Transfer Reggie Lynch: The Big Man With Great Potential For Minnesota

The 6-foot-10 center Reggie Lynch decided to transfer closer to home from Illinois State to Minnesota, which is truly a treat for coach Richard Pitino and the Golden Gophers.

Lynch is a big man that averaged 9.5 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 2.8 BPG during his sophomore campaign in the Missouri Valley conference with Illinois State. Many people might not know much about Lynch because he is from a mid-major school that is not named Gonzaga or Wichita State, but Lynch is a big-time player who played very well for Illinois State in only his second season. Lynch was very impressive against the stiffest competition in the Missouri Valley Conference and he was also impressive against other mid-major teams like Green Bay and Old Dominion in the NIT.

Can Lynch have success in the Big Ten?

The Big Ten is welcoming a lot of talent this season, especially with the signing of some of the nation's top recruits, so will transfer Lynch have what it takes to compete in one of the best conferences in the country?

Lynch has loads of potential as a center, especially because of his already terrific defensive ability. Lynch is an elite shot-blocker, and he will still be a terrific shot-blocker in the Big Ten. Offense is where Lynch needs to work on his game if he really wants to make some noise in the Big Ten. He will most likely be the starting center for Minnesota after he sits out a year, so during the 2016-2017 season will be Lynch's time to make a name for himself in the Big Ten.

Lynch only shot 50.9 percent from the field during the 2014-2015 season even though almost all of his shots came from around the paint. Lynch was one of the biggest players in the MVC and he shot an unimpressive 50.9 percent from the field, which is very hard to believe. Lynch will need to shoot more efficiently in the Big Ten or he will be getting benched very fast because in the Big Ten you need to be able to get it done on both ends of the floor. Lynch is an elite rim-protector, which is a great start, now he has a year off to improve his offensive game before he makes his mark in Minneapolis.

Minnesota is heading in the right direction

The Golden Gophers will be losing there two leading scorers from last season, but the team will be bringing in a very talented recruiting class.The team will be welcoming point guards Jarvis Johnson and Kevin Dorsey, the Golden Gophers will also welcome small forward Jordan Murphy. Jonathan Nwankwo is a 4-star center that was going to play immediately for the team, but he was just recently released from his LOI.

These recruits can help Minnesota try and make the NCAA tournament next season, but the recruits might not be ready for the spotlight next season. The 2016-2017 season will be a great year for the Golden Gophers because the recruits will have a year of experience under their belt, and because Lynch will be eligible to play.

The Golden Gophers are heading in the right direction in part because coach Pitino has brought in a talented bunch of players to the program. Transfer Reggie Lynch is another solid acquisition by Pitino with plenty of potential heading forward.