Malik Smith
Thanks for choosing to be a Gopher, even if it was just one year. You're "Splash City" gave the fans great excitement in Maui and at Nebraska. You were absolutely awful the rest of the season [not how you had wanted to go out] but thanks for being a professional about everything and still being a great teammate and energetic supporter when you weren't playing. You finally hit a couple of threes in the championship game of the NIT, no matter how they went in, and are an NIT Champion!
Oto Osenieks
When you came to Minnesota, we had expectations of you being one of those European sharpshooters. But you're first few years, you were anything but "Otomatic", and airballed shots more than you made them. But credit to you for working extremely hard to improve you're game in the offseason heading into this year. You were noticebly better in different aspects of your game, but specifically outside shooting. You could hit a three or two for us and bring energy and passion game-in-game-out this year. You're putback dunk vs Wisconsin at home was a huge momentum changer in our win! You're playing career was declared over towards the mid/end portion of the big ten season, but surprised us by making key plays for us and playing smart basketball in the NIT Semi-Finals and Finals games. You won an NCAA Tourney game in your career and an NIT Championship! Congrats. We look forward to having you as a student-coach next year in what will hopefully be a great season!
Maverick Ahanmisi
You started off here as a backup PG who couldn't dribble or shoot you're first two years. You could be frustrating to watch, but you made baby steps and started making an impact for us last year, and had some nice plays in the game vs Duke in the Bahamas. You stepped up and hit some threes for us, and played a nice stopgap role while our starting guards needed a breather. This year, when you got the chance at the end of the big ten season, you stepped up big time. You had a nice senior day, and carried that into some nice play in the Big Ten Tournament. Then you broke out in the NIT Tournament with some career games! (21 pts vs High Point) Over the past 10 games, you have hit countless threes and played like the captain and senior you are. You also won a game in the Big Dance, and are an NIT Champion now. You've stayed loyal and been patient while waiting you're turn these four years here, and I'm glad you were a Gopher! Thanks for everything Mav!
Austin Hollins
And Austin. Where do I start? You were the pioneer Tenessean on a roster where Tenesseans dominate now. Coming in with high expectations as a recruit and a reputation and Lionel Hollins' kid, you gave Minnesotans a hell of a 4 years while you were here. You're freshman year you were the scared freshman who didn't say a word but showed signs of great potential, but you're jump shot was the ugliest thing to have to watch and you were on a slow curve getting used to the college game. You're athleticism was always apparent in the eyes of Gopher fans, and you smoothly ran the floor, seemingly at ease. You were calm when need be, but also had moments of tenacity and intensity that rallied the team together and got the crowd going. You formed quite the dynamic duo with Andre Hollins, and became known, sometimes mistaken, as the HOLLINS BROTHERS. You guys built the program to the level it is today, and have left the program on track to get better after the bridging the gap from Tubby to Pitino. You were the beneficiary of several "Austin Hollins" chants from the student section, and you got the crowd going numerous times during critical Big Ten home games. You're career was very turbulent, and you got into some major shooting slumps, but overall, you had an incredibly solid career that nobody could've asked more of. You never stopped working hard and that's part of the reason why you could work you're way out of slumps. You were so important to us on the defensive side of the ball as well, being our teams best defender throughout the latter half of your career.
Some of you're best moments as a gopher were when you made an And-1 up and under layup against Illinois at home two years ago in the final moments of regulation, and sunk the free throw to send it into overtime, where we later won. Last year, you showed up big time and made some threes and played lock-down defense in our team's first NCAA Tourney win in many years. This year, you're posterization of Nigel Hayes against Bucky blew the roof off the Barn and sparked great excitement in the win over Wisconsin.
You also have left a lasting memory the way you've played in the last half of you're senior year, especially in the NIT where you hit seemingly every shot you took, both from outside the arc, and mid-range, [you could finish inside with the best of them as well]. You also set a career high of 32 points against Southern Mississippi in you're last game at the Williams Arena, and hit 4 threes in a row! You ended you're career as best as any college basketball player could, and you have lead the Gophers to the NCAA Tourney Round of 32 and an NIT Championship! Thanks for everything Austin!!
*THANKS SENIORS*
Thanks for choosing to be a Gopher, even if it was just one year. You're "Splash City" gave the fans great excitement in Maui and at Nebraska. You were absolutely awful the rest of the season [not how you had wanted to go out] but thanks for being a professional about everything and still being a great teammate and energetic supporter when you weren't playing. You finally hit a couple of threes in the championship game of the NIT, no matter how they went in, and are an NIT Champion!
Oto Osenieks
When you came to Minnesota, we had expectations of you being one of those European sharpshooters. But you're first few years, you were anything but "Otomatic", and airballed shots more than you made them. But credit to you for working extremely hard to improve you're game in the offseason heading into this year. You were noticebly better in different aspects of your game, but specifically outside shooting. You could hit a three or two for us and bring energy and passion game-in-game-out this year. You're putback dunk vs Wisconsin at home was a huge momentum changer in our win! You're playing career was declared over towards the mid/end portion of the big ten season, but surprised us by making key plays for us and playing smart basketball in the NIT Semi-Finals and Finals games. You won an NCAA Tourney game in your career and an NIT Championship! Congrats. We look forward to having you as a student-coach next year in what will hopefully be a great season!
Maverick Ahanmisi
You started off here as a backup PG who couldn't dribble or shoot you're first two years. You could be frustrating to watch, but you made baby steps and started making an impact for us last year, and had some nice plays in the game vs Duke in the Bahamas. You stepped up and hit some threes for us, and played a nice stopgap role while our starting guards needed a breather. This year, when you got the chance at the end of the big ten season, you stepped up big time. You had a nice senior day, and carried that into some nice play in the Big Ten Tournament. Then you broke out in the NIT Tournament with some career games! (21 pts vs High Point) Over the past 10 games, you have hit countless threes and played like the captain and senior you are. You also won a game in the Big Dance, and are an NIT Champion now. You've stayed loyal and been patient while waiting you're turn these four years here, and I'm glad you were a Gopher! Thanks for everything Mav!
Austin Hollins
And Austin. Where do I start? You were the pioneer Tenessean on a roster where Tenesseans dominate now. Coming in with high expectations as a recruit and a reputation and Lionel Hollins' kid, you gave Minnesotans a hell of a 4 years while you were here. You're freshman year you were the scared freshman who didn't say a word but showed signs of great potential, but you're jump shot was the ugliest thing to have to watch and you were on a slow curve getting used to the college game. You're athleticism was always apparent in the eyes of Gopher fans, and you smoothly ran the floor, seemingly at ease. You were calm when need be, but also had moments of tenacity and intensity that rallied the team together and got the crowd going. You formed quite the dynamic duo with Andre Hollins, and became known, sometimes mistaken, as the HOLLINS BROTHERS. You guys built the program to the level it is today, and have left the program on track to get better after the bridging the gap from Tubby to Pitino. You were the beneficiary of several "Austin Hollins" chants from the student section, and you got the crowd going numerous times during critical Big Ten home games. You're career was very turbulent, and you got into some major shooting slumps, but overall, you had an incredibly solid career that nobody could've asked more of. You never stopped working hard and that's part of the reason why you could work you're way out of slumps. You were so important to us on the defensive side of the ball as well, being our teams best defender throughout the latter half of your career.
Some of you're best moments as a gopher were when you made an And-1 up and under layup against Illinois at home two years ago in the final moments of regulation, and sunk the free throw to send it into overtime, where we later won. Last year, you showed up big time and made some threes and played lock-down defense in our team's first NCAA Tourney win in many years. This year, you're posterization of Nigel Hayes against Bucky blew the roof off the Barn and sparked great excitement in the win over Wisconsin.
You also have left a lasting memory the way you've played in the last half of you're senior year, especially in the NIT where you hit seemingly every shot you took, both from outside the arc, and mid-range, [you could finish inside with the best of them as well]. You also set a career high of 32 points against Southern Mississippi in you're last game at the Williams Arena, and hit 4 threes in a row! You ended you're career as best as any college basketball player could, and you have lead the Gophers to the NCAA Tourney Round of 32 and an NIT Championship! Thanks for everything Austin!!
*THANKS SENIORS*
