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How much pressure can one name put on a high school basketball player? If the name is Ralph Sampson, the expectations and comparisons are endless. But for Ralph Sampson III, he takes his namesake in stride and with his easy-going and warm personality, he channels said expectations to fuel a passion to make his own mark in the college basketball world and pave his own trail. That is music to the ears of Coach Tubby Smith and Minnesota Gopher fans, as the younger Sampson has brought his long frame, continuously improving game and household name to Dinkytown. (Read More)

GopherHole is bringing you an exclusive opportunity to follow Gopher commit, Victor Keise, through his senior year as a wide receiver at North Broward Preparatory School. Victor has generously agreed to write a blog for GopherHole to allow fans to gain insight into on what it takes to make it academically, and how he is athletically preparing for his football season and becoming a division one athlete next fall. This will also give us a chance to get to know Victor on a more personal level, and follow his season and accomplishments in one of the most competitive areas in the nation, Broward County. (Read More)

To say Royce White is a special player is an understatement. He has gained interest from just about any school that has seen him play, received over 20 major division one offers…and he chose to stay home. Coach Tubby Smith and his staff made Royce a top priority, and he became his first commit for 2009. Royce is a player that is highly acclaimed (he is listed as a 5-star recruit by Rivals), so he is constantly in the spotlight, and thus is heavily scrutinized. GopherHole readers will have a real treat and exclusive experience to get to know Royce. He has agreed to keep fans updated with his summer, season, academics and life via a blog he will keep updated on GopherHole for the next year. I think most people that follow the Gophers know what a tremendous player he is, but I think this will give people insight into what an articulate, bright and well-spoken young man he is…while following his goals to win state at Hopkins High School, win an National Championship as a Gopher. (Read More)

One of the cornerstones of Coach Tubby Smith’s much heralded inaugural recruiting class is Devon Bostick, an aggressive scoring 2/3 that the Gophers expect to make an immediate contribution in Dinkytown. Bostick played at Southwestern Illinois College and was named the Division I National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Player of the Year in 2008 after leading his team with 18.2 points per game while also contributing 4.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists per contest. He helped keep the Blue Storm in the Top 20 of the NJCAA Division I Basketball Poll throughout the entire season, including a No. 4 ranking during two weeks of the season, marking the highest ranking in program history. Bostick now brings his game to Minnesota as part of one of the top recruiting classes in the nation. As he prepares for his first season in the Big Ten, he is playing in the Howard Pulley basketball league, working out with his new teammates and getting acclimated to the Twin Cities. Bostick recently chatted with GopherHole.com after a recent Howard Pulley game. (Read More)

One area of need that Coach Tim Brewster is addressing for the Gophers’ 2009 recruiting class is the offensive line, and Minnesota added an important piece of the puzzle recently with the commitment of Brooks Michel. At 6-7, 280lbs, the Carmel (Indiana) High School visited The U for the annual Gopher spring game and then gave his commitment to Brewster a couple of days ago over North Carolina State. Michel recently took time out of his busy summer schedule to chat with GopherHole.com about his decision to commit to Minnesota, his thoughts about playing in the spread offense and what parts of his game he’s working on as he gears up for his senior year of high school. (Read More)