STrib: Gophers could snap 14-year NBA draft drought with host of prospects next year

BleedGopher

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per Marcus:

Thursday’s NBA Draft will mark 14 years since former Hopkins standout Kris Humphries — the last Gopher drafted — went No. 14 overall to the Utah Jazz.

“It’s kind of a surprise to me that no one else has been drafted since me,” Humphries said. “There’s a few guys who you thought probably would’ve, but a lot of things have to come together sometimes.”

Nebraska, Northwestern and Penn State have the longest drought in the Big Ten with their last NBA draft picks in 1999. Michigan State and Ohio State have the league’s most draft picks since 2004 with 11 and 10 players, respectively.

“It’s beneficial for everybody if we get guys in the NBA,” Pitino said. “It helps recruiting. It helps obviously their lives, because they’re dreaming of those things. I think we’re close. I feel like, if we can stay healthy, I think we can get there.”

So who will be drafted next from the Gophers? Pitino believes he has several NBA prospects on the 2018-19 team.

“I think that if you look at our roster there are some guys in Jordan Murphy, in Amir Coffey, in Eric Curry, in Daniel Oturu, in Isaiah Washington,” Pitino said. “I’m not saying they’re locks for it, but they can be in the conversation.”

The 6-foot-7, 250-pound Murphy decided not to declare early for this year’s draft even after leading Minnesota in scoring (16.8), leading the Big Ten in rebounding (11.3) and grabbing an NCAA-best 24 double-doubles, tying potential No. 1 pick DeAndre Ayton.

Murphy’s lack of size for a post player might not hurt him with NBA teams playing small ball. Improving his jump shot and defense will likely determine if he’ll hear his name called a year from now on draft day. He’s currently projected as a second round pick in 2019.

“He’s not the profile of an NBA power forward because of his size,” ESPN NBA draft analyst Fran Fraschilla said. “But he is a very good basketball player. I would never rule him out playing in the league. There are always a handful of outliers, guys who don’t fit the mold. Jordan is one of those guys. Until (the Gophers) had their turmoil, he was playing about as well as any power forward in the country.”

Murphy’s not the only Gopher frontcourt player on the NBA’s radar.

Despite missing last season with a knee injury, Curry gained attention as an impact freshman on the U’s last NCAA tournament team in 2017. The 6-foot-9, 235-pound redshirt sophomore has a 6-foot-11 wingspan, can stretch the floor with his outside shot and defend pick-and-rolls.

“I think Eric Curry actually has NBA potential someday, if he’s healthy long term,” Fraschilla said. “He showed great rebounding instincts and shot the three his freshman season. He’s a live body. I really liked his freshman year and thought three or four years from now, this kid could be one of those guys who can play in the league. They’ve got some good pieces.”

http://www.startribune.com/gophers-...with-host-of-prospects-next-season/486074181/

Go Gophers!!
 

Ok, I saw this teaser earlier and wondered what the point of the story was and now that I read it I still do not know.

Murphy is not declared for the draft and no one else is under consideration this year, so what is the point of this story? this is just some stupid teaser/ filler for the NBA draft and highly annoying.

The guy that wrote this story is useless. Maybe he could just write a story about the draft, but no he had to bring the U of M into it.

Maybe we should just wait for Friday and then Marcus could write a story about what over-rated fraud the Duk/ Hopkins (Trent)guy was who went in the second round, after his father assured us all he was Tracy McGrady #2.
 

Tinfoil hat time: this article is a favor for Pitino. Pitino is recruiting somebody, maybe Hurt(?) who is concerned about making the NBA. Pitino can send them this article and say “hey we haven’t gotten anybody to the league yet, but we have 5 guys on the roster who could get drafted if they work hard enough, come be the 6th.”
 

The title of this tread goes a long way towards explaining why we have had few NCAA appearances and few years over .500 in the Big Ten over the last many years.
 

The title of this tread goes a long way towards explaining why we have had few NCAA appearances and few years over .500 in the Big Ten over the last many years.

The correlation is valid but I am not sure that it explains everything about 14 years. And you could actually consider White, who was drafted, even with his flaws, one who could be considered a stop to the drought. He never played but he was a Gopher.
 


Interesting to see this morning that an Indiana HS product has been drafted in the 1st round in 13 of the last 14 drafts.

Penn State's drought stopped last night after nearly 20 years without someone getting drafted.
 

2019 NBA Mock Draft.net shows no gophers, no Reid Travis ....4 from Duke 3 of 1st Ten no Tre Jones.... Yes Jericho Sims at 27...
 

2019 NBA Mock Draft.net shows no gophers, no Reid Travis ....4 from Duke 3 of 1st Ten no Tre Jones.... Yes Jericho Sims at 27...

Sims is a. lot like Rodney IMO, elite athletisimn, below average hoops skills.
 

Sims is a. lot like Rodney IMO, elite athletisimn, below average hoops skills.
NBA interest and NCAA productivity are often quite different..Travis productive and efficient not even a 2nd round projection
 



NBA interest and NCAA productivity are often quite different..Travis productive and efficient not even a 2nd round projection

Yep, I get that and why he's on the mock. If he can prove he has basketball skills that will translate he will move up or stay put, most likely he will fall off the list.
 




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