The Minnesota Golden Gophers seem like they might be able to return an excellent player to the men's basketball roster next season. Nothing has been confirmed by the school quite yet, but reports surfaced Thursday night that said Trevor Mbakwe will be receiving a sixth season of eligibility from the NCAA.
Mbakwe was expected to be the team's best player this season, but tore his ACL prior to the Big Ten conference schedule and the Gophers struggled down the stretch after getting off to a hot start under the fifth-year forward. WCCO posted on their website that it's likely he'll receive a sixth year of eligibility, provided he wants it:
Multiple sources told WCCO-TV's Mike Max Thursday night that University of Minnesota star forward Trevor Mbakwe has been granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA.
Mbakwe tore his ACL early in the season and had been contemplating turning professional after the season. Now that he's been granted another year of eligibility, it's up to him if he decides to accept it play another season for the Gophers. Mbakwe already has his undergraduate degree and is still pursuing at least one degree in graduate school. He led the Gophers in scoring and rebounding before his season-ending injury.
Provided Mbakwe returns to the team next year, it'll be a huge boost to the Gophers offense -- especially inside alongside Rodney Williams.
For more on the Minnesota Golden Gophers, check out The Daily Gopher. You can also learn more about college basketball around the nation at SB Nation's College Basketball hub.