Losing Murphy Is Going to Hurt My Soul

Lakers612

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I was a huge Nate Mason fan. Still am. Would love to see him in a Wolves jersey some day, although I think my fandom may be elevating his potential from great overseas pro to an NBA caliber player.

Having said all that, the impending departure of Jordan Murphy has me a little depressed. He's been such a stud for the program for so many games over the years that it will be hard to fathom a Gopher team without him. Murphy is the heart and soul of this team and it's been such a pleasure watching him night in and night out.

I think the post-Mason era was easier to endure because I knew Murphy was still on the squad. But without Murphy, I do fear this team lacks an unexpected hero. Don't get me wrong. Amir Coffey is definitely an excellent basketball player and is more than ready to lead this team next year. But with Coffey, we kind of expected it. He was highly touted coming in and has mostly lived up to the expectations. Murphy and Mason on the other hand? No one could have anticipated their success in the B1G10. These guys didn't have the ESPN 100 recruiting pedigree that Coffey had. It was fun watching Murphy and Mason exceed expectations and then some. But without that "nobody believed in me" bravado, I feel like something will be missing with this squad. Maybe Gabe Kalscheur can assume that role. We'll see. All I know is that I am going to miss Murphy so much next year. Hope this NCAA run can last as long as possible.
 

You follow a college team long enough, and you learn to accept the basic fact that these players - no matter how much you like them - are only going to be around for 3 or 4 years.

Yeah, I like Murph too - but I've liked a lot of players over the years, going back to the days of McHale, Thompson, and Ray Williams. Shoot, I still wonder what might have been if Muss hadn't gotten into trouble, and they could have kept Olberding and Landsberger around a couple of more years.

But, bottom line, with college sports - high school too - there will always be someone new. the ball gets passed (metaphorically) from Trent Tucker to Voshon Lenard, from Kevin McHale to Randy Breuer, and so forth.

Someone else will emerge as a team leader and a fan favorite. It may be some guy you and I have never heard of. But someone will come along. they always do.
 

Murphy is awesome and I will miss him too. But I am excited to see who will play next. Murphy surprised me with how consistent he was and became one of our best. Too bad he didnt have a few more players around him.
 

I think he'll tear it up in the euroleague, if he wants to go that route

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I think he'll tear it up in the euroleague, if he wants to go that route

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Just gotta love how stoic he is. That is what I will remember the most about him when he is gone.
 


Regardless of how the NCAA Tournament plays out, it's fair to say Murphy's impact on the program will be felt for a long, long time.

My favorite Gopher of all-time is Willie Burton. He was an incredible player during his time at the U, although I was a huge fan of his entire team, so I guess I can throw Melvin Newbern and Kevin Lynch in there alongside Willie. Bobby Jackson was special for obvious reasons and I'm also a big fan of Dusty Rychart, Vince Grier and Quincy Lewis.

But Jordan will definitely hold a special place up there in my book. Has gone through a lot with the program and has been the ultimate steady force for four years. A big tip of the cap to him.
 

Regardless of how the NCAA Tournament plays out, it's fair to say Murphy's impact on the program will be felt for a long, long time.

My favorite Gopher of all-time is Willie Burton. He was an incredible player during his time at the U, although I was a huge fan of his entire team, so I guess I can throw Melvin Newbern and Kevin Lynch in there alongside Willie. Bobby Jackson was special for obvious reasons and I'm also a big fan of Dusty Rychart, Vince Grier and Quincy Lewis.

But Jordan will definitely hold a special place up there in my book. Has gone through a lot with the program and has been the ultimate steady force for four years. A big tip of the cap to him.

What could have been with Lynch and Murphy and a healthy Amir in the 2018 NCAA.
 


I still miss:

Hoffarber
Dre Hollins
Austin Hollins
 



I thought Andre Hollins with his smile Freshman year was going to be our Mateen Cleeves. I thought he might be our glue guy to bring us to another level... Great player, endeering, yet his smile faded over the years. I really think Tubby wore him down.

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Lakers612, I really appreciate your ode to Murphy. Every year it seems I lament losing something about the season/ team; this is inherently what I love about college sports. The tapestry of players that this program has woven together over the years is what makes it special. I love looking behind our bench to see which ex-player has graced Willy arena on any given game day. I wish/hope every player that puts on that Gopher uniform realizes that they have an enormous opportunity to contribute to the good name of the U of Minnesota and that they are part of something special and cherished by many.

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Lakers612, I really appreciate your ode to Murphy. Every year it seems I lament losing something about the season/ team; this is inherently what I love about college sports. The tapestry of players that this program has woven together over the years is what makes it special. I love looking behind our bench to see which ex-player has graced Willy arena on any given game day. I wish/hope every player that puts on that Gopher uniform realizes that they have an enormous opportunity to contribute to the good name of the U of Minnesota and that they are part of something special and cherished by many.

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This is an awesome post thank you for the positive words
 

I hope he stays in touch, comes back often, and makes his home here eventually. Just a real good dude, it seems.
 

I hope he stays in touch, comes back often, and makes his home here eventually. Just a real good dude, it seems.

If not, hopefully seeing a banner for him hanging up there in The Barn. Might have to put him on my all-time favorite Gopher team.
 

Lakers612, I really appreciate your ode to Murphy. Every year it seems I lament losing something about the season/ team; this is inherently what I love about college sports. The tapestry of players that this program has woven together over the years is what makes it special. I love looking behind our bench to see which ex-player has graced Willy arena on any given game day. I wish/hope every player that puts on that Gopher uniform realizes that they have an enormous opportunity to contribute to the good name of the U of Minnesota and that they are part of something special and cherished by many.

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Yes, This has been why I have season tickets. And Murphy just makes me smile. Love his to-the-point responses in interviews and his to-the-point play on the court.
 

For me, I'm always more appreciative of the less-heralded recruits that work hard to have great college careers.

- Murphy's effort is always 100%.
- He never gets demonstrative in front of refs when a foul isn't called.
- He doesn't have off-court issues.
- He doesn't flop (flopping is ruining college basketball, but that's a topic for another day).
- If he goes to the ground, he doesn't fake an injury and lay there, which gives up an easy basket on the other end (my biggest pet peeve with many basketball players nowadays). He gets up and hustles down the court.
- And finally, he seems like a good guy.

I didn't even mention any of his stats! It's been an absolute joy watching him for the last four years.
 

My favorite player all time is Mychael Thompson. Got to shake his hand back in the 70's after a Pillsbury Classic game. Then ran into him at the Graves / Loews hotel next to Target Center forty years later and he is still a great guy. Also a big fan of Kevin McHale - Trent Tucker and Ray Williams
 




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