University of Minnesota Athletics
McBrayer Getting Stronger As Season Continues
11/20/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
by Tommy Sletten, Athletic Communications Student Assistant
Efficiency and consistency were the names of the game for junior guard Dupree McBrayer during Sunday's 92-64 win against Western Carolina.
With Minnesota's two senior starters, Nate Mason and Reggie Lynch, limited by foul trouble, McBrayer was the catalyst of the offense, scoring 14 points off of 5-6 shooting and 2-3 from three-point range.
"I thought he was good," head coach Richard Pitino said of McBrayer's performance. "A couple of passes there that he has to be more solid on, but overall I thought he had some good minutes."
McBrayer missed some time this summer with a leg injury, and has used these first four games to get himself back in the rhythm of high-level basketball.
"I'm not too worried about it," McBrayer said of his play through the first four games. "It'll come. I'm coming back from injury, but I'm not too worried about that though. I'm worried about winning."
And McBrayer has done just that: helped his team win.
The 6 feet 5 inch Queens, NY, native has been the steady hand at the shooting guard position for the Gophers, starting all four games while averaging 11 points per game, and shooting 50 percent from the field. He is also shooting an impressive 44 percent clip from three for the season, trailing only Amir Coffey and Jamir Harris.
McBrayer's 14-point, zero-turnover game against Western Carolina was representative of what he has done for Minnesota, and what he can do for the rest of the season as well.
"Dupree was shooting it really well, and being really aggressive," Jordan Murphy said. "That's the side of him I like to see."
