Recent content from Marcus Fuller
Fathers, sons, shadows: Gophers' Pitino tries to carve own path
Gophers coach Richard Pitino has learned how career-defining it is to go your own way. Other second-generation college basketball coaches have discovered that as well, some sooner than others.
Pitino trusts Carr ... Carr trusts shot ... Gophers get special win at Ohio St.
Richard Pitino looked to be holding his breath on the sideline for the final shot, choosing not to take a timeout and putting the game in the hands of point guard Marcus Carr.
Scene turns ugly at a college basketball shrine
The 2019-20 season was already tough for casual fans to watch with the absence of dominant teams or a transcendent player. Then there was Tuesday night's Fight at the Fieldhouse — Allen Fieldhouse.
Gophers' December upset over Ohio State sent Buckeyes reeling
The Gophers clearly outplayed the then-No. 3 Buckeyes in the 84-71 victory Dec. 15 at Williams Arena. But now comes the rematch in Columbus, and Minnesota hasn't yet won a true road game all season.
'They manhandled us.' Gophers can't rebound in road loss to Rutgers
It wasn't necessarily the margin — but how his team was outplayed — that had coach Richard Pitino frustrated in a 64-56 loss at Rutgers.
NBA scouts turn out at Rutgers for early look at Gophers' Oturu
Eleven NBA scouts representing eight teams were at the Rutgers Athletic Center, including reps from the Brooklyn Nets, Washington Wizards, Charlotte Hornets and Detroit Pistons.
Gophers' struggles on road are a common plight
Other than the two teams with a losing overall record — Northwestern and Nebraska — the rest of the Big Ten has a record of 115-10 at home, including a staggering 38-3 home record in conference play.
From East Ridge bench to Baylor starter, Gillespie has Final Four dreams
Freddie Gillespie's belief in himself took him from being a reserve at East Ridge, to Division III Carleton College to starting for No. 2 -ranked Baylor.
Gophers lean on Carr, Oturu to hold off Penn State down the stretch
The Gophers kept their winning streak alive against Penn State, running it to five in a row over the Nittany Lions behind 53 combined points from Marcus Carr and Daniel Oturu.
Demir tells of Gophers' overseas connection
Alihan Demir's link to ex-Gophers star Vincent Grier helped eventually steer him from Turkey to Minnesota.
Despite injury scare, Oturu shoulders load in win over Michigan
Williams Arena was as silent as it's been all season when star center Daniel Oturu was on his back grabbing his left arm and writhing in pain midway through the second half.
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Michigan coach heaps praise on Gophers' Oturu
Juwan Howard, the former Wolverines center who played in the NBA from 1994 to 2013, was impressed by Oturu's play.
Stars prove too much for Gophers to handle in loss to Michigan State
Cassius Winston and Xavier Tillman dominated the Gophers by combining for 46 of Michigan State's 74 points in a game that was close until the final minutes.
No longer ignored, Gophers' Oturu playing himself into an NBA lottery pick
Most early mock drafts didn't include him, but Daniel Oturu's head-turning play has resulted in him being ranked among the nation's top players who eligible for this year's NBA draft.
Gophers backcourt pieces are fitting together
Payton Willis' return gives the Gophers all their parts again.
Gophers uses depth to wear down shorthanded Northwestern
Daniel Oturu had 19 points and 16 rebounds to lead the Gophers 77-68 over Northwestern at the Barn while Marcus Carr finished with 17 points and seven assists.
Pitino seeks edge for Gophers and makes appeal: 'I want the Barn to be packed'
The biggest victory in Richard Pitino's seven seasons in Minnesota — last month over then-No. 3 Ohio State — featured a student-led court-storming. But the announced attendance for that game was 9,854.
Gophers' tank turns to empty in double-overtime loss to Purdue
The Gophers lost a heartbreaker to the Boilermakers in a marathon contest.
Gophers basketball team builds around three sophomore stars
Center Daniel Oturu and guards Marcus Carr and Gabe Kalscheur are averaging a combined 47.2 points per game.
Oturu has U's first 20/20 game in 53 years in rout of Florida International
His work and Gabe Kalscheur's hot hand turn momentum following the Gophers' slow start.
Gophers back to scoring from free-throw line again
Free throws were notably absent from the Gophers' losses earlier this season.
Gophers' Kalscheur showing he's a shooter again
Sophomore guard Gabe Kalscheur is coming off a career-high 34-point game against Oklahoma State.
Hurt steps up in a major way for Gophers
Freshman Tre' Williams on Saturday earned the first start of his career, but senior Michael Hurt also helped to make up for the absence of a veteran presence in the rotation.
Gophers freshman Williams shows he's ready for more minutes
Payton Willis' lingering leg injury might mean more extended playing time for Tre' Williams against Oklahoma State on Saturday.
Rollins' killer play carries Gophers into volleyball Final Four
Adanna Rollins had a team-high 27 kills in two NCAA region matches and was named the Most Outstanding Player in the Austin Region last week.
Carr's 35 points drive Gophers to stun No. 3-ranked Ohio State
After playing the best game of his young basketball career to upset the Buckeyes, Marcus Carr was swallowed up by the Gophers' student section. "I kind of knew it was coming."
North Score: For struggling Gophers, will good news come in threes?
The Gophers are attempting a higher percentage of three-pointers than any other team in the Big Ten.
Five things that need to happen for Richard Pitino's Gophers
Five things that need to happen for a Gophers turnaround: 1. Find a sidekick for Oturu: Not only does Gophers sophomore Daniel Oturu have to…
A look at Gophers' next eight games
Hard road Gophers’ next eight games Sunday vs. Ohio State: Many college hoops observers consider the Buckeyes the nation’s No. 1 team after their blowouts…
Gophers center Oturu bigger, stronger - and so are Big Ten rivals
A Big Ten deep at the center position means there are no nights off for the Gophers' Daniel Oturu.
Coffey, other early departures for NBA, hurting Big Ten's overall depth
Players declaring early for the NBA often go undrafted, and in the Big Ten, rosters are feeling the impact of the lost talent. "You got a broken system here," Purdue coach Matt Painter said.
Disconnected Gophers display their flaws in 20-point loss to Iowa
A disturbing Gophers' narrative continued in a humbling loss. "There are stretches out there where we're not connected offensively or defensively," senior captain Michael Hurt said.
Carr stars in Gophers' wire-to-wire win over Clemson
Point guard Marcus Carr could do no wrong on the court Monday. The only blemish on his night was when he almost got hurt celebrating a teammate's success.
Pitino: Tough schedule keeping Gophers from building needed depth
Part of coach Richard Pitino not relying on his bench is because of the lack of experience, with four freshmen and a sophomore. But there's more to the issue.
Opportunities slip from Gophers' receivers grasp
After a big Gophers play to open Saturday's game, the Badgers contained Minnesota's big-play receivers.
More questions arise after Gophers lose to DePaul at Williams Arena
Daniel Oturu finished with 19 points and 18 rebounds but the Gophers shot just 34% from the field, and dropped to 0-4 against high-major conference teams.
U basketball fills schedule with strong opponents to treat fans, test players
The question the Gophers have yet to answer this season is this: Can they beat a high-major opponent?
Gophers football player O'Brien will have surgery Wednesday
It's not known yet whether Casey O'Brien will be with the team for Saturday's game against Wisconsin.
Gophers climb to No. 8 in College Football Playoff rankings
After slipping to No. 10 last week, the Gophers moved back up after beating Northwestern.
Hometown hero: Omersa stars off bench as U smacks North Dakota
For Minnesota native Jarvis Omersa of Orono, what happened Sunday night is the sort of thing he imagined when he decided to play for the Gophers.
Gophers men's basketball team favors attack from afar
The Gophers lead the Big Ten with 10.6 three-point baskets per game. They have made 93 three-pointers in five game (compared to 53 last season) and attempted 147 (93 last season).
Threes for all: Gophers use historic long-range success to pummel Central Michigan
Last season, the Gophers were among the worst in the nation in shooting three-pointers. On Thursday at the Barn, they hit the second most in team history.
Garcia chooses Marquette, says 'he felt like part of the family'
The 6-foot-11 forward from Prior Lake, who listed Minnesota among his final four schools, is the sixth state high school player in the class of 2020 to commit to a Division I program elsewhere.
Gophers tackle losing: On the court and in recruiting Minnesota's best
Richard Pitino's team will try to break a three-game losing streak tonight, one day after Prior Lake's Dawson Garcia became the latest Minnesota star to leave the state instead of accepting an offer from the U.
Gophers' comeback bid against Utes falls short
The Gophers gave up the first 16 points, and spent the rest of the night trying to come back — pulling within one — but ultimately never did take the lead, losing their third game in a row, 73-69 to Utah.
Gophers basketball counting more on a trio of Minnesotans
The all-Minnesota signing day class two years ago of Daniel Oturu, Gabe Kalscheur and Jarvis Omersa received more buzz than any other recruiting class in Richard Pitino's tenure.
Poor shooting, turnovers sink Gophers despite Oturu's big game
Despite playing while sick, Daniel Oturu produced 24 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks, but he didn't get much help from teammates in a 64-56 loss to Butler.
Gophers freshman Ihnen cleared after wrist injury; doesn't play vs. Butler
Isaiah Ihnen was ranked as a top-100 recruit when he picked Minnesota over Texas Christian and Tennessee, but Gophers fans will have to wait longer than they expected to see him play.
Paint touches: Gophers need to do better at feeding ball inside
Richard Pitino watched the Gophers men's basketball team miss jump shot after jump shot during a scoreless 4½-minute stretch during Saturday's loss to Oklahoma.
Pitino: Gophers' next three-game stretch the hardest in the country
Minnesota has a big test coming, starting Saturday against Oklahoma in Sioux Falls, and continuing with two more tough opponents on the road.
Gophers basketball woos Prior Lake's Garcia, promotes stay-at-home trend
Blue-blood college programs such as Duke and Kentucky often get any player they want, but some recent top recruits have opted to play for home-state schools.
Gophers crush Cleveland State under barrage of threes in opener
Transferss Marcus Carr and Payton Willis combined for 35 points in their first start as the team showed much more three-point prowess than last season.
Pitino's Gophers try to convince skeptics they're still on the rise
Entering Tuesday's season opener against Cleveland State, the Gophers face more skeptics than believers on whether they can sustain last season's success.
For Gophers basketball center Oturu, home is where the heart is
Raised in a family that spent years apart and crossed an ocean before reaching Minnesota, Daniel Oturu calls it "God's work" that he's a Minnesota-grown talent playing for the hometown Gophers.
Steveson remains suspended as Gophers wrestling season begins
A Hennepin County investigation into Gophers standout heavyweight Gable Steveson remains active.
![Gophers men's basketball coach Richard Pitino before a practice last month. ] Aaron Lavinsky • aaron.lavinsky@startribune.com The Gophers men's bask](https://stmedia.stimg.co/08_1009592450_005UCAG092519_56329347.JPG?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Gophers beat SW Minnesota St. in exhibition without digging deep
After winning the exhibition game 73-48, coach Richard Pitino said he didn't want to reveal too much about his team before the games actually count.
Exhibition game is first chance to see Pitino's revamped Gophers
With three transfer students in the starting lineup, the U plays Southwest Minnesota State tonight before the season starts for real next week.
Changing of the guards: Gophers backcourt comes from different directions
They haven't played an official game together. But Marcus Carr, Payton Willis and Gabe Kalscheur have separately started games in the Big Ten, ACC and SEC.
'All of us are tough': Four-man freshman class excites Gophers basketball
How this freshmen class came together for the Gophers wasn't traditional, but Richard Pitino's team needs them ready to contribute.
Injured Curry frustrated but knows: 'Keep my head up and keep my spirits high'
Eric Curry, who will have surgery next week, said he is frustrated by a season-ending injury but will overcome it like he has others in the past.
Out again: Gophers' Curry will miss season because of knee injury
Gophers junior forward Eric Curry, who was coming back from two injury-plagued basketball seasons, suffered his latest knee injury last week and will need surgery.
Fathers and sons: Young Mashburn also chooses to play for a Pitino
Nearly 30 years after their fathers teamed up at Kentucky to reach a Final Four, Richard Pitino and Jamal Mashburn Jr. will form a second-generation connection at the U.
Gophers' Curry suffers another knee injury, out indefinitely
The progress junior forward Eric Curry made toward being ready to play this season suffered a significant setback Monday with an injury to his right knee in practice.
Four-star recruit commits to Gophers basketball team
The Gophers men's basketball team was the only Big Ten program without a 2020 commitment before 6-10 Martice Mitchell's announcement.
Will Minnesota help test NCAA's grip on sports revenue?
It took a state with 58 schools and thousands of NCAA athletes to flex enough muscle to give nine other states, including Minnesota, the confidence to announce plans to introduce similar legislation.
Who's in charge? Gophers men's basketball doesn't have captain yet
The opener is less than five weeks away, but the Gophers men's basketball team hasn't named any captains yet for the upcoming season.
Pitino supports Calif. law allowing athletes to profit off their images
Gophers basketball coach Richard Pitino was the first coach at Big Ten Media Day on Wednesday to show support for the California bill passed this week.
When will Izzo retire? He'd first like to win another NCAA title
ROSEMONT, Ill. – When will Tom Izzo’s Hall of Fame career come to a close at Michigan State? That’s not something Izzo could answer…
Gophers' Pitino among first coaches to speak at Big Ten media day
The Gophers, who return sophomore starters Daniel Oturu and Gabe Kalscheur, were 22-14 overall and 9-11 (seventh) in the Big Ten last season.
Pitino's 'totally different team' isn't getting much love yet
Getting to the second round of last season's NCAA basketball tournament hasn't earned the Gophers much love as the 2019-20 season gets ready to begin.
Purdue's Moore poses complex challenge again for Gophers
No matter where he lines up, the versatile Rondale Moore is a threat.
Pitino wants bigger Oturu to be more physical, shoot some threes
Coach Richard Pitino sees a couple of ways that Daniel Oturu, the former Cretin-Derham Hall, can improve his game during his second season at the U.
Five big questions for Pitino, Gophers men's basketball
The roster is dealing with a lot of turnover, but coach Richard Pitino has shown he can rebuild on the fly.
Border battered: Wisconsin gets two U basketball recruits in 24 hours
Of seven players in the Class of 2020 offered men's basketball scholarships by the Gophers, four have already chosen other schools. That's left many Minnesota fans frustrated.
Many recruiting battles still to come for in-state talent
The Gophers lost out on Mayo's Gabe Madsen.
