Golden Nugz: A Little Optimism To Start Your Golden Morning

I am an optimist and am starting to really look forward to next year's Gopher basketball season.  Nate Mason and Jordan Murphy are a solid duo.  Dupree McBrayer got me excited.  Lynch and Fitzgerald are going to add some pieces that were missing and Amir Coffey offers a promise of something special. Apparently I'm not the only one who thinks we may have a big turnaround.

Jon Rothstein of CBSSports.com lists the Gophers as one of five teams who are on the rise in college basketball.

This past year for the Gophers was one to forget.

Next season may be one to remember.

Despite an 8-23 record with only a pair of Big Ten wins, there's reason for optimism within Minnesota's program.

The Golden Gophers will add a Top-40 prospect in wing Amir Coffey as well as two transfers in Reggie Lynch (Illinois State) and Davonte Fitzgerald (Texas A&M), who could both find their way into the starting lineup.

I fully expect that Lynch is your starting center for the Gophers next year and either Coffey or Fitz are also starting (my money is on Coffey).  Two new starters and some quality off the bench to go with Mason, McBrayer and Murphy.  I like that a lot, at least a LOT more than what we saw this year.

• Loved this article on K.J. Maye and the remaining Gopher receivers as they all prepare for next Fall.  Maye preparing for an NFL tryout and Wolitarsky learning to lead the current Gopher receivers.
• We haven't seen much of Merrick Jaskson but Cody Poock thinks he could be scary good.
• Eric Murray comes in 10th on Todd McShay's ranking of players by position for this year's NFL Draft. I think he is going to make some team very happy. Maybe at 118?
  

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