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On Wednesday, a report from The Star Tribune surfaced that had some disappointing news for the Minnesota Golden Gophers. The site reported that Amir Coffey would be departing from the program and declaring for the 2019 NBA Draft. This is big news for the Gophers as the program tries to build off this season’s NCAA Tournament appearance.
BREAKING: Source says #Gophers guard Amir Coffey will hire agent, and declare for the NBA draft. Door is still open for him to return for senior season, however. Details from @Marcus_R_Fuller https://t.co/BSzY7lv9P2 pic.twitter.com/mH0jZdgQ1D
— Star Tribune Sports (@StribSports) April 3, 2019
As I wrote earlier in the week, this probably wasn’t unexpected. Coffey seemed to have accomplished just about all he could at Minnesota. Not necessarily from a team performance perspective, but from an NBA potential standpoint. His profile probably wasn’t improving much (if at all) with another season with the Gophers.
During his career with Coffey played in a total of 87 games, including multiple trips to the NCAA Tournament. Last season, Coffey averaged an impressive 16.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game. Coffey had a unique skillset offensively that made him a difficult matchup for opponents. He could deliver from outside the arc and get inside if needed.
For Minnesota, this figures to be a pretty significant loss. Coffey was arguably the best player on the team and certainly one of the team’s two biggest contributors with Jordan Murphy. And considering that Murphy is also departing, it’s easy to see why Coffey is a big loss. This is going to be a new look Gopher squad next year.
There’s no telling how Coffey will end up doing, but BTPowerhouse will keep you posted as the NBA Draft draws nearer.