Eric Curry News - MinnesotaSportsFan https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/tag/eric-curry/ Minnesota sports, but different Tue, 16 Apr 2024 08:56:24 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=32,height=32,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/cropped-cropped-MSF-favicon-1.jpg Eric Curry News - MinnesotaSportsFan https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/tag/eric-curry/ 32 32 Eric Curry Unretires and Will Return to Gophers as a Player, Not Coach https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-basketball/eric-curry-unretires-and-will-return-to-minnesota-gophers-as-a-player-not-coach/ Tue, 06 Jul 2021 18:48:29 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=35699 Eric Curry was once a promising young freshman with the entire basketball world in front of him. In his first season with the Minnesota Gophers back in 2016-17, Curry played in 34 games, averaging 20 minutes and over 5 points and 5 rebounds per game. He looked like a future star.

Then, disaster struck toward the end of that offseason. In August, 2017 Curry tore all of his ACL, MCL and meniscus ligaments in a pick-up basketball game. The injury would cost him the entirety of his Sophomore season and, after multiple setbacks during his return journey, Eric was never the same player.

In March, at the end of another frustrating season both personally and as a team in 2020-21, Eric Curry announced he was hanging up his basketball shoes. After Ben Johnson

The Return?

But moments ago, to the internet’s schock, Curry unretired and announced his return to the hardwood for one last season as a Gopher player, via Instagram.

I’d be interested to hear the inside story on Curry’s sudden change of heart. Remember, new Minnesota Gophers head coach Ben Johnson has struggled mightily with recruiting the transfer portal and even bigger problems with keeping his own guys out of it. Big men have been his biggest struggle.

How much of Curry’s return is out of desperation in the front court vs a renewed love for playing basketball? We may never get the answer to that question. No matter, it’s an added big man who we know can play at the Big Ten level. So, that’s an upgrade.

Unfortunately, I’m worried about what the above paragraph says about the state of Gopher basketball in 2021 and beyond.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

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Tue, 06 Jul 2021 13:49:28 +0000 Minnesota Gophers Basketball
Eric Curry Suffers Another Knee Injury; Out Indefinitely https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-basketball/eric-curry-suffers-another-knee-injury-out-indefinitely/ https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-basketball/eric-curry-suffers-another-knee-injury-out-indefinitely/#respond Tue, 08 Oct 2019 16:36:54 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=18725

#Gophers junior forward Eric Curry suffers knee injury in latest setback. Out indefinitely. Tough blow to one of the team's leaders in the frontcourt @StribSports @GopherMBB @B1GMBBall https://t.co/ZlvNLZmdA4

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Wow, this is an ugly bombshell. Eric Curry looks to have suffered an injury on his right knee. If you’ve been following his progress back from his left knee injury, and then the foot surgery that he had with 7 games remaining last season (per Fuller’s article attached), then you know Curry was on the verge of being back to full-time duty. But now, Marcus Fuller is being told by sources inside the Gopher Basketball covenant, that the Redshirt Junior out of Memphis Tennessee, is out indefinitely with an injury to his RIGHT knee (NOT the same one that he spent ’17-’18 recovering from).

What a sad turn of events. Eric Curry just can’t catch a fucking break and I feel really bad for this guy. I can’t imagine rehabbing that long for two separate injuries, and then suffering what seems like another major injury to his only naturally-healthy knee. I want to take this moment to remind everyone that we don’t know exatly what the injury is yet, but Marcus doesn’t seem to be very positive about it. IF this injury is indeed worst-case scenario, with a torn ACL or something of that nature, I wish him the best on getting right mentally and moving forward in whatever way he sees best.

As for the Gophers, this means more minutes for Alihan Demir, Michael Hurt, and Jarvis Omersa. I’ve written and talked about it before; Alihan Demir, the Grad-Transfer from Drexel, is going to be a massive part of this team. I expect him to assume a lot of the role we saw Jordan Murphy in last year, with Pitino’s high-low post game. He won’t be as big of a factor on the boards but he has a money outside shot, which Murphy obviously lacked. So defenders won’t be able to flood the paint and sag back when the ball is at the top of the key.

Other News: The Gophers picked up their first commitment for the 2020 class last night with a 4-star out of Chicago, Martice Mitchell. I’ll have more on his commitment plus other big time rumblings later today.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

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https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-basketball/eric-curry-suffers-another-knee-injury-out-indefinitely/feed/ 0 Thu, 01 Jul 2021 14:34:13 +0000 Minnesota Gophers Basketball
It’s Time to Find Out if Gopher Basketball 2019 is For Real https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-basketball/its-time-to-find-out-if-gopher-basketball-2019-is-for-real/ https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-basketball/its-time-to-find-out-if-gopher-basketball-2019-is-for-real/#respond Thu, 03 Jan 2019 15:00:00 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=12378 [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.19.3″][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.19.3″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.19.3″ parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.19.3″ admin_label=”Text”]

Well, here we are. The Vikings season is over and it’s time to move on. And, if you are going to move on, the Minnesota Gopher Men’s Basketball team might be the first place to park your bandwagon.

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Richard Pitino’s squad has faced a tough schedule already this season, racking up wins vs Utah, Washington, Oklahoma State,  Texas A&M, and Nebraska on their way to an 11-2 start. The only two losses came to Ohio State in one of two early-conference games, and Boston College in the ACC – B1G Challenge.

But shit is about to get real tonight. Amir Coffey, Jordan Murphy, and Co. will head East to take the Kohl Center court against our most hated rival, the Wisconsin Badgers.

Everyone faces an automatic disadvantage when they enter the state of Wisconsin. The smell of moldy cheese and rotting trash is so pungent that Wisconsin state officials have begun to hand out the flimsy paper masks that you see at hospitals, as you enter the state.

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Yet, they continue to grow good sports teams. 

The 10-3 Badgers have faced a schedule, so far this season, that is no fucking joke either. They hold wins over Xavier, Standford, Oklahoma, and Iowa already, with their 3 losses coming at home to a #4 ranked Virginia team and on the road vs Marquette, who’s an in-state rival + one randomly terrible loss @ Western Kentucky…

 

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The Positive:

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The Gophers are seemingly getting healthy. Eric Curry, who missed all of last year due to a knee injury, graced the floor last game where he put up 4 points and 6 boards against Mount Saint Mary’s last week. When he gets back into the swing of things, I’d expect him to be a top-4 player on this team.

Meanwhile, last year McBrayer and Coffey dealt with nagging injuries all season, leaving Murphy to be eaten alive by defenses. So far this year, the team has had personal trauma that’s rocked the locker room, with Dupree’s mother sadly passing, but no issues on the injury or discipline front is a far different story than the one we were facing this time last season.

Isaiah Washington has started playing a lot better. He might be embracing a role where he looks for his shot less and others’ more. It’s worked out for him against lesser opponents, where he reached double-digit assists vs both NC A&T and N. Florida.

Washington holds the key to the 2019 Gophers. If he is good and can even prove himself as a reliable starter…. the ceiling is through the roof. If not, the lack of a true point guard will come back to bite this team at some point. I don’t care what Richard Pitino says.

 

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The Negative:

 

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This Wisconsin team is really good. That’s the biggest worry going into the game tonight. Ethan Happ is still playing. I don’t know how this guy keeps on gaining years of eligibility but I know that he’s been playing basketball for Wisconsin since at least 2008. I’m worried about how Freshman, Daniel Oturu will fair against a guy who is at least 30 by now.

The Kohl Center is one of the toughest places to play in the entire country. I’ve already talked about the home-field/court advantage that every Wisconsin team holds vs opponents but no matter the reason, people don’t go into the Kohl Center and beat the Badgers very often.

 

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A lot of Minnesota Kids Playing in this game:

 

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I haven’t looked deep into it to try and count the total number, but this game will have at least 5 Minnesota Kids that will play large roles, just off the top of my head.

The Gophers have all three of their Minnesota freshman, who will all get valuable minutes, in Oturu, Kalscheur, and Omersa. And, don’t forget about Junior, Michael Hurt who will also get plenty of minutes off of the bench.

Maple Grove native, Brad Davison is one of Wisconsin’s top-3 players as Sophomore. You’ll be sad, yet impressed, if you haven’t seen him play yet.

To beat the Badgers, the Gophers will have to find a way to slow down Ethan Happ with Oturu, Curry, and Murphy. If they can limit that old man, we have a shot.

We will also need to hit outside shots. That’s something that has proven difficult for 2 years now. Gabe Kalscheur has cooled down and a heat up could go a long way toward a victory tonight for the maroon and gold…

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

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https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-basketball/its-time-to-find-out-if-gopher-basketball-2019-is-for-real/feed/ 0 Thu, 01 Jul 2021 14:34:35 +0000 Minnesota Gophers Basketball
Eric Curry Expected Back Next Week for Gopher Basketball https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-basketball/eric-curry-expected-back-next-week-for-gopher-basketball/ https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-basketball/eric-curry-expected-back-next-week-for-gopher-basketball/#respond Sat, 08 Dec 2018 23:12:30 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=11676
GopherSports.com

We got some good news out of the Gopher Basketball camp yesterday when Richard Pitino told the media that the team is expecting Eric Curry to return from his injury next week. His most likely return date at this time looks to be vs North Texas on Tuesday.

Eric will be welcomed with open arms as the front-court really needs him in all facets, from his veteran leadership to his dynamic ability on both ends of the floor.

The front court is incredibly inexperienced right now outside of Senior leader Jordan Murphy. They’ve started Freshman Daniel Oturu in Curry’s absence. Dan projects to be a star but has shown us plenty of Freshman mistakes with his expanded role early on.

Matz Stockman has seen extensive minutes as well. He is a senior but hasn’t seen the floor much throughout his career between transfer seasons and his time in Louisville.

In Curry’s Freshman season, he showed the ability to help in all sorts of areas but really came to play late in games when other parts of the offense didn’t seem to be working.

It’ll be interesting to see if Curry starts right out of the gate like he was going to before his injury flared back up. I’d imagine that he will find his way back to the starting lineup eventually, no matter where his finds himself over the first few games.

Other Notes:

Dupree McBrayer’s mom passed away of cancer earlier this week and Gopher nation came out in droves to support Dupree and his family.

They also started a Go Fund Me that produced over $15,000 in just a few days. People are incredible sometimes.

The Gophers just got done taking care of business at the barn vs Arkansas State this afternoon. They have a few easier games coming up before starting conference play back up later this month.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan | ]]>
https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-basketball/eric-curry-expected-back-next-week-for-gopher-basketball/feed/ 0 Thu, 01 Jul 2021 14:34:36 +0000 Minnesota Gophers Basketball
Richard Pitino Lands Coveted Transfer Player and Respected Assistant Coach in Same Day https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-basketball/richard-pitino-lands-coveted-transfer-player-and-respected-assistant-coach-in-same-day/ https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-basketball/richard-pitino-lands-coveted-transfer-player-and-respected-assistant-coach-in-same-day/#respond Tue, 08 May 2018 01:06:56 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=9505



When it comes to the Gophers Men’s basketball team, ya’ll know what time it is!

Minnesota’s male hoopers had high expectations as they entered 2017-18 and the program looked to be on the rise. That was until an F-5 tornado of injuries and sexual assault allegations torpedoed all of those hopes and dreams. High expectations quickly turned to program-lows that reminded all of us of a 2015-16 season that put Pitino in the record books as coaching the losingest team in the program’s history. When the Maroon and Gold’s most recent season was all said and done, it wasn’t quite 2015-16 bad. But it felt pretty damn close, as Minnesota finished with a piss-poor 4-14 record in Big Ten play (15-17 overall), .

Isn’t there a saying out there where ‘things get worse before they get better’? If not, there is now.

That “keep your head up” mindset was ideal for Richard Pitino as he traveled from the 2017 season into the 2018 offseason. In case you missed it, the 35 year-old coach has lost two of his three assistant coaches and top recruiters to other teams. Panic started to set in at that point because the reason for Ben Johnson and Kimani Young’s departure wasn’t due to a promotion or what some would call positive attrition. Most of what I was seeing around GopherIllustrated.com and elsewhere showed program head coach instability was the reason for Pitino’s suddenly-fleeing right and left-hand men.

Not only that, but with the coaches, went some of the players. Jamir Harris and Davonte Fitzgerald bailed ship. Fitzgerald never fully recovered from his major knee injury that caused him to miss 2016-17 after sitting out a transfer year the season before. Losing Freshman, Jamir Harris, stung a bit more. Harris got a lot of playing time in his first season, mostly due to injuries to his teammates. However, it could certainly be argued that the New York native was the team’s best spot-up shooter, which is likely their weakest position.

The situation was ugly and it was getting difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel. But now, the light may be upon us. Richard Pitino seems to have shown his grit and “never give up” attitude with the news that is dropping currently at the assistant coach position and what we may hear about VERY SOON on the recruiting front.

But, let’s follow the old adage we spoke of earlier. ‘Things will get worse before they get better’. Let’s take a full look at all that was lost in the aftermath of the 2017-18 shit storm:

Departures from 2017-18 team:

Nate Mason:

Reggie Lynch:

Jamir Harris:

Davonte Fitzgerald:

Ben Johnson (assistant coach):

Kimani Young (assistant coach):

Alright, alright…. let’s stop with the negativity and bring it back to where we sit right now. Obviously, some of these additions were on their way before all of these negative departures (outside of outgoing seniors) took place. However, when there is this much movement in a program, nothing is guaranteed. That includes any commitments made by recruits before the assistant coaches, who recruited them, leave. Not with these Minnesotan recruits.

Additions to 2018-19 team:

*Eric Curry (Played ‘16-‘17 before redshirt SO for knee injury):

Incoming Freshman:

Daniel Oturu (C – Cretin-Derham Hall):

Jarvis Omersa (F – Orono):

Gabe Kalscheur (G – DeLaSalle):

Transfers:

Payton Willis (G – Vanderbilt) (will sit 2018-19 due to transfer):

Assistant Coach 1/2:

Rob Jeter (UNLV assistant):

What’s Next???

Ever since Rob Jeter was hired back in early April, news on the Gopher Basketball front has been quiet. Unless you follow the Gophers like I do and have subscriptions to sites like GopherIllustrated.com where you get insider content from the best in the state everyday. Behind the scenes, Richard Pitino & Co. have been ravishing the remaining prospects available for immediate use in the 2018 season, along with those who can help beyond, while also trying to steady the ships with the remaining open Assistant Coaching job.

Well, Pitino may be VERY close to finding everything he is looking for.

Today, we are getting closer and closer to seeing an official announcement that he has found his second assistant coach and it looks like he hit his second homerun. This seems to be all but official

Kyle Lindsted (Wichita State Assistant Coach):

Payton Willis was his first transfer and he’s a great get for Minnesota. But as mentioned above, with a slim 2018 backcourt that is already dealing with the departure of Jamir Harris, guards and shooters are needed IMMEDIATELY. Gabe Kalscheur will make an immediate impact but another big time player is needed and a grad transfer would be perfect.

Enter Brock Stull: Grad-Senior – G/F (UW-Milwaukee):

Stull comes from UW-Milwaukee, which is the same school Akeem Springs hailed from before coming to Minnesota as a grad-transfer. He proved to be a big difference as the team was never the same after he went down with an injury late. Brock would be another huge UW-Milwaukee get for the Gophers, as he is exactly what they are looking for. Everyone important on Twitter seems to believe the same thing.

Not only that, the insider info over at GophersIllustrated has quotes like these from site insider, Ryan James, who got this from a coach familiar with the situation:

“Brock will go to Minnesota if they really want him”.

There is one other transfer to look at and the likelihood he ends up in Minnesota seems to be getting higher and higher as the days go by. He was on campus this weekend and things seem to have gone really well. He would be a MASSIVE get for the Gophers.  Scratch that. As I was typing this, he just committed to the Gophers. He was already averaging 10 points for a power-5 school last year… And the insiders at GopherIlustrated feel like the commitment could be getting closer and closer.:

“Things are really looking very strong now that Carr is on campus. Not sure if any others have jumped in lately but Marcus on campus is huge news.”

“I agree with Ryan here. I think Minnesota has a very good shot at getting Marcus Carr.”

“I also think it could happen in the very near future. By all account he “loved” his visit to Minnesota“

However, like Payton Willis, Carr has to sit 2018-19 out due to the current NCAA transfer rules.

Marcus Carr: Sophomore G (Pittsburgh):

Now, Pitino needs to make sure he lands Stull for 2018 and before making DAMN sure he has a successful season on the court. Although things are beginning to look better than they were a month ago, those assistants still left for a reason. If Little Ricky can’t make a good impression this season, he may not be able to see these recruits blossom.

Let’s remember though; because of the recruiting he’s already done, he has some ammo to work with already.

Eric Strack (@RealMSF_Pres) & Johnny Minnesota (@TheJohnnyMN)
MinnesotaSportsFan.com

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https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-basketball/richard-pitino-lands-coveted-transfer-player-and-respected-assistant-coach-in-same-day/feed/ 0 Tue, 16 Apr 2024 03:56:24 +0000 Minnesota Gophers Basketball
The Gopher Men’s Front Court is in GOOD Hands for Years to Come https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-basketball/gopher-mens-front-court-good-hands-years-come/ https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-basketball/gopher-mens-front-court-good-hands-years-come/#respond Wed, 22 Nov 2017 00:30:56 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=4150 Gopher Men’s Basketball forward, Jordan Murphy, was named the Big Ten Player of the Week on Monday. With Murphy winning the award last week, yesterday’s recognition meant back-to-back honors. Per StarTribune.com, this is the FIRST TIME IN HISTORY a Golden Gopher has accomplished this feat.

Congratulations Jordan! It must feel good to stand alone in Minnesota history. Someone contact the people at Guinnessworldrecords.com ASAP.

Only three other athletes in our program’s history have won the award twice in one season. Gophersports.com lists Kris Humphries, Joel Pryzbilla, and Quincy Lewis as the other talented two-time recipients. If Murphy won the first two weeks, you can reasonably expect him to win AT LEAST one more this season. Once that is accomplished, he’ll join Lewis as the only three-time recipients in one year.

Sports are like business. If you’re crushing, let your numbers do the talking. Talk to us, Jordan Murphy:

The San Antonio native has played out of his mind thus far. 3rd Team Big Ten last year must not have been enough. The Big Ten Player of the Week is averaging 24.8 PPG and 12.8 RPG, while shooting 61.4% from the floor. Murphy is on the fast track for 1st Team in 2017-2018. If he stays anywhere near these numbers, he’ll be a staple in the conferences POY conversations.

The Gophers Junior plays a hell of a lot bigger than you’d expect from his 6’6″ frame. That IS NOT a misprint. Both GopherSports.com and ESPN.com list Murphy at that size. Basketball players are notorious for adding a couple of inches to their actual height. It looks better when opponents and scouts are doing their research.

Are we doing the opposite here with Jordan Murphy? The young-man seems a lot taller than 6’6″ to me. Maybe he just plays like it.

At the end of the day, height is just a number. NBA scouts will pick it apart, but screw them. You know who else is 6’6″? Charles Barkley. An absolute rebounding machine at the pro-level. On the opposite side of this conversation is the 7’0″ Brook Lopez. As a starter last year in Brooklyn, he averaged 5.4 RPG. That’s an unacceptable number from a 28 year-old man with that kind of size. When it comes to rebounding, athleticism and tenacity trump height 7 days of the week.

Murphy never will be Charles Barkley. Barkley is a Top 50 All Time NBA Player. It’s just an example of size being overrated. Chuck is a national Treasure, so I like to bring him up whenever possible. If you’d prefer a different comparison, ask.

Let’s take a moment and appreciate what we have in Minnesota right now for big men (especially if you include KAT…but we’ll leave that for another article and another day… he won Western Conference Player of the Week last week..). It has literally NEVER been like this. Jordan is only one half of the best front court in the Big Ten. Murphy’s front-court teammate Reggie Lynch won Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year last year averaging 3.5 blocks per game. He’s averaging 5.5 so far this season…. Reggie’s eligibility runs out after this season. Even without his return, the future big men for the University are promising.

Richard Pitino has landed some big recruits already in his tenure, one of them being Minnesotan and current Sophomore, Amir Coffey. Some put his newly signed 2018 big man out of Cretin Derham Hall, Daniel Oturu, ahead of him in Pitino’s recruiting trophies since he’s been in Minnesota.

And Dan isn’t alone. Murphy will still have a year of eligibility left after this season, giving him one year with Oturu. Oturu would come in and start on most teams in the Big Ten but I doubt he will on this team. Let’s not forget about Eric Curry who was lost for the season to a devastating knee injury before the year could even get started. He will receive a medical redshirt and be just a Sophomore next year. If you’ve forgotten how good Curry was in his first year, let me refresh your memory. He played 20 MPG as a Freshman on a team that won 24 games.

And 2019 you ask??? How about another 6’9″ PF out of Minnesota? This one would be forever implanted in Pitino’s “Mount Rushmore” of recruits.

Minnesota is back in action tonight vs. Alabama A&M. As always, Go Gophers! Let’s make it 5-0. Do me a favor and cue the damn highlights:

Johnny Minnesota  @mnsportsnstuff & Boss-Man Eric @RealMNSportsFan
Minnesota Sports Fan MinnesotaSportsFan.com

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https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-basketball/gopher-mens-front-court-good-hands-years-come/feed/ 0 Thu, 01 Jul 2021 14:36:23 +0000 Minnesota Gophers Basketball