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Gophers Look To Snap Back From Last Season's Slump

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- The preseason optimism flowing from the Minnesota basketball program sounds familiar.

These Gophers are going to be coach Tubby Smith's deepest team since he was hired here. The chemistry is strong, and the atmosphere is family-like. They've got the athleticism to jump over and run by a lot of opponents. This is the best collection of outside shooters he's had at Minnesota.

Last season, the Gophers were overcome by injuries and departures and slumped to a 17-14 finish, snapping Smith's personal 17-year run with 20-plus wins. But senior power forward Trevor Mbakwe says he believes this team can challenge for a Big Ten championship.

(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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