Wait…Jordan Murphy Had How Many?!?!
After making their season debut Friday night, Jordan Murphy has been the talk of the town around Gopher Basketball land. The Junior Forward lead the No. 15 Gophers to a 92-77 victory over South Carolina Upstate. Murphy finished with a career high 35 points (13-22 FG) and 15 rebounds. The 35 points is the highest scoring total the program has seen since Andre Hollins dropped 41 in 2012.
Have a game, Jordan Murphy!
Junior forward posts 35 and 15 in 92-77 win over USC Upstate. pic.twitter.com/D1YluLMi6d
— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) November 11, 2017
Our next animal costume will be Jordan Murphy. That guy’s a beast!
— The Barnyard (@BarnyardUMN) November 11, 2017
I like to think I’m a math guy…maybe even a little “Rain Man-ish”. It has its pros and cons. Trust me when I tell you that Jordan Murphy’s numbers yesterday were absurd; nearly unheard of in college basketball. It may not even take a brain, let alone a math one, to figure that out…. but I like to tell you how smart I am. Last season, as a Sophomore, the Gopher big man averaged 11.3 Points and 8.8 Rebounds per game. Those are really good numbers. The 8.8 rebounds were good for 4th in the Big Ten. I fully anticipate the PPG to climb closer to 15, which would put him near the top-ten in the conference.
Also expect Murphy to finish 2017-2018 averaging a double-double. That’s saying something. Averaging a double-double doesn’t happen, in college basketball, like it does in the NBA. Caleb Swanigan was the only player to do it last year, in the Big Ten (18.5 PPG/12.5 RPG). He went in the 1st round of the NBA draft this year. Before Swanigan last season, NOBODY in the Big Ten, averaged a double-double since Draymond Green (16.2 PPG/10.6 RPG) in 2011-12…. Both Green and Swanigan won the Big Ten Player of the Year in those seasons… It’ll be hard to beat Miles Bridges this year, no matter the numbers Murphy or anyone else puts up…
This team is extremely well-rounded and appears to be even more unselfish. That’s what’s so exciting. Any of the four returning starters can take over a game. Dupree McBrayer can rattle off scoring streaks like a young JR Smith (the good version of JR). Isaiah Washington is a playmaker. The flashy Bronx guard will blow the roof off of the Barn and you’ll see #JellyFam sprayed all over campus. This squad can come at you from all angles.
Final Score:#Gophers 92, USC Upstate 77
Jordan Murphy is the player of the game with a career high 35 points with 13 rebounds in the first regular season game of the year.
Next game Gophers will head to Providence on Monday to play Head coach Richard Pitino’s alma mater.
— Jack Warrick (@WarrickJack) November 11, 2017
The Gophers are back in action on Monday to face Richard Pitino’s alma mater, Providence. He might not say it, but I’d imagine this one means a lot to our fifth year coach. The players should be full of a little extra piss and vinegar come tipoff. Let’s do this Little Ricky. You’re ready. We’re ready. Keep on rowing vs. Providence. Finish Top 3 in the Big Ten. Dance and Advance.
Johnny Minnesota @mnsportsnstuff
Minnesota Sports Fan MinnesotaSportsFan.com
Sources: BigTen.org, Basketball-Reference, Star Tribune, sports-reference.com
Photo: Star Tribune
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