Hurt will make his official visit to Minnesota on October 31.
Michael Hurt, a 6-foot-7 junior forward from Rochester (MN) John Marshall, committed to Minnesota in January. Hurt is ranked as Minnesota’s number two player in the Class of 2016 behind Hopkins’ Amir Coffey who recently committed to Minnesota as well. Hurt has attended a couple of Gopher football games and recently caught up with Gopher Hole after playing in the Hardwood Elite League.
Hurt averaged 21.5 points and 8.3 rebounds per game as a junior with a season-high 43 points versus Osseo. He scored in double figures in all but one game, finishing with nine points in a 87-52 win over Albert Lea. John Marshall finished 23-6 this past season, losing to Lakeville North 62-51 in the Section 1AAAA championship game for the third straight year.
Hurt averaged 16.1 points and nine rebounds per game as a sophomore with a season-high 30 points versus Mankato East. John Marshall finished 20-9 last season, losing to eventual state champion Lakeville North 96-61 in the Section 1AAAA championship game.
Gopher Hole: You were at the Gopher game the other day with some of the other recruits. What was that experience like?
Michael Hurt: It was really fun. It was a great atmosphere. The place was packed. The Gophers were playing pretty well. It was awesome, just to meet some of the guys and talk to the guys.
Gopher Hole: You are starting school again and are finally a senior. Does that seem weird?
Michael Hurt: Yes. It just felt like it has gone by really fast. More than it should. I’m ready for the school year to get started, but it has gone by pretty quick.
Gopher Hole: The season is still a few weeks away. Do you kind of wish that it was starting right now?
Michael Hurt: I am ready for basketball season right now. I am ready to get it going.
Gopher Hole: What things are you really focusing on to be ready for a big senior season?
Michael Hurt: I have been really working on that mid-range shot. That is one big thing. Teams are going to be trying to double team and triple team when I get to the lane and also at the next level, there will be a lot more big guys to block shots, so having that mid range game is a big key.
Gopher Hole: Have you had a chance to do much team-wise?
Michael Hurt: A lot of our players like me, Matthew and Isaiah (Walden) do workouts together. Do a lot of team orientated workouts. Rebounding and a lot of stuff. We have been working out together, trying to get ready for the season.
Gopher Hole: You got a chance to meet some of the other guys that they are recruiting. I don’t know how well you knew some of them beforehand. Was that kind of nice to get to know them a little bit better?
Michael Hurt: Yes. Just being able to talk to them for a longer period of time, because living down in Rochester, it is kind of hard to be up there and talk to a lot of these guys, so it was kind of cool to be with them.
Gopher Hole: Especially the guys that they are recruiting in the Class of 2016, like Amir Coffey and Eric Curry, had you had a chance to talk to them much before or reach out to them? (this interview was before Coffey and Curry committed this week)
Michael Hurt: Yes. I have never talked to Eric and I talked to Amir barely before, so it was kind of nice to just be able to talk to them a little bit up there.
Gopher Hole: What were your impressions of them?
Michael Hurt: They are both really great guys and I have seen them both play and they are really hard workers. I know that they have great work ethics. They would be great players to add to the team.
Gopher Hole: How do you think that would go with your style of play? Have you seen enough of them to know how that would work?
Michael Hurt: We all have a lot of size and can dribble and handle the ball. We have a lot of size, but we have the versatility, which is really huge.
Gopher Hole: What is going to have to happen for you to have the senior year you want to have?
Michael Hurt: We just have to play as a team. Down the stretch, having everyone step up. We have got a lot of role players that are ready to step up this year. It is going to be really fun and have guys that are going to back me, Matthew and Isaiah up. We will have a lot of help.
Gopher Hole: Have you thought about when you are going to do your official visit yet?
Michael Hurt: I just talked to Coach Johnson. I think that we are going to do it October 31st\. That is the weekend that the football team plays Michigan. That will be a lot of fun.
Gopher Hole: Are you going to try to go to a few other games before then?
Michael Hurt: Yes. Hopefully, we’ll be able to another football game or two. That would be pretty awesome.
Gopher Hole: Does that make it seem more real. You have been committed for a while, but being around the campus more and seeing what it is like to be a student, does that make it seem more real?
Michael Hurt: Yes. Being in the student section and being on campus, makes it. Even being at the team camp, I was just excited to be there and be around that kind of atmosphere. It gets me really excited to be up there.