Trevor Mbakwe isn’t himself right now.
But the Gophers senior forward apparently is certain he can get back to his All-Big Ten form after a year lost to a knee injury.
Why else would he make a bold statement on Twitter on Sunday, Nov. 4, that he would “pay back” his scholarship for this year if the University of Minnesota basketball team didn’t advance to the NCAA tournament?
Mbakwe wrote on his Twitter account (@TMbakwe32): “I love my teammates. They have always been there for me. If we don’t make the tourney ill pay back this years scholarship.”
Just to make sure everyone knew he was serious, the 6-foot-8 St. Paul native followed that up with more tweets: “That’s how much I believe in this years team,” and “Some ppl say I’m cocky but that’s not the case I just know how hard my teammate have worked and I believe in them and our coach #easychoice.”
The Gophers, who are not ranked in any preseason top 25 polls, play their final exhibition game Monday against Southwest Baptist at Williams Arena. They open the regular season Friday at home against American.
On Thursday, Mbakwe played his first game in nearly a year and had four points, three rebounds and two steals in 11 minutes in an 81-56 exhibition win over Minnesota State Mankato.
Gophers coach Tubby Smith clearly was being cautious with Mbakwe. When Mbakwe came off the bench midway through the first half, he did not display the physical dominance and athleticism that fans were accustomed to seeing when he led the team in scoring and rebounding in 2010-11 and through seven games last season.
If the Gophers are going to end a two-year hiatus from the NCAA tournament, Mbakwe will have to show drastic improvement in the next few weeks. The Gophers’ nonconference schedule might be the toughest it has had since Smith arrived five seasons ago. Minnesota opens the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas on Nov. 22 against Duke. Other potential opponents in the field include Memphis and Louisville.
“I’m in no pain,” Mbakwe said after the exhibition win. “My knee has been pretty good since surgery (last December). I haven’t had any setbacks or anything. … The doctors are happy where I’m at right now.”
There have been moments in practice when Mbakwe explodes to the basket for a dunk or rises quickly for a blocked shot. None of those happened Thursday in his first game since tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee Nov. 27 against Dayton.
Mbakwe wears a knee brace and still rehabs daily. He has met every physical goal and off-court requirement to this point. He served a suspension for a DWI in July. But there’s no timetable for when he can take that next step and become an elite player again.
Sophomore Mo Walker, who waited almost two years to play again after his knee injury, said it shouldn’t take long for both to play to their potential. The 6-foot-10, 295-pound Walker averaged four points and three rebounds through 12 games in 2010-11. He was expected to return by the start of the Big Ten schedule last season, but his knee swelled up again, forcing him to take a medical redshirt.
Although Walker has been dealing with weight issues, he looked more comfortable than Mbakwe on Thursday with eight points on 4-for-4 shooting from the field in nine minutes.
“I don’t think it will take long,” Walker said Thursday. “We both have been working hard in practice and really putting forth a lot of effort.”
