Dawson Garcia intends to continue his college basketball career a little closer to home.

Garcia, a former 4-star prospect and Minnesota native, has reportedly committed to play for Ben Johnson and the Golden Gophers. The decision came while he was on campus for a visit.

Ryan James of 247Sports reported the news.

Garcia spent a portion of last season playing for North Carolina. He left the team in January because of family medical emergencies and did not return to the program.

“After the loss of several very special family members this past year, I came close to losing my dad in December and my grandma is currently in the ICU,” Garcia said in a statement released by the school. “With my dad recovering and my grandma fighting for her life, it’s not even a question to me where I need to be right now.”

This past season, the Tar Heels played in the national championship, falling to Kansas in the final game of the NCAA Tournament.

Garcia started his college career at Marquette as a freshman in the 2020-21 season. He averaged 13 points and 6.6 rebounds while shooting 48% from the floor. Last season at UNC, the 6-foot-11 forward/center appeared in 16 games and scored 9 points and grabbed 5.5 rebounds per contest.

As a high school prospect, Garcia was ranked as the No. 2 player out of Minnesota and was ranked No. 37 nationally.

Garcia will join a Minnesota team that is entering the second year of the Johnson era. In 2021-22, the Gophers finished with a 13-17 record and a 4-16 mark in the B1G>