King gained immediate eligibility by the NCAA and will play a prominent role at PF.
One of the biggest question marks for the Gophers this year is at power forward. Filling the role that Trevor Mbakwe played last year is not an easy thing to do. But with a new system and new coaching staff, there are also new pieces to the puzzle and one of those is sophomore Joey King. A Minnesota-native, King transferred to Minnesota from Drake and was granted immediate eligibility a few weeks ago by the NCAA.
GopherHole’s Nadine Babu caught up with King to learn more about the transition to the Big Ten and outlook for the season.
GopherHole: How did it feel when you were finally declared eligible?
Joey King: I couldn’t have been more relieved. It was a long process and knowing that I get to step on the floor and play in the first game is a great feeling.
GopherHole: Why was the process so long?
Joey King: I have an ill brother and the NCAA kept coming back with more questions and that made it longer than expected, but now that it’s taken care of we can move on.
GopherHole: How is the transition going with a new school and a new team?
Joey King: It’s going really well. We have a great time together as a team and great chemistry.
GopherHole: What are the biggest challenges for you moving to the Big Ten?
Joey King: I don’t look at it that way, I just embrace what I have to do and what I bring to the team. I will play hard like everybody else. We want to push the pace.
GopherHole: Will you bang down low or will you be a perimeter player?
Joey King: I will do both, I am comfortable at both. As a team we’ll play up-tempo, we’ll play extremely hard.
GopherHole: How does it feel to be the only Minnesota kid on the roster?
Joey King: It’s a unique situation, but we have a great team and I love them all.
GopherHole: Who has surprised you the most so far?
Joey King: Our seniors are great leaders, and Austin and Mav do a great job of keeping everyone working hard.