Reid Travis is a big time Gopher basketball and football recruiting target.
Reid Travis, a 6-foot-7 junior forward from Minneapolis DeLaSalle, led the Islanders to their second straight Class AAA state title last month and was named the Star Tribune Metro Player of the Year.
GopherHole.com caught up with Travis to learn the latest on the new Minnesota head coach and his recruitment.
Gopher Hole: What was it like playing against kids that you maybe never seen or had just heard their names because you had played more adidas events in the past? Was it kind of fun to see some new players as opposed to seeing some of the same old guys you see all the time?
Reid Travis: It was nice. You see these people on the websites. You see them on YouTube and stuff like that, so it was nice to put myself up against them and see how I can compete against them and really try to work on my game against the best and I think that is what it is all about.
Gopher Hole: Did you see much of a difference between the adidas and the EYBL kids?
Reid Travis: They are both high level of competition. EYBL, I think, is just a little bit more structure with the kids that they’ve got and every game, day in and day out, you know is going to be a battle. That is really the only difference that I could see.
Gopher Hole: Any new offers lately?
Reid Travis: No, no. Just the coaching change at Northwestern. They just re-offered. Nothing really too much right now. Kind of just feeling out the schools that I already have offers from and just getting to know them better.
Gopher Hole: Have you had many schools come by for school or home visits lately?
Reid Travis: I haven’t had any home visits yet. I have been mostly meeting at the school. There have been quite a few basketball schools coming in, pretty much half of the Big Ten stopped in the last two weeks and some football schools are coming in, lately too.
Gopher Hole: Who are some of the schools that stopped in for basketball?
Reid Travis: Wisconsin. Minnesota stopped in. Nebraska. Michigan State. Those are just a few that stopped in.
Gopher Hole: How about for football?
Reid Travis: Pittsburgh stopped in today and I am supposed to meet with Ohio State and Vanderbilt next week.
Gopher Hole: Do you still have the three football offers, then?
Reid Travis: Yes. Those are still standing.
Gopher Hole: Have you made any plans to go to any football things? I know that it is hard with AAU basketball and all the spring football games being held at the same time.
Reid Travis: I am trying to get down to the Nike’s camp in Chicago in mid-June or something like that. Trying to just put my name out a little more on the football circuit.
Gopher Hole: What has been your impressions of the new coaching staff at the University of Minnesota?
Reid Travis: It has been great. I like Coach Pitino a lot. Just his enthusiasm for the game and how he has treated me so far. I am just excited to start the recruiting process with him.
Gopher Hole: Has that changed your interest level in maybe staying at Minnesota?
Reid Travis: It hasn’t changed it. I have always looked at Minnesota as a school first. It is just twisted up a little bit, now that there are new coaches, but I am just interested and they are highly on my list.
Gopher Hole: They have Ben Johnson now as an assistant, who played at DeLaSalle. Is that another thing that maybe makes you more interested in Minnesota?
Reid Travis: Yes, it is interesting. I have seen Johnson pretty much my whole life throughout DeLaSalle. He is like a legend at our high school. It is nice to see him take the Minnesota job. It was nice to see that.