Jake Depue: Gophers notebook: Projecting the 2018-19 team

BleedGopher

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per Jake:

Projecting next year’s team

This year’s team demonstrated just how far things can fall due to injuries, so assuming everyone stays healthy next year is a dangerous proposition. Nevertheless, if they can manage to do so, Minnesota should have a pretty deep team in 2018-19.

If the highly-touted Oturu is the starting center to begin the season, Minnesota’s starting five could look like this:

PG: Isaiah Washington

SG: Dupree McBrayer

SF: Amir Coffey

PF: Jordan Murphy

C: Daniel Oturu

If Washington’s recent strong play is an indication of what’s to come next year, Minnesota will boast a talented core five. Veterans Murphy and Coffey should be pre-season all-Big Ten picks, and McBrayer, when healthy, is an important glue guy who can shoot from distance and play solid perimeter defense.

Where next year’s team could differ from this year’s, though, is depth. The loss of Eric Curry this season made an already thin Gophers bench almost nonexistent. Even last year’s tournament team only had seven players who played more than ten minutes a game. (Losing Akeem Springs in the Big Ten tournament proved to be a huge blow—they didn’t win another game). The 2018-2019 Gophers, though, should be in better position to absorb injuries and provide meaningful production off the bench.

Keeping in mind there’s still a scholarship to fill, here’s what the bench could look like:

PF: Eric Curry

SG: Gabe Kalscheur

C: Matz Stockman

PF: Jarvis Omersa

SG: Jamir Harris

Others: Hurt, Fitzgerald

We don’t know yet, of course, how much the incoming freshmen will produce right away, and Gophers fans couldn’t be faulted for being cautious after enduring this year’s train wreck. However, the mix of returning players, strong recruits, and perhaps a graduate transfer should at least put the Gophers in position to once again be thought of as a possible tournament team when the season kicks off next November.

http://www.1500espn.com/news/2018/02/gophers-notebook-projecting-2018-2019-team/

Go Gophers!!
 




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