Minnesota Basketball: Breakdown of newcomers for 2020-21 season
By Ben Dickson
Minnesota Basketball newcomer – Jamal Mashburn Jr.
Miami, FL – Combo Guard – 6’0″, 160 lbs
Both college basketball and NBA fans will remember Jamal Mashburn well. A consensus All-American at Kentucky and an NBA player for 12 seasons, Mashburn averaged 18.8 points per game in Kentucky and 19.1 points per game for four different NBA franchises. Mashburn earned All-NBA honors in 2003 along with his first and only All-Star appearance.
His son, Jamal Mashburn Jr., is the headliner of a 3-man recruiting class heading to the Twin Cities this fall. Watching his highlights, his ability to score pops off the screen. He is able to hit threes in rhythm and has the ability to hit the mid-range pull up jump shot. Mashburn Jr. transferred to Brewster Academy in New Hampshire for his senior season, where he teamed up with 10 other Division 1 prospects. Brewster was crowned 2020 National Prep School Co-Champions.
Jerry Meyer, Director of Basketball Scouting for 247Sports, projects Mashburn Jr. as a “Power-5 Starter” and “more of a scorer than distributor”. Meyer’s full scouting report can be found in the hyperlink above.
It is hard to say that Mashburn Jr. will start at the beginning of his college career, as the Gophers expect to bring back the previously mentioned Marcus Carr and guard Gabe Kalscheur, both of who averaged double-digit points for Minnesota. Ranked as a 4-star and top-125 prospect by 247Sports, Mashburn Jr. should be able to contribute right away for the Golden Gophers, even if it is off the bench. He could add what ends up to be a very formidable backcourt for Minnesota.