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Will AD let troubled Gopher play?

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Minnesota athletics director Joel Maturi knows he can't win in the public opinion arena no matter what he decides Monday regarding eligibility for junior college transfer Trevor Mbakwe, who last spring was charged with felony battery in Miami. Maturi has allowed the 6-8, 240-pound Mbakwe to practice with the team while he evaluates the case. With Mbakwe, the Gophers would seem to be a top-three Big Ten team; without him, a top-six team in the conference. And Gophers coach Tubby Smith won't be thrilled if Mbakwe, probably his top talent, isn't allowed to play. Don't be surprised if Maturi on Monday announces Mbakwe won't be allowed to play in Gophers games until the issue is resolved. A trial is pending in December in Miami.

St. Paul Pioneer Press

Tubby Smith, Getty Images Tubby Smith, Getty Images
November 1, 2009  12:21 PM ET

Why even let trash and questionable kids play and represent your university???? If I was the President of Minnesota I would send him back to Miami in a secured security vechicle and let batter the people in Miami. Felony Battery is a serious charge and why would Tubby even stoop so low as to bring this riffraff to Minnesota??? Keep garbage, thugs,gang members,felons out of our universities, it's a place for higher learning not a rehab center.

November 1, 2009  01:12 PM ET
QUOTE(#1):

Why even let trash and questionable kids play and represent your university???? If I was the President of Minnesota I would send him back to Miami in a secured security vechicle and let batter the people in Miami. Felony Battery is a serious charge and why would Tubby even stoop so low as to bring this riffraff to Minnesota??? Keep garbage, thugs,gang members,felons out of our universities, it's a place for higher learning not a rehab center.

You're jumping to conclusions scrubber. He was charged with felony battery but not found guilty (or not guilty). Tubby should sit him until its resolved. If he's found guilty then drop him. If not, then he stays and plays.

Lots of people are falsely accused of something. Let is play out.

November 1, 2009  03:21 PM ET

Yeah! Tubby Smith be back! The Tubster, Daddy-O! The Great Tuberini! Humpty Tubinsky! There ain't noboby stoppin' the Tubersaurus Rex this time, no way!

November 1, 2009  05:25 PM ET

Long ago, in a high school not so far away, a young man was told by the refs of that game he'd committed a foul. He got angry. He yelled at the ref. The ref then dismissed him to the bench.

What did this young man do? He laid across all the chairs of the high school team's bench and pretended to sleep. This young man was then given an opportunity to play for another high school and acted similarly. Then when he went to Marquette to play for an awesome coach, he screwed that up too. I am a current student at the U. I hope the AD has the wherewithall to keep this piece of trash off our bench. I love Tubby but do not have any reason to support this kid. The kid is an example of why sports figures grow up to be dog fighters, woman abusers, and worse - they have no respect for anyone, least of all themselves.

November 5, 2009  01:33 PM ET

well... it's already been ruled that the kid won't play until the conclusion of this legal process... so great research SI... All the players who have committed violations (Royce White included) are sitting out... Tubby took risks, but is appropriately disiplining them as they make mistakes.

November 6, 2009  06:15 PM ET

We live in a judicial system whereby there is a presumption of innocence. As a Gophers booster, I am completely satisfied with Mr. Maturi's decision and Tubby's recruitment. Maturi made the correct decision, let the justice system deliberate the matter, and if Trevor is found innocent, he will still have two years of eligibility.

Look at each top 25 college basketball program nationwide, each has and has had its own rule and legal issues. Derrick Rose, O.J. Mayo, Stephenson, John Wall, etc. etc.

 
November 7, 2009  02:07 PM ET

as a booster sebastian... why aren't you doing your job of paying these athletes under the table so they don't need to shoplift?

:)

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