Cedric Tomes, a 6-foot-1 point guard from East Ridge High School in the Twin Cities metro area, committed to the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Saturday, announcing the decision with a post on social media: “Staying home.” The post featured Tomes wearing the Gophers’ maroon and gold at Williams Arena.
Tomes, ranked No. 5 in Minnesota’s high school class of 2026 by 247Sports, is a three-star recruit who turned down offers from Iowa State, Oklahoma, Drake, Bryant, and Northern Iowa. As a junior, he averaged 27.3 points per game, including three outings where he scored over 40 points.
He’s the second high-profile recruit in the 2026 class to verbally commit, following Christian Wiggins, the top-ranked player from Wayzata High School, who chose Iowa State. Other highly ranked Minnesota players, such as Dothan Ijadimbola (Totino-Grace), Ryan Kreager (Faribault), and Jayden Moore (Hopkins), have all received offers from the Gophers.
In addition to high school recruits, Minnesota also bolstered its roster through the transfer portal, landing former Maryland and Loyola Marymount guard Chance Stephens. Standing 6’3″, Stephens was originally a two-star recruit out of Riverside, CA, and began his college career at LMU, where he averaged 6.0 points per game as a freshman, with an impressive 37.4% shooting from beyond the arc.
In a November 2023 game against Wake Forest, he went 7-for-10 from deep, scoring 23 points in an overtime win. After transferring to Maryland, he redshirted due to a knee injury but played in seven games during the 2024 season, with limited action.
At Minnesota, Stephens is expected to contribute as a reserve guard with potential for a role off the bench, offering valuable three-point shooting depth. New head coach Niko Medved, who has had to rebuild much of the roster through the transfer portal, will likely feature returning sophomore Isaac Asuma alongside transfers Chansey Willis Jr. and Langston Reynolds in the backcourt. However, there is still room for other players, like Stephens, to step up and earn a more significant role as the season progresses.
