Here's the thing: obviously the Gophers want to have Trevor Mbakwe back and gunning at 100 percent for the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas (which starts a week from Thursday), but that just might not be in the cards.
The Gophers have been easing the sixth-year senior through a slow return and seem in no rush to usher him to the next step.
Physically? Mbakwe is fine. Ninety percent, I'd say.
Mentally? He's playing pretty darn tough out there, so I'd offer 90 percent there as well.
But the Gophers seem to see no reason to risk something – anything, anything at all – with their prize player who they really, really, really want to see play a full season without drama or injury.
"I think he's back," coach Tubby Smith said after the opener, after he played Mbakwe for 14 minutes and watched him dole out an energetic second half.
But Monday, Mbakwe played only 14 minutes again – this time being more productive with them, scoring six points and seven rebounds with two blocked shots and two assists in that time.
"He's ready – it's just making sure that he doesn't exert or extend himself too far right now," Smith said. "So he's playing within his game."
Mbakwe has said that he feels pretty normal. But there are still a few remaining signals to his injury. One reporter noted that the forward always comes down on his left leg after going up for a ball. And Mbakwe is still wearing the chunky metal brace over his knee during games. He'll keep that on, he said for probably another month or month and a half.
