Because the virtual shutdown of the Big Ten through the rest of the spring, there are lots of unanswered questions around Minnesota athletics and the basketball program. A big question was answered in regards to the latter earlier in the month with word that Richard Pitino would return for his eighth season.
There had been speculation whether that would happen or not after the Gophers suffered their second losing season in three years and the third in the last five.
This past Monday, the second shoe dropped when their prolific post player, Daniel Oturu, announced he would be entering the NBA Draft. Along with the departure of Alihan Demir, Minnesota will be losing 27.2 points and 16.3 rebounds per game. That is 38.3% of the Gophers' scoring output from last season.
Minnesota will have 43.9 points returning next year led by 15.4 points by Marcus Carr and 11.6 by Gabe Kalscheur. They also lost 41.5% of the team's total rebounding. The Gophers will only have 3.3 points and 3.9 rebounds coming back from their returning post players.
There are lots of questions relating to what will happen over the next few weeks and months. We have already addressed these in previous stories over the last few days. Those topics range from the Big Ten ban on visits until April, and the cancellation of AAU events.
There are also NCAA issues such as whether players will receive automatic one time red-shirts might be granted during the off-season. Although that is up in the air, it there is the chance that the current uncertainty could delay this happening for at least one year.
So that leads us to what next season's roster might look like. There are lots of possibilities to explore for next season. We will take a look at several of those in this article.
The scheduled returners
Freshmen: Jamal Mashburn Jr, 6-foot-2 combo-guard; Martice Mitchell, 6-foot-10 power forward.
Sophomores: Sam Freeman, 6-foot-10 center; Bryan Greenlee 6-foot-0 point guard; Isaiah Ihnen 6-foot-9 forward; Tre' Williams 6-foot-5 shooting guard.
Juniors: Marcus Carr 6-foot-2 (redshirt); Gabe Kalscheur 6-foot-4 guard; Jarvis Omersa 6-foot-6 power forward;
Seniors: Eric Curry 6-foot-9 power forward (redshirt); Payton Willis 6-foot-4 wing (redshirt).
If the roster returns intact along with the incoming signees, eleven out of the allotted thirteen scholarships that the NCAA allows would be filled on next season's roster.
The positions
Point guard: Marcus Carr/Bryan Greenlee/Jamal Mashburn Jr.
Wings: Gabe Kalscheur/Payton Willis/Isaiah Ihnen/Tre' Williams
Posts: Eric Curry/Jarvis Omersa/Sam Freeman/Martice Mitchell
Flexibility is a big issue in recruiting in today's game. Coaches want players who can play and defend multiple positions. Minnesota has several players who can fit that bill.
Carr and Mashburn both could be considered combo guards the could play the one and two. All of the wings are basically in this category. Willis, Kalscheur, and Williams could all play the two/three spots. Ihnen can play the three and slide down to the four. Mitchell is believed to be more of a four, but believes he will have the opportunity to play the three.
With the current makeup, the opportunity in definitely there for Pitino to go to a "small ball" lineup. It is expected that Carr, Kalscheur, Willis, Ihnen, Williams, and Mashburn will all play major minutes. With that type of look, Omersa could play the five around any combination of the four, or they really went to the extreme there could be a five-out alignment with the 6-foot-9 Ihnen being the biggest player on the floor.
Potential additions
As of now, Pitino could still fill two spots on next season's roster. Prospects who hold Minnesota offers such as Kerwin Walton, Mykell Robinson, and Dwayne Komora are looking to announce to where they will attend school this spring.
The coaching staff has also reached out to reportedly a dozen transfers. Of course, barring a special ruling by the NCAA only graduate transfers would be eligible to play next season.
Three players who will be moving onto graduate school have been courted by the Gophers: Morris Udeze, Mattias Markusson, and Justin Turner.
With the subtraction of Oturu, Pitino will desperately be in the market for a big man. That would make the 6-foot-9 Udeze and the 7-foot-3 Markusson as major priorities. Udeze already has a Gopher offer. Markusson has reportedly be contacted by the coaching staff. Besides an inside player, the next position of emphasis will be a bigger wing and then depth at the point guard spot.
This brings the dead time of recruiting back to the forefront. Several transfers have already chosen their new schools only days after entering the portal without having set foot on those campuses. What impact will all of this have as the staff searches for much needed help?
Recruiting is always a fluid situation, and things will change. But it's difficult to know when and how much in today's environment of uncertainty. Stay with The Gopher Report as we bring you the latest updates around the Minnesota Basketball program.
There had been speculation whether that would happen or not after the Gophers suffered their second losing season in three years and the third in the last five.
This past Monday, the second shoe dropped when their prolific post player, Daniel Oturu, announced he would be entering the NBA Draft. Along with the departure of Alihan Demir, Minnesota will be losing 27.2 points and 16.3 rebounds per game. That is 38.3% of the Gophers' scoring output from last season.
Minnesota will have 43.9 points returning next year led by 15.4 points by Marcus Carr and 11.6 by Gabe Kalscheur. They also lost 41.5% of the team's total rebounding. The Gophers will only have 3.3 points and 3.9 rebounds coming back from their returning post players.
There are lots of questions relating to what will happen over the next few weeks and months. We have already addressed these in previous stories over the last few days. Those topics range from the Big Ten ban on visits until April, and the cancellation of AAU events.
There are also NCAA issues such as whether players will receive automatic one time red-shirts might be granted during the off-season. Although that is up in the air, it there is the chance that the current uncertainty could delay this happening for at least one year.
So that leads us to what next season's roster might look like. There are lots of possibilities to explore for next season. We will take a look at several of those in this article.
The scheduled returners
Freshmen: Jamal Mashburn Jr, 6-foot-2 combo-guard; Martice Mitchell, 6-foot-10 power forward.
Sophomores: Sam Freeman, 6-foot-10 center; Bryan Greenlee 6-foot-0 point guard; Isaiah Ihnen 6-foot-9 forward; Tre' Williams 6-foot-5 shooting guard.
Juniors: Marcus Carr 6-foot-2 (redshirt); Gabe Kalscheur 6-foot-4 guard; Jarvis Omersa 6-foot-6 power forward;
Seniors: Eric Curry 6-foot-9 power forward (redshirt); Payton Willis 6-foot-4 wing (redshirt).
If the roster returns intact along with the incoming signees, eleven out of the allotted thirteen scholarships that the NCAA allows would be filled on next season's roster.
The positions
Point guard: Marcus Carr/Bryan Greenlee/Jamal Mashburn Jr.
Wings: Gabe Kalscheur/Payton Willis/Isaiah Ihnen/Tre' Williams
Posts: Eric Curry/Jarvis Omersa/Sam Freeman/Martice Mitchell
Flexibility is a big issue in recruiting in today's game. Coaches want players who can play and defend multiple positions. Minnesota has several players who can fit that bill.
Carr and Mashburn both could be considered combo guards the could play the one and two. All of the wings are basically in this category. Willis, Kalscheur, and Williams could all play the two/three spots. Ihnen can play the three and slide down to the four. Mitchell is believed to be more of a four, but believes he will have the opportunity to play the three.
With the current makeup, the opportunity in definitely there for Pitino to go to a "small ball" lineup. It is expected that Carr, Kalscheur, Willis, Ihnen, Williams, and Mashburn will all play major minutes. With that type of look, Omersa could play the five around any combination of the four, or they really went to the extreme there could be a five-out alignment with the 6-foot-9 Ihnen being the biggest player on the floor.
Potential additions
As of now, Pitino could still fill two spots on next season's roster. Prospects who hold Minnesota offers such as Kerwin Walton, Mykell Robinson, and Dwayne Komora are looking to announce to where they will attend school this spring.
The coaching staff has also reached out to reportedly a dozen transfers. Of course, barring a special ruling by the NCAA only graduate transfers would be eligible to play next season.
Three players who will be moving onto graduate school have been courted by the Gophers: Morris Udeze, Mattias Markusson, and Justin Turner.
With the subtraction of Oturu, Pitino will desperately be in the market for a big man. That would make the 6-foot-9 Udeze and the 7-foot-3 Markusson as major priorities. Udeze already has a Gopher offer. Markusson has reportedly be contacted by the coaching staff. Besides an inside player, the next position of emphasis will be a bigger wing and then depth at the point guard spot.
This brings the dead time of recruiting back to the forefront. Several transfers have already chosen their new schools only days after entering the portal without having set foot on those campuses. What impact will all of this have as the staff searches for much needed help?
Recruiting is always a fluid situation, and things will change. But it's difficult to know when and how much in today's environment of uncertainty. Stay with The Gopher Report as we bring you the latest updates around the Minnesota Basketball program.
