proved he is just as dominant on the hardcourt with 39 points in an 84-76 win March 2 against Rushford-Peterson in the Section 1, Class 2A tournament quarterfinals.

Caleb Siwek, Minnesota Duluth: The Rosemount product tied his career high with 34 points and shot 10-for-17, including 6-for-8 from three-point range, March 3 to lead UMD to the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference tournament title over St. Cloud State.

Minnesotans in the pros: Unrivaled title winner includes Lynx player

Lynx forward Alanna Smith helped the Mist reach the Unrivaled 3-on-3 title game. She closed out the regular season with 18 points, nine rebounds and four blocks in a victory Feb. 27.

In the final Wednesday night, March 4, in Miami, Smith finished with 11 points and six rebounds in the Mist’s 80-74 championship win over the Phantom.

College team of the week

The Concordia-St. Paul women’s basketball team pulled off the biggest upset of the season with a 79-71 victory in the NSIC tournament final March 3 against Minnesota State, the No. 3-ranked team in the nation, in Sioux Falls.

The Golden Bears won their second straight conference tourney title and 16th game in a row. Lauren Wilson had 18 points and 17 rebounds to be named tournament MVP. CSP’s Lydia Haack and Ashley Schuelke were also on the all-tournament team.

The Mavericks were led by Natalie Bremer’s 22 points and 10 rebounds. They lost to CSP for the second time this season, including on Feb. 21 when ranked No. 1 in the nation and after starting the season 27-0.

Minnesota Top 25 update

Tartan, the No. 1 team in the Minnesota statewide rankings, opened the section playoffs with an 89-32 victory over Two Rivers on Wednesday night, March 4. The Titans earned the top seed in Class 4A, Section 4, but if they reach the section title game next week, they would have to beat either second-seeded East Ridge or third-seeded Cretin-Derham Hall to secure their first state tournament berth since 2014. Tartan next plays St. Paul Central in a section semifinal Saturday.

Last season, Tartan also started the season 27-0 but fell to CDH for the fourth straight year in section play. Can they avoid the same outcome? Stay tuned.

Final thoughts ...

The Gophers seem to have figured out the right formula for hiring coaches to lead their men’s and women’s basketball teams. Experience. Experience in turning around programs is kind of important.

Dawn Plitzuweit showed she could rebuild at South Dakota. Niko Medved — who has more Big Ten wins than healthy players, 7-6 —did the same at Furman and Colorado State.

Not surprisingly, Minnesota fans and in-state high school prospects are noticing now that Gophers basketball is in good hands moving forward.

. . .

Basketball Across Minnesota will be published weekly on stribvarsity.com. Don’t be a stranger on X after reading, as chatting about these stories makes them even more fun to share. Thanks, Marcus (@Marcus_R_Fuller on X).