Recent content from Marcus Fuller
Expectations, emotions are high as Whalen transitions to Gophers
Excitement was in the air about Whalen soon focusing her full attention on being the Gophers women's basketball coach.
Double trouble: Huff twins both plan an impact for Gophers
Julian and Jacob Huff have been models of hard work and academic achievement for the Gophers. They're still waiting for that one season when they can make an impact together.
NCAA announces 'enormously significant' reforms
The NCAA adopted a series of sweeping new legislation and policy Wednesday that University of Minnesota president Eric Kaler called, "Perhaps historically remarkable."
Basketball's best or brotherly love? Rochester's Hurt has big choice
Describing Matthew Hurt as a sharpshooting, slam-dunking, shot-blocking 6-foot-9 forward who can play inside or outside -- and his brother plays for the Gophers.
Healing Curry has summer dreams of winning winter for Gophers
Sophomore Eric Curry is on a conservative recovery path this summer after last year's knee injury, and the Memphis native hopes to again be a major contributor at center.
Minnehaha's Suggs grabs gold with U17 USA team in rout of France
Jalen Suggs won his second gold medal with a U.S. national team Sunday, adding to a successful summer of international basketball for Minnesota prospects.
Field of dream teens: Star Tribune All-Metro Sports Awards
Tuesday night at Target Field, the first All-Metro Sports Awards gala brought 500 people — high school athletes, coaches, athletic leaders, family, friends and fans — together to celebrate the best sports moments of the 2017-18 seasons.
Future Gopher? Ex-UND, DeLaSalle guard becomes hot grad transfer
Geno Crandall, an all-Big Sky who is transferring from North Dakota, has visited with the Gophers, Gonzaga and Xavier after getting only a couple of offers while playing in high school.
When will Gophers' 14-year NBA draft drought end?
Next season, Jordan Murphy looks like the leading candidate to be the first Minnesota player drafted since 2004. But there could also be a rich pipeline ahead.
Stockman leaving U basketball before playing a game with the team
7-foot center Matz Stockman, who came to the U from Louisville, will transfer before playing a game with the Gophers.
Class of 2020's best players could face giant choice after high school
The momentum to end the one-and-done era in college basketball has begun, and at least two young stars from Minnesota's 2020 graduating class could face this decision: scholarship or the pros.
Can transfers lead an instant turnaround for Pitino's Gophers?
Coach Richard Pitino had a different sales pitch for each of the three players who chose the Gophers men's basketball team this spring.
Less buzz means 'no pressure' for Gophers softball team entering NCAA tournament
The Big Ten tournament champions are in a familiar spot: unseeded and traveling cross-country to another tough regional. The Gophers open play Friday night vs. Texas in Seattle.
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Whalen's juggling act a success so far
The Lynx guard is also focused on recruiting for her Gophers women's basketball program. "I don't know who could turn down the opportunity to play with Lindsay," recruit Sara Scalia of Stillwater said.
Gophers get commitment from four-star Illinois defensive end
Jason Bargy is the highest-rated recruit to commit to Minnesota since Carter Coughlin. The team also received a verbal commitment from a junior college linebacker.
Point Guard U? Whalen adds Top 100-ranked guard to Gophers
Mercedes Staples had committed to Clemson, but the point guard from Utah reopened her college search after the head coach was fired and chose Minnesota.
Final Four test: Gophers to play Oklahoma St. at U.S. Bank Stadium
Oklahoma State is a perennial Big 12 contender, winning 20 or more games seven times in the past 10 seasons.
Second opinion: Murphy looked into NBA, decided to return to Gophers
An advisory committee can help steer borderline NBA prospects toward the draft or back to school. Richard Pitino is glad power forward Jordan Murphy is returning this fall.
Don't expect Gophers football recruit Bateman to leave anytime soon
Row The Boat and Ink That Arm: Incoming wide receiver Rashod Bateman got his coach's favorite saying tattooed on his arm.
Whalen lands her first Gophers recruit in Stillwater's Scalia
Sara Scalia, a 5-10 guard, averaged 26.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 3.8 steals this season for the 17-11 Ponies.
Transfers, coaching departures put Pitino on speeded-up search to fill openings
The Gophers are one assistant coach and two players short of a full roster after offseason changes and a turbulent April recruiting season.
Whalen taps former Gophers assistant coach to return, finalizes staff
Danielle O'Banion, who was an associate head coach at Memphis this season, coached Lindsay Whalen as a player with the Gophers on Pam Borton's staff
Playing and coaching? Whalen has role model in one of basketball's best
The Lynx guard will start training camp Sunday while keeping in touch with her U assistants
U's Kaler: Expect big college basketball changes very soon
The 60-page Rice Commission report on men's college basketball is expected to result in major changes, some of them coming as early as the 2018-19 season.
Gophers basketball lands Vanderbilt transfer Payton Willis
He will have two years of eligibility left after sitting out the 2018-19 season.
Coyle: Whalen should help Gophers end recruiting drought in state
"There's not a living room she won't be able to get into," Gophers athletic director Mark Coyle said about new women's basketball coach Lindsay Whalen.
Whalen: 'I always felt at some point in my life this would happen'
Lindsay Whalen says she feels prepared for the Gophers women's basketball job in part because of the Hall of Fame coaches she has played under.
Wagner to Lynx? Gophers star hopes to hear name called in WNBA draft
Predicting where Carlie Wagner will be drafted or if she will at all is difficult. But her growth during four years with the Gophers put her in position to have this opportunity
Assistant Ben Johnson leaving Gophers basketball for Xavier
Richard Pitino loses a strong Twin Cities recruiter in Ben Johnson, but gains an assistant with a strong coaching and recruiting record in Rob Jeter.
Stollings to Texas Tech; Whalen won't comment on U coaching job
Former Gophers star Lindsay Whalen, 35, has given no public indication that she won't play for the Lynx during the upcoming WNBA season.
Harris to transfer from Gophers basketball program
Jamir Harris, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound freshman, averaged 3.9 points and had 38 three-point field goals in 28 games this season
NCAA basketball will focus on issues, then Final Four in Minneapolis
You can bet college basketball will look different before the 2019 Final Four at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. But how much different?
Michigan can't end Big Ten title drought as Villanova cruises to national title
In this NCAA tournament, there was Villanova and then there was everybody else.
The era of the traditional big man is gone in college basketball
This March Madness is proof that more teams are following the Golden State Warriors model.
Rochester prep star Hurt plays in Final Four showcase
Hurt, a 6-9 five-star forward at Rochester John Marshall, was chosen to be on the U.S. junior national select team, which scrimmaged against players from around the world Saturday in San Antonio.
Michigan's emotional big man Wagner puts on title face for Monday
Moe Wagner was one of the most memorable players in this NCAA tournament even before he carried Michigan to tonight's title game against Villanova.
NCAA final preview: Villanova vs. Michigan
Star Tribune college basketball reporter Marcus Fuller takes a look at Michigan vs. Villanova ahead of Monday's game.
Beilein on Big Ten title drought: 'I'm not carrying that weight on our back'
Michigan is one win away from ending the Big Ten's national championship drought, which dates to 200. But Wolverines coach John Beilein doesn't want his team to think about that entering Monday's game.
Michigan ends Loyola's Cinderella run, advances to play Villanova
The bad guys from a perceived bad league are moving on. And the 11th-seeded Ramblers' storied run finally came to an end in a 69-57 loss to third-seeded Michigan in the first national semifinal at the Alamodome.
Villanova leaves no doubt about who's really No. 1 in rout of Kansas
"I feel bad for Kansas," said Villanova coach Jay Wright, whose team will try to win its second national title in three seasons. "They're a great team; we just made every shot. And that happens sometimes."
Loyola Ramblers of 55 years ago won't be topped this weekend
Former Ramblers Jerry Harkness and Les Hunter talked about their inspirational national championship run.
Loyola Chicago coach Moser hoping Ramblers' midmajor success is here to stay
The architect of Loyola's midmajor success from "rock bottom" is in it to see it through.
Jalen Brunson's patience, effort have him back in Final Four
This time around, Jalen Brunson will most likely be the guy if his team cuts down the nets again.
Final Four preview: Kansas vs. Villanova
The second semifinal pits the two No. 1 seeds that survived the first two weekends of this year's tournament.
Final Four preview: Michigan vs. Loyola Chicago
The Cinderella story of this year's tournament faces a Big Ten team on a roll.
Transfers transformed these Final Four teams (get used to hearing it)
Three Final Four teams have at least one key contributor whose college career began elsewhere.
Prior Lake's Shanks is living dream as Loyola reserve
Carson Shanks transferred to Loyola after reaching the NCAA tournament with North Dakota last year, and said he has received text messages and calls from several players from Minnesota.
Fitzgerald leaving U basketball team for final year of eligibility
Davonte Fitzgerald earned his bachelor's degree in December and can transfer to another program without sitting out a season.
'We will come back.' U women look to build on season's success
Destiny Pitts, the Big Ten freshman of the year, and all but three seniors will be back next season motivated to return to the NCAA tournament for a deeper run.
Dominant Ducks end Gophers' basketball season with 101-point show
Minnesota was trying to make its first women's Sweet 16 appearance since 2005, but were done in by high-scoring Oregon and its spectacular star Sabrina Ionescu.
Gophers women's basketball team trying to send its seniors out in style
Carlie Wagner, Jessie Edwards and Bryanna Fernstrom were thrilled with reaching NCAAs, winning in first round.
Gophers, Oregon in for a shootout in women's basketball tournament
If you like offense, you're in for a treat Sunday. In Division I women's basketball, only Connecticut and Baylor average more than the Gophers' 85.3 points per game. Oregon isn't that far behind at ninth (82.1).
Gophers pushed, then push back to defeat Green Bay in NCAA first round
Down 13 points in the third quarter, the 10th-seeded Gophers came alive down the stretch to win 89-77 against No. 7 seed Green Bay.
Gophers freshman Pitts shows poise with 20 points
The Gophers set an NCAA tournament school record with 10 three-pointers vs. the Phoenix. Destiny Pitts led the team in threes, shooting 5-for-7 from beyond the arc
Wagner gets one more shot – finally – at the NCAA tournament
Senior scoring machine Carlie Wagner is the only player remaining from the Minnesota team that last played in the Big Dance in 2015, when it lost in the opening round to DePaul.
Borseth is happy to be back in Green Bay after time in Ann Arbor
Green Bay women's basketball coach Kevin Borseth has picked up where he left off with the Phoenix.
The path to San Antonio: Marcus Fuller's NCAA predictions
From top seeds to top point guards to top match-ups, here are 14 things to watch as the NCAA men's basketball tournament starts with tonight's play-in games.
Border battle: Gophers playing Green Bay in NCAA women's opener
The Gophers were a bit on edge Monday after the selection show displayed a graphic of them as one of eight teams fighting for the final four spots.
Can Big Ten teams shed conference's tarnished image in NCAA tourney?
Four teams this season argue they have as good a chance as any of their Big Ten predecessors to win the title.
Stollings says despite NCAA debate, Gophers women have earned bid
The Gophers (23-8), who finished fourth in the Big Ten, are having a selection show viewing party for fans at Williams Arena on Monday night.
Cloud hangs over this year's March Madness with FBI probe
But FBI probe lingers in background of college basketball's biggest month.
Gophers women's basketball falls just short vs. top-seed Ohio State
The Gophers led the up-temo Big Ten semifinal early, but Ohio State went on a big run to finish.
Gophers' Wagner had motivation for victory over Iowa
A berth in the Big Ten semifinals was the only way Carlie Wagner's family would see her play this week.
Gophers-Ohio State game recap
The Gophers women's basketball team lost 90-88 to top-seeded Ohio State in the semifinals of the Big Ten tournament.
Stollings: Gophers 'in safely' for NCAAs after holding off Iowa in Big Ten tourney
After losing a 12-point lead in the first half, Minnesota had to fight off a Big Ten player of the year Megan Gustafson's Big Ten tournament record 48 points
Gophers' Pitts finally gets hot shooting in fourth quarter
The Big Ten freshman of the year opened the game 1-for-12 from three-point range. But Destiny Pitts scored 11 of her 14 points on 3-for-4 shooting from beyond the arc in the fourth quarter.
Bell's next big move: Get Gophers into the NCAA tournament
The Gophers were just 15-16 in junior Kenisha Bell's first season, but the team has blossomed behind her and senior guard Carlie Wagner into an NCAA contender.
At least help is on the way for Gophers men's basketball
The Gophers ended with losses in 14 of their final 16 games but could get better quickly with a restocked roster of healthy veterans and three recruits from the Twin Cities.
Gophers' 2018-19 projected lineup
Marcus Fuller projects next season's Gophers starters and top reserves.
Washington eager for next year after 'being pushed every day' by Gophers
Isaiah Washington, a Harlem native, was the top recruit in Minnesota's 2017 class out of St. Raymond's High School in the Bronx.
In Murphy's corner this season: Mom and Dad on ultimate road trip
Amid the team's struggles, Gophers' junior Jordan Murphy is finishing his best season. His parents moved to the Twin Cities from Texas so they could see his games.
Murphy named second-team All-Big Ten; Mason passed over
Jordan Murphy averaged 17 points per game and also broke the program's single-season rebound mark with 352; Nate Mason only received honorable mention.
U's Bell, Wagner, Pitts bring home Big Ten women's basketball honors
Kenisha Bell and Carlie Wagner were named All-Big Ten first team Monday by both media and coaches, and Destiny Pitts was selected as the Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
Gophers crushed by Purdue to end regular season
The Gophers finished the regular season with their 13th loss in 15 games after getting blitzed to open the second half. They open the Big ten tournament on Wednesday as the 11th seed.
Gophers' Pitino on college basketball scandal: 'Hard to really know' what's to come
Richard Pitino is confident in his program, which was reviewed by the U earlier this season. But like many, the coach is looking for answers as more layers of corruption are exposed.
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