Less than three weeks after the Golden Gophers’ season came to an end, sophomore guard Ahmad Gilbert, Jr. has elected to transfer from the program.
A release from the team Tuesday included a statement from head coach Richard Pitino. “Ahmad has been a consummate teammate throughout his time here, and a big part of our team’s success. His energy and spirit both on and off the court have been extremely valuable to me and our team. I am sure he will achieve great things as he continues his career.”
Gilbert will likely attend a school that enables him to get more playing time. After receiving 14 minutes per game as a freshman, Gilbert saw his minutes drop drastically in 2016-17. He only saw time in four Big Ten games — and never more than two minutes in those contests. Despite an injury to Davonte Fitzgerald before the season that might have opened the door, Gilbert watched freshman Michael Hurt take most of his playing time during the season. The sophomore was even passed over by walk-on Stephon Sharp during the team’s NCAA Tournament game.
A left-handed shooter with nice touch and the tools to be a quality defender, Gilbert will now have two years of eligibility to play elsewhere.
It was nearly one year ago that guard Kevin Dorsey chose to transfer after being shown in an X-rated video leaked on Twitter.
The Gophers will get reinforcements, however, as freshman guards Isaiah Washington and Jamir Harris join the team for next season.