David Mutaf leaves Gophers men's basketball team

The freshman guard has played little and intends to transfer.

January 4, 2021 at 3:12AM
Gophers head coach Richard Pitino yelled direction for his team as David Mutaf (3) drove the lane during a game last month.
(Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Gophers freshman guard David Mutaf informed the coaching staff he intends to transfer and is no longer with the team, the team said Sunday.

Mutaf averaged 3.3 points and shot 2-for-4 from three-point range in three games this season.

The 6-5 native of Istanbul was a late addition to coach Richard Pitino's 2020 recruiting class that included Jamal Mashburn Jr. and Martice Mitchell.

Mutaf was expected to provide three-point shooting for the Gophers, but he didn't crack the backcourt rotation after joining the team this fall. He had a season-high five points in four minutes against Missouri-Kansas City on Dec. 10.

"He made the decision to transfer and we wish him well," Pitino said. "We're disappointed to see him leave. We wish him well wherever he ends up. It's always tough coming from a foreign country, all the way here in the middle of the pandemic."

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about the writer

Marcus Fuller

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Marcus Fuller covers Gophers men's basketball, national college basketball, college sports and high school recruiting for the Minnesota Star Tribune.

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