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This is Amelia Rayno's second season on the Gophers' basketball beat. She learned college basketball in North Carolina (Go Tar Heels!), where fanhood is not an option. In 2010, she joined the Star Tribune after graduating from Boston's Emerson College, which sadly had no exciting D-I college hoops to latch onto. Amelia has also worked on the sports desk at the Boston Globe and interned at the Detroit News.
 Follow Rayno on Twitter @AmeliaRayno
Friday happenings: Gophers acknowledge Mbakwe DUI at media day
Posted by: Amelia Rayno under College basketball, Gophers players Updated: October 12, 2012 - 10:16 PM
There has been plenty of newsworthy material with the Gophers team today, but unfortunately not much of it happened on the court.
The Gophers marked their annual media day Friday by revealing that senior Trevor Mbakwe was nearly kicked off the team following a DUI arrest in July. The arrest, which had not been previously reported, is the latest in a string of legal battles for the forward, but it looks as if he will remain on the team.
Coach Tubby Smith said he came close to dismissing the sixth-year senior outright, but ultimately allowed him to return on the condition that he complete certain undisclosed “requirements.”
Read the whole story, here.
I will have plenty of tidbits from media day here in coming days.
As for the Gopher All-Star Friday Night, just a couple notes:
- In what will probably be one of the highlights of the year, Smith came out to the court dressed as Homecoming King (Gophers women's coach Pam Borton was Homecoming Queen) to the YouTube hit "Gangnam Style" ... then took off his cape and proceeded to dance, Gangnam Style, side-by-side with Borton. Here's the original if you haven't seen it. It was epic.
- Julian Welch won the shooting contest, but had to face off four times with Andre Hollins, who he kept tying for shots. Balls were going in the bucket for the first couple rounds anyway, so that's a good sign.
- Rodney Williams won the dunk contest after getting upset by then-freshman Joe Coleman last year. Williams won it with a high-flying slam from just forward of the free-throw line.
- Former Gophers in attendance included: Blake Hoffarber, Willie Burton, Quincy Lewis, Kevin Lynch, Flip Saunders, Walter Bond, Richard Coffey, Jamal Abu-Shamala and Jeff Hagen.
- Maroon won the scrimmage 27-12. The teams: Gold: Andre Ingram, Austin Hollins, Elliott Eliason, Chris Halvorsen, Charles Buggs, Kendall Shell, Oto Osenieks; Maroon: Maverick Ahanmisi, Joe Coleman, Mo Walker, Trevor Mbakwe, Rodney Williams, Julian Welch, Wally Ellenson.
- Mbakwe got on the court some for the scrimmage and was cutting and bumping around in the post. Scored his first points of any kind since last November.
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