University of Minnesota Athletics
BENNETT SIGNS NATIONAL LETTER OF INTENT WITH GOLDEN GOPHER BASKETBALL
4/20/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Bennett helped lead the Grizzlies to a 27-5 record this season and a No. 8 NJCAA national ranking. He averaged 12 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.6 steals. Bennett shot 49 percent (88-178) from the field, 30 percent from three-point range (34-113) and 67 percent (44-66) from the free throw line, while battling a broken finger on his shooting hand. An extremely athletic player, Bennett has a wingspan of 7-0 and led his team in steals with 73 (2.6 spg). He was named to the NJCAA all-district team. As a freshman at SMS-West Plains, he averaged 9.0 points per game and shot 57 percent(55-97) from the field and 41 percent (41-99) from three-point range.
"Travarus is a very versatile player that can help us at a number of positions," said Head Coach Dan Monson. "He is a very good athlete and can do a number of things well, including defend people. I like his demeanor and feel for the game and think he is an excellent fit for our team. We knew with a limited number of scholarships that we needed a player that was comfortable playing two or three different positions, and we have that in Travarus."
Bennett is a native of Rosedale, Miss., where he was two-time all-state and three-time all-county for West Bolivar High School. He led West Bolivar to a 38-1 record his senior year and a second place finish at the Mississippi State High School Tournament.
"I love Travarus because he has legit size and athleticism for the Big Ten," said Jerry Mullen of Mullen's Roundball Review. "He's very long, disruptive defensively and can pull up and shoot the three. He plays very hard and is extremely competitive and is a great fit for Minnesota."
