Gophers' Richard Pitino and Nate Mason receive All-District honors

Gophers coach Richard Pitino and junior guard Nate Mason receive All-District 7 honors Wednesday by the National Association of Basketball Coaches

March 22, 2017 at 4:49PM
Gophers basketball coach Richard Pitino watched guard Nate Mason shoot during an October 2016 practice.
Coach Richard Pitino watched Nate Mason shoot during the Gophers Men's Basketball practice at the University of Minnesota on Tuesday, October 4, 2016, in Minneapolis, Minn. (Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Gophers basketball coach Richard Pitino and guard Nate Mason earned All-District honors Wednesday from the National Association of Basketball Coaches.

Pitino, who coached Minnesota to a 16-win improvement from last year, was named District 7 Coach of the Year. Mason, a junior captain and All-Big Ten first team performer, was selected to the All-District 7 second team.

In his fourth season, Pitino led the Gophers to a 24-10 record (11-7 in the Big Ten) and first trip to the NCAA tournament in four years. They earned a No. 5 seed before falling to No. 12 seed Middle Tennessee in Milwaukee. Pitino was named Big Ten Coach of the Year.

Mason led the Gophers in scoring (15.2 points), assists (5.0), steals (1.4), free throw percentage (80.8) and minutes played (34.5) this season. He was the first Gopher to be named NABC All-District since Trevor Mbakwe in 2013. The Georgia native is the first player in school history with 500 points and 100 assists in the same season.

District 7 First Team: Melo Trimble, Maryland; Caleb Swanigan, Purdue; Ethan Happ, Wisconsin; Peter Jok, Iowa; Miles Bridges, Michigan State

Second Team: Nate Mason, Minnesota; Derrick Walton, Jr.; Michigan Bryant McIntosh, Northwestern; Tai Webster, Nebraska; Nigel Hayes, Wisconsin

about the writer

about the writer

Marcus Fuller

Reporter

Marcus Fuller covers Gophers men's basketball, national college basketball, college sports and high school recruiting for the Minnesota Star Tribune.

See More