MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Seven of Minnesota's top 10 players from 2018-19 will be missing this season, leaving the Gophers with much to rebuild from the team that registered the program's first NCAA...

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The season, let alone Dupree McBrayer's entire college career at Minnesota, hasn't played out the way he planned it.

When his mother, Tayra McFarlane, retired from her job...

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota's defense sparked its fast-break offense in time for the Gophers to pull away from Rutgers on Saturday.

Amir Coffey scored 29 points to lead a balanced scoring attack as Minnesota defeated Rutgers 88-70.

Jordan Murphy scored 15 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, Dupree McBrayer scored 15 points and added 10 assists, and freshman Gabe Kalscheur scored 11 points for Minnesota (13-3, 3-2 Big Ten), who put the game away with a 14-1 run midway through the second half.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Having four players in double figures and the return of a key player Sunday was a nice way for Minnesota to get ready for the resumption of Big Ten play.

Daniel Oturu recorded his fourth straight double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Gophers past Mount St. Mary's 71-53.

Minnesota also got 15 points from Dupree McBrayer and 13 from Amir Coffey. Jordan Murphy had 10 points and nine rebounds.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Coach Richard Pitino spoke to his Minnesota Gophers about avoiding a letdown following a challenging early-season schedule with Minnesota hosting Arkansas State on Saturday afternoon.

The Gophers took the message to heart early and then coasted to a decisive victory.

Freshman Daniel Oturu posted season highs with 19 points and 12 rebounds, and Dupree McBrayer chipped in 14 points for Minnesota in a 72-56 win against the Red Wolves on Saturday.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Amir Coffey seamlessly took over as the primary point guard. Dupree McBrayer, playing pain free, had his left-handed stroke in midseason form. Daniel Oturu quickly established his 6-foot-10 presence in his college debut.

This was just the kind of smooth opener Minnesota needed, after a rough last year.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The breakthrough that Minnesota enjoyed two years ago became an afterthought last season, as injuries mounted and losses piled up.

Finishing 15-17 was a rough follow-up for the Gophers to their only NCAA Tournament berth under coach Richard Pitino.

"I'm a lot better when we have a healthy roster as a coach," Pitino said. "I think that at the end of the day when you're building a program, to get stability it takes some time. I thought we were there last year."

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Nate Mason has finished his career with a flourish in his fourth year as the point guard for Minnesota, rising in the program's record books with the performance of a calm, clutch and confident senior leader.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Nate Mason wasn't going to go out a loser in his last game at Williams Arena.

Mason scored 33 points and dished out six assists as Minnesota snapped a nine-game losing streak with an 86-82 victory over Iowa on Wednesday night.

Dupree McBrayer scored 16 for Minnesota (15-15, 4-13 Big Ten), Jordan Murphy had 10 points and 10 rebounds and Davonte Fitzgerald also scored 10.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The status of Minnesota starting guards Amir Coffey and Dupree McBrayer remains uncertain for the upcoming game at Indiana.

Gophers coach Richard Pitino said Thursday that Coffey and McBrayer are still considered day to day. The Gophers play the Hoosiers Friday.

Coffey has missed the past three games and eight of the past 10 because of the shoulder injury. The sophomore is the team's third-leading scorer.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Robert Johnson scored a career-high 28 points, while Justin Smith and Juwan Morgan each added 20 as Indiana defeated Minnesota 75-71 on Saturday.

Nate Mason led Minnesota with 22 points and nine assists, while Dupree McBrayer and Jordan Murphy each scored 18. Murphy grabbed 10 rebounds, extending the nation's longest double-double streak to 17 games.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Dupree McBrayer has been the most overlooked player in Minnesota's balanced lineup, hindered by injuries this season and often a secondary option on offense with two powerful post players to feed and two dynamic teammates with him on the perimeter.

His value was on full display in the final nonconference game.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Jordan Murphy posted his 12th straight double-double to start the season with 24 points and 18 rebounds, and Minnesota held off Drake 68-67 on Monday night.

Amir Coffey added 16 points — all in the second half — and Nate Mason scored 12 for Minnesota (9-3).

Ore Arogundade led the Bulldogs (5-5) with 15 points, while Graham Woodward added 15 and De'Antae McMurray 12.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Even with two of his teammates on the bench in foul trouble, Jordan Murphy knew he didn't have to take the game over in the second half. He did it anyway.

Murphy had 23 points and 11 rebounds, and No. 14 Minnesota cruised past Western Carolina 92-64 on Sunday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Minnesota will go into the NCAA Tournament without starting guard Akeem Springs, who tore the Achilles tendon in his right ankle.

Springs was injured late in the Gophers' Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal victory over Michigan State on Friday. Without Springs, Minnesota lost to Michigan on Saturday as replacement Dupree McBrayer and point guard Nate Mason were forced to play all 40 minutes and only two points came from the bench.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — In the month of March, when college basketball players are kings, Nate Mason could barely find the courage to leave his house last season.

When Dupree McBrayer walked around the Minnesota campus, he could hear the whispers and the snickers from classmates as he kept his head low and tried to avoid eye contact.

"It was embarrassing," McBrayer told The Associated Press. "Walking around, people just looking at us and saying, 'Ohhh that's them.'"

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Reggie Lynch enjoyed the Williams Arena crowd chanting his name on Saturday after block after block against Penn State. At one point, Lynch let himself show his appreciation, smiling and pointing to the crowd.

The Minnesota Gophers are having fun again.

Lynch had nine points and set a career-high 11 blocks, one off the Minnesota record, while Nate Mason and Jordan Murphy recorded double-doubles in the Gophers' 81-71 win against the Nittany Lions on Saturday.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota might have a new starting lineup for rival Wisconsin, with senior Akeem Springs in line to take sophomore Dupree McBrayer's spot at shooting guard.

Coach Richard Pitino said Friday he's been considering the switch to his rotation this week, but he stopped short of committing. The Gophers host the 17th-ranked Badgers on Saturday, on the heels of losses at Michigan State and Penn State.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Games are about to get much harder for Minnesota, but the Gophers look forward to the opportunity after a strong start to their season.

Dupree McBrayer scored 19 points and Minnesota held off Arkansas State 82-75 Friday in the final non-conference game for both teams.

Jordan Murphy added 15 points and eight rebounds for the Gophers, whose 12-1 record before Big Ten play is its best in four seasons. Akeem Springs had 14 points and Nate Mason 12.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Dupree McBrayer scored 21 points and Nate Mason added 19 points and seven assists for the Minnesota Gophers, who pulled away late to beat LIU Brooklyn 76-66 on Wednesday night.

Jordan Murphy added 13 points for Minnesota (11-1) as the Gophers won their fifth straight game. Eric Curry had 11 points and a team-high eight rebounds off the bench as Minnesota used its size advantage to outscore the Blackbirds 38-20 in the paint.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — An off-court investigation and ankle injury slowed down Reggie Lynch earlier this year.

Now his coach believes the redshirt junior is one of the Big Ten's best players in the middle.

Lynch and Jordan Murphy each had a double-double and Minnesota pulled away to beat Northern Illinois 77-57 Sunday.

Lynch scored 11 of his career-high tying 18 points in the second half. His 11 rebounds were two off a career best.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Richard Pitino called his team's 37-point win over Georgia Southern a "major step forward," but not because of the point total. It was more how his players shared the ball against their overmatched nonconference opponents.

Dupree McBrayer scored 18 points and Akeem Springs added 16 off the bench to lead the Gophers over Georgia Southern 86-49 on Friday night for their third straight win.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Richard Pitino wants to make sure his players aren't reading too much into their 6-0 record.

After impressive wins against St. John's and Arkansas, some Minnesota players said they expected an easier time against mid-major Southern Illinois.

"You can't overlook anybody; we can't do that," Pitino said Saturday night after his Gophers beat Southern Illinois 57-45. "We should be a no-ego program. We have not earned the right to have an ego."

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota coach Richard Pitino started this season with a rule many college coaches have used before — no media interviews for freshmen.

It didn't take long for Amir Coffey to force Pitino to change his mind.

Coffey scored 30 points on just 14 shots to lead Minnesota to a 92-86 over St. John's on Friday night.

"When you play like that, you've got to change that rule," Pitino said, later adding that "it was as impressive a freshman performance as I've seen."

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Nate Mason had 15 points and seven assists, and the Minnesota Golden Gophers had five players score in double figures in an 86-74 victory on Friday against Louisiana-Lafayette.

Dupree McBrayer added 15 points for Minnesota, which made 10 3-pointers and shot 40 percent from long distance. Amir Coffey, part of a three-guard starting unit with Mason and McBrayer, scored 13 points.