Minnesota Gets Bad News As Trevor Mbakwe Has a Torn ACL

The season-ending injury bug bites again, as word has came out that Minnesota forward Trevor Mbakwe tore his ACL against Dayton, and will miss the rest of the season.

This is just a terrible development for Tubby Smith and company.

Minnesota was a team that we all thought would be a sleeper in the Big Ten, and after a 6-0 start, it seemed as though the potential was there.

But it will be impossible for them to replace a player like Mbakwe. He is one of the top players in the Big Ten, and one of the top forwards in the nation.

That’s something that can’t be replaced overnight.

It would be much easier if Ralph Sampson III could step his game up to another level, but thus far, that hasn’t really happened this season.

You hate to say that a team is going to struggle big time without one player. It’s hard to see it being any other way though in this situation.

Mbakwe was averaging 14 points and nine boards, leading the team in both categories. But of course, it was about much more than stats with him. The guy did it all for this team. He was the leader, and you don’t just sub someone into to the leader role.

That takes experience and that takes work. Which is why this has to be frustrating for everyone involved.

It’s hard not to like Tubby Smith, and we thought this was the year for him to take this team past the first round of the NCAA tournament.

Without Mbakwe, those expectations are in serious jeopardy.

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