NEW YORK – The Gophers are nearly a month into preparation for the 2017-18 season, but they still have several players not cleared for contact in a full practice.
Coach Richard Pitino said Thursday at Big Ten media day that center Reggie Lynch, guard Dupree McBrayer and forward Davonte Fitzgerald were on a contact restriction of 15 minutes.
"It's been difficult because we have had a lot of guys who are allowed to practice but not do contact," Pitino said at Madison Square Garden. "So it's tough to figure out where are we at from a defensive standpoint, a rebounding standpoint, all those physicality things that you can't work on."
Pitino said Lynch, the 2017 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, was meeting the team doctor Thursday and could be cleared to fully participate. The 6-10 senior, who was originally scheduled to make the trip to media day but was replaced on short notice by junior forward Jordan Murphy, had minor knee surgery last month.
A projected starting shooting guard, McBrayer was out for a few months because of a leg injury, but he will be ready for the season, Pitino said.
Fitzgerald, a 6-8 junior, missed last season because of his second major knee injury. The Gophers will have to be "extremely patient" with the Texas A&M transfer, according to Pitino. He's expected to fill the role of injured power forward Eric Curry, who is already lost for the season because of a knee injury.
Senior guard and leading returning scorer Nate Mason missed a couple practices because of a minor ankle sprain, but he returned to the court Wednesday.
"I've been like an NBA coach where I've really, really limited those guys," Pitino said. "So it's been difficult to gauge where we're at. But we'll get healthy. I don't think any of them are major concerns. We've just got to be patient and I've got to be patient."