Amir Coffey attended the Gophers game last night against Nebraska and was the recipient of quite a few “We Want Coffey” chants from the student section.
Amir Coffey, a junior wing from Hopkins, is considered the state’s top prospect in the Class of 2016. Coffey helped lead the Royals to 30-2 record last season as they finished runner-up in the Class AAAA Tournament, losing to Lakeville North in the title game. Unfortunately, he suffered a season-ending knee injury against Burnsville earlier this year.
Coffey attended Saturday’s Gopher game versus Nebraska and Minnesota fans chanted “We want Coffey” throughout the game. Gopher Hole.com caught up with Coffey Saturday before the Gophers’ game after watching his Hopkins team defeat Minneapolis Patrick Henry to learn the latest on his recruitment.
Gopher Hole: I swear every time I see you look like you have gotten taller. Are you taller?
Amir Coffey: I haven’t measured myself, but I feel taller. I know that I am still growing, so I should measure myself.
Gopher Hole: Have they told you how tall you could potentially become?
Amir Coffey: They haven’t told me my exact height, but every time I go to the doctor to get a checkup, he tells me that my growth plates are still open, so we will wait and see.
Gopher Hole: You are going to the Gopher game tonight. What are you hoping to gain from that experience?
Amir Coffey: It is just always fun going up there and watching the team play. I have been up there quite a bit, so it will be the same and just have some fun and watch the team play and the experience will be pretty cool.
Gopher Hole: Have you narrowed down your list of schools?
Amir Coffey: I haven’t. That is something that my dad and I are talking about doing soon. We don’t really have a time table and my recruitment process is still pretty wide open.
Gopher Hole: One of the rumors was that you were down to just a couple of schools?
Amir Coffey: Right. Me and my dad have been talking about it and probably after this season, we’ll get more into the basics of it and go over it a little more, but right now, it is just kind of open.
Gopher Hole: One of the other rumors I heard was that you were close to making a decision.
Amir Coffey: Right. Right.
Gopher Hole: Is that true?
Amir Coffey: I mean, I haven’t even taken any official visits yet. I want to take five of those, so whenever that happens.
Gopher Hole: Do you know what schools you definitely want to take official visits to yet?
Amir Coffey: I don’t yet. That is another thing that I am talking to you with my dad, so we are just going to talk to the coaches a little bit more and see where I would like to take those.
Gopher Hole: You were down to Iowa State recently for their game versus Kansas. What was that experience like?
Amir Coffey: It was pretty cool. The crowd up there was crazy. A lot of support from the town. Just fun to be there and watch the game.
Gopher Hole: What do you like about Iowa State?
Amir Coffey: The coaches. The style of play. Fred (Hoiberg) is a great coach and the coaching staff and the support from the town. Everybody goes up to the game and it is a fun environment.
Gopher Hole: Did your Dad know Fred very well when he was up here with the Timberwolves?
Amir Coffey: I don’t think so. I think that they are just building their relationship, just like him and I are. I’m sure that they knew each other, but they haven’t had like a great relationship.
Gopher Hole: What do you like about Minnesota?
Amir Coffey: Pitino. The style of play from when Tubby (Smith) was here was kind of a slower pace and a set play every time down. Pitino lets the guys get out and run and he lets big guards bring up the ball and they don’t really have a set point guard, so if you get it, you can go. The coaching staff, like Ben (Johnson) and all those guys. They are pretty cool. Hometown. It is pretty cool.
Gopher Hole: What has been your impressions of the team? Unfortunately, they have lost a lot of close games where one or two plays were the difference between a win and a loss?
Amir Coffey: It is good impressions. They are playing a couple of freshmen, so they are a pretty young team. They are still learning. They are just learning and I am going to try to keep up with them. The guys play hard and I can tell that they are still learning how to play in the conference.
Gopher Hole: How much does a team and they way that they are playing now effect you because you are still two years away from playing college basketball? Does that have much of an impact, if a team is struggling?
Amir Coffey: No. Like I said, they are a young team, so you expect them to struggle a little bit, finding out who they are. Their success or lack of success doesn’t affect my decision.
Gopher Hole: The Gophers got a commitment from another junior, Michael Hurt of Rochester John Marshall two weeks ago. Do you know him very well?
Amir Coffey: I know about him. I don’t really know him or have talked to him. I know about him and I have seen him play a couple of times.
Gopher Hole: How do you think that he fits with what they are trying to do at Minnesota?
Amir Coffey: He fits great with the style of play. He can get up and down. He is a big kid. He can rebound. He can dribble and shot. He fits into their style of play, so he is a good pickup for them.
Gopher Hole: In a perfect world, would you try to decide before your senior year or this summer? Have you even thought about when you are going to try to decide?
Amir Coffey: I would like to decide and just get it over with before my senior year, so I could just worry about playing, but I really don’t know when that is going to happen, so I am not going to make any promises to be committed by that. It would be nice, though.
Gopher Hole: What is the latest on your time frame on when you are going to be back on the court?
Amir Coffey: July or maybe June, but there are no tournaments in June, so the first time I’ll be in a set game, it will be in July.
Gopher Hole: So, you are definitely going to play AAU ball?
Amir Coffey: I think so. It is really just how physical therapy is going and it is going well right now. We are set for July in the Peach Jam, but whatever happens in physical therapy, will determine if it is earlier or later.
Gopher Hole: Are you shooting much or are you able to do much at all?
Amir Coffey: My leg is better. The swelling went down a lot. I am walking fine, so I can maybe get up and shoot some free throws starting soon and maybe in the next few weeks, start jogging a little bit on the treadmill and start my cardio.
Gopher Hole: Have you done any jogging yet?
Amir Coffey: I haven’t. Just talking it slow and doing whatever the doctors say. When they say I can do that, I’ll get to it.