Minnesota nets two coveted recruits in three days

Minnesota went 6-12 in Big Ten play last season, graduated its two leading scorers and lost a key incoming freshman because of heart trouble this summer.

At a time when the present looks bleak for the Golden Gophers, they at least can take solace that the future is starting to look more promising.

In the past three days, Minnesota has landed a pair of Rivals 150 prospects capable of making an immediate impact when they arrive on campus a year from now.

Amir Coffey, the No. 54 player in the Rivals rankings, is a 6-foot-6 Minnesota native with the ability to create for himself and others and the size to defend both wing positions. Eric Curry, the No. 141 player in the Rivals rankings, is an athletic 6-foot-8 power forward from Arkansas who forged a strong friendship with Coffey over the past year and began considering Minnesota as a result.

Both players are excellent fits for the up-tempo, pressing system Richard Pitino has been trying to install at Minnesota. Coffey brings length and versatility in the backcourt, while Curry is quicker, more disruptive and more athletic than most big men his size.

In Richard Pitino's first year at Minnesota, he missed out on a trio of highly rated Minnesota products, Tyus Jones (Duke), Reid Travis (Stanford) and Rashad Vaughn (UNLV). He has done a solid job in recruiting since then, landing three borderline Rivals 150 prospects in the Class of 2015 and then adding Coffey, Curry and three-star forward Michael Hurt the following year.

Minnesota lacks the talent to compete with the Big Ten's top teams next season and will probably be very young during the 2016-17 season. Nonetheless, at least now there's reason to believe the Gophers' future may be brighter.

Rivals.com video of Amir Coffey:

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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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