After stumbling down the stretch in Big Ten play without injured star Trevor Mbakwe, Minnesota finally found its stride during the consolation portion of the season in the National Invitation Tournament. The young Gophers gained bonus experience and extra confidence by reaching the NIT championship game, and right before that they got an even better prize -- a sixth year of eligibility for Mbakwe from the NCAA. Mbakwe and Minnesota made the formal announcement Monday: He'll keep his professional career on hold and return for a second senior season.
