MINNEAPOLIS — Following a standout junior season last year in which he led the Big Ten in rebounding, University of Minnesota forward Trevor Mbakwe had a choice to make: Return to the Gophers for his senior season or turn pro.
Mbakwe chose to play one more year of college basketball.
But after tearing his ACL in his right knee on Nov. 27, the fifth-year senior could have to make the same choice. That is, if the decision isn't made for him.
It's uncertain whether the NCAA will grant Mbakwe a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA, and he'll likely have to jump through a few hoops to receive the extra year. After playing one year each at Marquette and Miami Dade Community College, Mbakwe transferred to Minnesota but sat out the 2009-10 season while dealing with off-court legal issues.
Mbakwe knows his prior legal troubles could be key to whether the NCAA grants him a sixth year.
"I think the biggest question is going to be the year I sat out when I first got here. That's going to be probably what the NCAA's going to look at and is probably going to be the determining factor of if I get it or not," Mbakwe said Tuesday. "Hopefully I'm blessed with the ability to come back if I want to, or if I can. It's going to be a tough process, but all I can do is look forward and hope for the best."
Even if he gets the chance, does Mbakwe want to come back? The 6-foot-8 senior turned 23 on Tuesday. But age, he said, will likely not be a determining factor.
There are plenty of other things Mbakwe will have to consider. For one, he said, he has a young son he's trying to raise — which isn't easy for any college student, let alone a student-athlete.
And as it is with many college athletes looking to play professionally, money is also a driving force, something Mbakwe was honest about.
"I'd never turn down making money doing something I love," he said.
Mbakwe said he and the university are "still gathering the facts" in regards to a potential sixth year of eligibility. He likely won't find out until the end of the season in March. He also added that he won't likely be able to play 5-on-5 basketball until June, which happens to be the same month the NBA draft is held.
Until then, Mbakwe will continue to rehab his knee. He said he's been able to do only minimal exercises to regain strength in his legs. Even now, nearly two months after his injury, Mbakwe has a hard time reliving the night of the injury. He's trying to keep moving forward with his rehab, but he sometimes catches replays on TV.
"It's still tough watching it," Mbakwe said. "When my knee buckled out on me, I kind of knew something bad happened after it happened. I was kind of in denial at first. The trainers were trying to do the little knee test on me. I knew right away it was something with my ACL.
"It was tough. It was probably one of the hardest moments of my life."
Mbakwe recently had surgery to repair his torn ACL, so he hasn't been able to be around his teammates as often. Still, his energy and veteran leadership have been important for the Gophers, who have gone 9-4 since Mbakwe went down.
"He tries to keep good spirits," fellow senior Ralph Sampson III said. "He's been giving advice to the team, kind of talking through with the younger players and trying to talk them through, ‘OK, you guys can definitely do this in the game,' or, ‘You guys need to stop this from happening in the game.' He's been kind of a voice on the sidelines."
Watching from the bench is not what Mbakwe envisioned for his senior year. Prior to his injury, he was averaging a team-high 14 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. During his breakout junior season, he scored 13.9 points per game while grabbing 10.5 boards per game.
Minnesota could certainly use Mbakwe's physical presence in the post, especially against some of the conference's elite teams. But the Gophers have played better than many people expected without him and are 15-5 heading into Wednesday's game at No. 11 Michigan State.
"It's been hard to have to be on the bench and watch my teammates play and not really be able to help them," Mbakwe said. "They've been able to show people that they're a really good team and didn't really need me as much as people might have thought. I'm just happy the season's going well. We're still in the race."
Getting the chance to play with his Minnesota teammates for one more season is appealing to Mbakwe. It would also give him a chance to prove that he can bounce back after the knee injury — and that he can play at the next level.
"It definitely wouldn't hurt coming back another year and playing with these guys, especially how this season's going," Mbakwe said. "Hopefully we make the tournament and be able to have some success next year and take that momentum into next year. I miss these guys, my family. I wouldn't mind playing with these guys for another year, even though I'll be real old."
