BleedGopher
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per Jason King of ESPN:
The only thing more surprising than the Gophers' 12-1 record and No. 9 national ranking is that they've accomplished the feats without Mbakwe being 100 percent.
Well, at least that was the case until Monday, when Mbakwe -- who has had surgery on each of his knees -- erupted for 11 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks in Minnesota's 76-63 victory over Michigan State in the Big Ten opener for both teams. Indiana may still be considered the class of the league, but at this point, no team looks as capable of challenging the Hoosiers as Minnesota. Especially if Mbakwe plays like he did Monday.
"He's coming back to the old Trevor we know," Gophers guard Joe Coleman told my ESPN.com colleague Myron Medcalf.
Mbakwe averaged 13.9 points and 10.5 rebounds in 2010-11 before an ACL tear forced him to miss all but seven games last season. For that reason, expectations for the 6-foot-8, 245-pounder were probably a bit unfair entering his senior campaign. Mbakwe was behind on his conditioning after sitting out a full season and, like anyone who has experienced a similar injury, his confidence in his knee was shaky.
Minnesota coach Tubby Smith treated Mbakwe gingerly in November and early December, usually limiting his action to less than 20 minutes a game. In his first eight contests, the senior scored in double figures only twice. But in his past four games, he's averaging 10.5 points. Mbakwe played 28 minutes versus Michigan State.
"He caused us a whole lot of problems, not only on the offensive end but on the defensive end as well," Michigan State's Keith Appling told Medcalf. "The past films we watched, he hasn't been this active."
That spelled doom for the Spartans -- and put the rest of the Big Ten on alert.
http://espn.go.com/mens-college-bas...-players-conference-season-college-basketball
Go Gophers!!
The only thing more surprising than the Gophers' 12-1 record and No. 9 national ranking is that they've accomplished the feats without Mbakwe being 100 percent.
Well, at least that was the case until Monday, when Mbakwe -- who has had surgery on each of his knees -- erupted for 11 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks in Minnesota's 76-63 victory over Michigan State in the Big Ten opener for both teams. Indiana may still be considered the class of the league, but at this point, no team looks as capable of challenging the Hoosiers as Minnesota. Especially if Mbakwe plays like he did Monday.
"He's coming back to the old Trevor we know," Gophers guard Joe Coleman told my ESPN.com colleague Myron Medcalf.
Mbakwe averaged 13.9 points and 10.5 rebounds in 2010-11 before an ACL tear forced him to miss all but seven games last season. For that reason, expectations for the 6-foot-8, 245-pounder were probably a bit unfair entering his senior campaign. Mbakwe was behind on his conditioning after sitting out a full season and, like anyone who has experienced a similar injury, his confidence in his knee was shaky.
Minnesota coach Tubby Smith treated Mbakwe gingerly in November and early December, usually limiting his action to less than 20 minutes a game. In his first eight contests, the senior scored in double figures only twice. But in his past four games, he's averaging 10.5 points. Mbakwe played 28 minutes versus Michigan State.
"He caused us a whole lot of problems, not only on the offensive end but on the defensive end as well," Michigan State's Keith Appling told Medcalf. "The past films we watched, he hasn't been this active."
That spelled doom for the Spartans -- and put the rest of the Big Ten on alert.
http://espn.go.com/mens-college-bas...-players-conference-season-college-basketball
Go Gophers!!
