Gopher Basketball: Pitino signs JUCO guard Dre Mathieu

Gopher basketball coach Richard Pitino added a second player to his inaugural Class of 2013 with the signing of junior college point guard Dre Mathieu.

A three-star recruit out of high school, Mathieu has two years of eligibility remaining after transferring from Central Arizona College where he averaged 17.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game. Mathieu will be eligible to play in the upcoming season.

At 5-foot-11 and 165 lbs, Mathieu is the point guard that the Gophers need. The addition of Mathieu on the court would free up junior Andre Hollins to play the two-guard — a role Hollins is more comfortable with.

Mathieu had offers from Memphis, UCLA and Mississippi before deciding to sign with Pitino’s Gophers. The Arizona Community College Athletic Conference Player of the Year will be able to make an impact as a Gopher right away.

Mathieu will join shooting guard Daquein McNeil in the Class of 2013.

Despite these two recent signings, the Gophers are still short in their front court as Trevor Mbakwe, Rodney Williams and Andre Ingram have graduated.

There have been rumors that the Gophers are targeting Memphis forward Tarik Black, but the big man’s talents are in demand as his name has been mentioned in Oregon and Georgetown circles.

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