The official release from the U:
University of Minnesota head men’s basketball coach Richard Pitino announced Tuesday the addition of guard Akeem Springs, who will transfer from Milwaukee for the upcoming season.
Springs, a native of Waukegan, Ill., will earn his bachelor’s degree at Milwaukee and be eligible to play immediately for the Gophers as a graduate transfer.
“We are extremely excited about the addition of Akeem Springs,” Pitino said. “He provides depth and versatility to our back court. Akeem will also add great leadership to our locker room.”
Springs spent two seasons at Milwaukee, where he averaged double-figure scoring for the Panthers. This past season, he scored 13.2 points and 5.3 rebounds in 31.9 minutes per game on 49 percent field goal shooting, adding 54 assists (1.7 apg) and 27 steals per game.
Springs ranked 11th in the Horizon League in scoring and 17th in rebounding, in a year where he posted 21 double-figure scoring games and started 32 games. Among the highlights was a 33-point effort on January 7 in a win over Youngstown State, where Springs was 14-of-18 from the field including 4-of-6 from 3-point range.
In his first season with the Panthers, Springs averaged 10.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game and was the second-leading rebounder and third-leading scorer on the team. He spent one season at Northern Illinois in 2012-13 after a high school career where he was selected to the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association 3A/4A All-State Third Team his senior season.
Springs, who will have one year of eligibility with the Gophers, will join freshman newcomers Amir Coffey (Hopkins, Minn./Hopkins HS), Michael Hurt (Rochester, Minn./John Marshall HS) and Eric Curry (Little Rock, Ark./Southwest Christian Academy) along with transfers Reggie Lynch (Edina, Minn./Edina HS/Illinois State) and Davonte Fitzgerald (Atlanta, Ga./Tucker HS/Texas A&M) on the court next fall.
http://www.gophersports.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/041916aab.html
Go Gophers!!