University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Shift Focus to Conference Play
12/27/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
With the conclusion of Minnesota's non-conference play, it's clear the Gophers are excited and prepared for Big Ten play, after topping Arkansas State Friday evening 82-75. The team has used its non-conference season to prepare themselves for the immense challenges that will appear in the second half of the season.
The Gophers' success is, in part, thanks to dynamite performances from Minnesota's guards. Junior Nate Mason, sophomore Dupree McBrayer, and freshman Amir Coffey, who have averaged 13.2, 12.6 and 11.9 points on the season so far, respectively, as starters.
Adding to the team dynamic are sophomore Jordan Murphy, who is averaging 7.7 rebounds per game, and redshirt junior Reggie Lynch with 40 blocks on the season.
It's evident that this season's team has worked to distinguish themselves from last season's performances, especially with the addition of newcomers, including graduate transfer Akeem Springs.
"I'm the new guy, but I can still tell that there's been a growth from this team compared to last year," said the 6-4 guard, who is fifth on the team in scoring at 9.3 points per game. "That was a big goal of ours, to show our improvements. We're excited to get here because this is our time to show what we've been working on."
The 12-1 record and success in non-conference play comes from the work the Gophers put in during the off eason, both on and off the court.
"Our guys have worked really, really hard to climb out the gutter to get everybody's respect back," said Head Coach Richard Pitino following Friday night's win. "We took our lumps in the offseason, which we deserved. We just sat there and listened to it, and we worked. We trusted that we would be better. We're better, but we still have a long way to go."
-by Caroline Sobek, Athletic Communications Student Assistant
