Mbakwe potentially redshirting

[MarquetteDano]

I wonder if he will be a 26 year Senior by the time he is done.  Jeesh...

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4616237

[Jay Bee]

I think he's done for this year - unlikely the trial will proceed in December (currently a date of Dec 14 is set... the defense wants to call a bunch of former teammates to speak to an alibi, but it will be difficult to get them in court during the bball season). 

Minnesota will still be a very good team, IF Royce White plays.  Breaking news from the Twin Cities:

Freshman Royce White and senior Devron Bostick have been suspended indefinitely from the Gophers men's basketball team for a violation of team rules, coach Tubby Smith said Tuesday morning. Smith provided no additional details about the disciplinary action.

Unreal.

[Tulsa Warrior]

I would not trade problems with Minnesota.

[Tigidal]

I would not trade problems with Minnesota.

And the hits just keep on coming...

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4619336

MINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesota coach Tubby Smith has suspended two players indefinitely for breaking team rules.

Smith would not say Tuesday why freshman forward Royce White and senior guard Devron Bostick were in trouble. He says they will be held out for at least two games and possibly more until he decides they're ready to return to the Gophers (No. 18 ESPN/USA Today, No. 25 AP).

Bostick is a reserve who averaged 11 minutes per game last season. White is part of a touted recruiting class that includes transfer Trevor Mbakwe, who is also out indefinitely while a felony aggravated battery charge against him goes through the court system.

White and Mbakwe were expected to give Minnesota some bulk and athleticism at the power forward spot.


Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press

[TallTitan34]

He says they will be held out for at least two games and possibly more until he decides they're ready to return to the Gophers.

I'm guessing he will decide they are ready to return sometime before their first quality opponent.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

I said it then and I'll say it now, lifting his red-shirt at MU, 3/4 of the way through the year, was borderline criminal. A total joke.

I hope that kid gets it together because he has a lot of talent.

[ecompt]

He also sounds like he's got a ton pf problems, too, PRN. Glad he's not here anymore.

[avid1010]

He also sounds like he's got a ton pf problems, too, PRN. Glad he's not here anymore.

I look at as PRN does, and I think MU needs to decide what they did or could do to cause/prevent/fix any problems the kid has/had.   

[jmayer1]

I said it then and I'll say it now, lifting his red-shirt at MU, 3/4 of the way through the year, was borderline criminal. A total joke.

I hope that kid gets it together because he has a lot of talent.

Almost as criminal as raping (allegedly) a girl?

[bma725]

I said it then and I'll say it now, lifting his red-shirt at MU, 3/4 of the way through the year, was borderline criminal. A total joke.

I hope that kid gets it together because he has a lot of talent.

Once again your implication that Crean lifted the redshirt against Mbakwe's wishes is 100% false.  It was Trevor's decision, or rather the decision of people close to Trevor, just like every other boneheaded thing he's done the past 5+ years.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Once again your implication that Crean lifted the redshirt against Mbakwe's wishes is 100% false.  It was Trevor's decision, or rather the decision of people close to Trevor, just like every other boneheaded thing he's done the past 5+ years.

That's complete b.s. What you're trying to sell me is that our coaching staff has no control over redshirts? Do you believe that? Activating him was a stunt because ESPN was in town. It was outrageous.

[ChicosBailBonds]

That is correct, a coach cannot enforce a redshirt.  This was Trevor's decision.

Now, a coach could have said "fine, don't redshirt but I'm not going to play you".  But then that pretty much guarantees a transfer (yes, I know this kid tranferred anyway to everyone's surprise, including Buzz).

But simply put PRN, a coach cannot mandate a redshirt.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

I understand that it cannot be mandated, particularly when it comes at the beginning of one's career. I also understand that, at the end of the day, it is the player's decision.

Given all that and our understanding of our previous coach...do you honestly think he was taking direction from Trevor? You can honestly sit there and tell me that Crean was against this and was forced to activate him...and play him in that very first game? Give me a break.

You guys will go to any length to defend that guy. It was a horrendous decision on Crean's part and one that CLEARLY did not take into account the best interests of his player. Anybody that says otherwise is just plain paying lip service. There is NO FREAKING WAY Crean was not behind the entire thing. In fact, I believe "reward for hard work" was given for the decision. Criminal!

[bma725]

Once again you're talking out of your ass without actually knowing how it went.  Mbakwe and his people wanted the redshirted lifted, and if they didn't get what they wanted, he was gone.  Simple as that.  You can spin your ridiculous Crean theories all you want, but as always you have no clue about what actually happened.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

Just so I'm clear, how is Trevor's non-redshirt hurting him now?

He's suspended for the accusation of a crime. I don't think he's suspended because he didn't redshirt as a freshman.

Am I missing something?

[Jay Bee]

StarTribune.com and others reporting more on Royce White.  Oh lawd.

Royce White, last year's Mr. Basketball and Minnesota's top freshman this season, was arrested by Bloomington police officers Oct. 13 on charges of shoplifting and fifth-degree assault at Macy's in the Mall of America.

Gophers coach Tubby Smith said today that he suspended White indefinitely for an unspecified violation of team rules, but did not elaborate on the reasons for the disciplinary action.

A Macy's security officer confronted White, who was with three other males, and tried to handcuff the 6-foot-8, 240-pound power forward, who allegedly stole $100 worth of merchandise.

According to a police report, White pushed the security guard "down to the ground two times." Bloomington officers eventually arrived and arrested White, who was released with a citation.

[GGGG]

I understand that it cannot be mandated, particularly when it comes at the beginning of one's career. I also understand that, at the end of the day, it is the player's decision.

Given all that and our understanding of our previous coach...do you honestly think he was taking direction from Trevor? You can honestly sit there and tell me that Crean was against this and was forced to activate him...and play him in that very first game? Give me a break.

You guys will go to any length to defend that guy. It was a horrendous decision on Crean's part and one that CLEARLY did not take into account the best interests of his player. Anybody that says otherwise is just plain paying lip service. There is NO FREAKING WAY Crean was not behind the entire thing. In fact, I believe "reward for hard work" was given for the decision. Criminal!

Knowing what I know now about both of them, I have absolutely no trouble believing that TM basically forced Crean to remove the redshirt.  It's not as though this guy has a history of good decision making.

[esotericmindguy]

Live in MN and many say that TM is actually innocent and has witnesses proving he wasn't the one who assaulted the girl.  We'll see how it plays out but I guess he has an alibi.

[SaintPaulWarrior]

Live in MN and many say that TM is actually innocent and has witnesses proving he wasn't the one who assaulted the girl.  We'll see how it plays out but I guess he has an alibi.

He says he was with 3/4 other teammates in an apartment/dorm when the crime happened.

[NCMUFan]

I am not in criminal justice.  But if Mbakwe had clear proof, would his lawyers present that info to the victums lawyer saying, "you don't have a chance, so drop it"?  To stay out of the court and move on with life ASAP.

[StillAWarrior]

I am not in criminal justice.  But if Mbakwe had clear proof, would his lawyers present that info to the victums lawyer saying, "you don't have a chance, so drop it"?  To stay out of the court and move on with life ASAP.

You'd be surprised by how much two sides of a legal dispute can disagree on the definition of "clear proof."  It's quite possible that the prosecutor does not think that an alibi corroborated by TM's teammates is "clear proof."  Also, we saw what the prosecutor in Durham did in spite of pretty compelling evidence that should have cleared the Duke LAX players.

By the way, I have not followed the TM case and have absolutley no idea or opinion on his guilt or innocence.  I'm not trying to imply anything one way or the other.