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Minnesota ended the season with a thud, going from a potential NCAA Tournament appearance to firing their head coach and looking to start all over again next year.
They’ll now be without a few returning players.
The first domino to fall was Jarvis Omersa, who announced he was transferring from the program. If the name doesn’t immediately ring a bell, Omersa opted out for the season after participating in seven games. While he played 45 minutes in the first three games, he only played 24 minutes in his last four games and didn’t attempt a shot. Omersa averaged 1.9 points and 2.5 rebounds per game in a reserve role last year.
I can confirm the #Gophers forward Jarvis Omersa has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal, per a source.
— Ryan Burns (@RyanBurnsMN) March 16, 2021
Omersa opted out of the 2020-21 earlier this past season, and played in 64 games in his three-year Minnesota career. https://t.co/eabKfFfBiu pic.twitter.com/IhAedcTu4C
A bigger loss followed this week when it was announced that Jamal Mashburn Jr. was entering the transfer portal.
Minnesota freshman Jamal Mashburn Jr. has entered the transfer portal, sources told ESPN. Former four-star recruit averaged 8.2 points this season.
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) March 17, 2021
Mashburn Jr. was a four star recruit and the son of former NBA player Jamal Mashburn. In his freshman season with the Gophers he averaged 8.2 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game while shooting 27.6% from three. With injuries in the backcourt, Mashburn Jr. played a more prominent role down the stretch and scored at least 11 points in eight of the last nine games, a noticeable uptick from his early season numbers.
The loss of Mashburn Jr. could prove even more problematic if Marcus Carr enters the NBA Draft.
There is almost always turnover on the roster when a coaching change takes place, so some of these departures shouldn’t be a surprise. That being said, the loss of Mashburn Jr. could prove problematic for a potentially thin Gophers squad next season.