PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas — Memphis coach Josh Pastner got a bit defensive about Andre Hollins after the Tigers lost to the Gophers Friday.

Pastner seemed embarrassed about letting Hollins get away from home after seeing his guards give up 41 points to the sophomore from Memphis in the University of Minnesota’s 84-75 win in the Battle 4 Atlantis consolation game.

“We recruited him hard,” Pastner said. “He just didn’t want to come. He felt we were loaded at the guard spot. It wasn’t one of those things where we recruited someone else over him. We recruited Austin Hollins (a Gophers junior guard and Memphis native). We recruited both kids. We were the first ones to offer them scholarships. But it’s one of those things where you can’t get everybody in Memphis.”

Austin Hollins, who played at Germantown High School in Tennessee, added seven points, five assists and a career-best six steals Friday.

Gophers coach Tubby Smith has a starting backcourt from Memphis, but so does Pastner. Joe Jackson, who played with Andre at White Station, finished with just two points and two turnovers in seven minutes against the Gophers. Chris Crawford, who played AAU ball with Andre growing up, had just five points on 2-for-8 shooting.

“Coach Pastner is a great coach; he’s a great guy,” Andre Hollins said. “I was definitely considering Memphis, but I’m glad I made the right choice coming to Minnesota.”

Saturday, Andre played against the program that actually finished runner-up to Minnesota in recruiting him.

Stanford defeated Northern Iowa 66-50 Friday to earn a date with the Gophers in the Atlantis consolation championship game. The Cardinal last played the Gophers in last season’s NIT final, won by Stanford 75-51 on March 29.

 

Ingram’s impact

Trevor Mbakwe got into foul trouble Friday, but the Gophers received a lift from an unlikely source.

Junior forward Andre Ingram, who came in averaging just two points and nine minutes per game, had six points and three rebounds in 15 minutes against Memphis.

Mbakwe, who finished with five points and eight rebounds, played just five of his 20 minutes in the first half.

The 6-foot-7 Ingram, a Minneapolis native, held his own against the Tigers’ athletic post players while giving Minnesota a productive nine first-half minutes. He took charges and only committed one turnover in the game.

“No matter what’s going on, you can put him on the floor,” senior Rodney Williams said.

“You know he’s going to work hard for you the whole time.

He came in, he got some key rebounds for us, and two or three big charges.”