STrib: Pitino, shorthanded Gophers are on high-speed search to fill open scholarships

[BleedGopher]

per Marcus:

One of the three scholarships available for Minnesota to use this spring went to Willis, who will be eligible to play in 2019-20 after sitting out this coming season because of the NCAA’s transfer rules.

The next moves for Pitino and the remaining two roster spots aren’t as clear.

Trying to add more guard depth for next season is presumed to be a priority for the Gophers, who have sophomore-to-be Isaiah Washington as the only scholarship point guard returning. Finding impact Division I transfers or high school seniors in the late signing period is a difficult task, especially after Pitino lost assistants Ben Johnson and Kimani Young to Xavier and Connecticut, respectively. Former Wis.-Milwaukee coach Rob Jeter was hired to replace Young, but the Gophers are still down one full-time assistant. They had U director of basketball Ryan Livingston get NCAA clearance to travel with Jeter and assistant Ed Conroy during the April open recruiting period.

The Gophers have the two open scholarships because Jamir Harris (freshman guard) and Davonte Fitzgerald (junior forward) transferred out of Minnesota after this past season.

After spending the past two weeks figuring out which 2019 and 2020 players to offer, Pitino and the Gophers were planning to host Crestwood Preparatory College (Canada) senior guard Franco Miller Jr. for an official visit Wednesday. Miller, who is from the Bahamas, told the Star Tribune on Wednesday morning that the visit “didn’t work out.” He plans to announce his decision May 10, deciding between Minnesota, Oklahoma, Oregon and Mississippi.

A week ago, College of Southern Idaho guard Danya Kingsby made his official campus visit. The 6-1, 165-pound Milwaukee native said he was impressed with the team and new facilities, but Kingsby has yet to announce any decision. He received a release from his signed letter of intent with Pittsburgh after coach Kevin Stallings was fired in early April. In a bit of recruiting tug of war, Kingsby heard from the Gophers right after Pitt offered a scholarship to one of Minnesota’s other targets this spring.

Four-star Hargrave Military Academy (Va.) guard Trey McGowens also made a trip to see Pitino’s program last month. But McGowens, who reclassified from the 2019 to 2018 class, soon committed to Pitt and first-year coach Jeff Capel on April 24.

This high-speed recruiting carousel has left some fans’ heads spinning. But there’s more to come.

http://www.startribune.com/richard-...d-search-to-fill-open-scholarships/481510861/

Go Gophers!!

 

[SelectionSunday]

Stull is best shot at adding legit rotation player

Hoping Stull is the guy they're locked in on. He seems to be a realistic get with the Jeter connection, and he fills an immediate need. But would Stull be fine with coming off the bench (presumably behind McBrayer)? Hopefully they can convince him of that.

If Gophers don't get him, I'm afraid the best they'll be adding this spring are scraps.

 

[JimmyJamesMD]

Hoping Stull is the guy they're locked in on. He seems to be a realistic get with the Jeter connection, and he fills an immediate need. But would Stull be fine with coming off the bench (presumably behind McBrayer)? Hopefully they can convince him of that.

If Gophers don't get him, I'm afraid the best they'll be adding this spring are scraps.

I wouldnt suspect he expects to start at a power 5 school. Pitino can sell him on a lot of playing time though, regardless if he comes off bench

 

[cjbfbp]

I wouldnt suspect he expects to start at a power 5 school.

We're a power 5 school that finished 4-15 (counting the BTT) that doesn't truly have a sure thing yet at the point.

 

[macgopher]

Hoping Stull is the guy they're locked in on. He seems to be a realistic get with the Jeter connection, and he fills an immediate need. But would Stull be fine with coming off the bench (presumably behind McBrayer)? Hopefully they can convince him of that.

If Gophers don't get him, I'm afraid the best they'll be adding this spring are scraps.

I had previously mentioned in a previous thread Stull and his two teammates were leaving UWM citing a Milw Journal Sports story. The story went on to say that Stull (and his teammates) left on good terms and that Stull had family considerations driving his decision. Stull and family are from Louisville. If the story is accurate Minnesota misses out.

 

[howeda7]

If they don't get a back-up PG, we're an IW injury or off-court issue away from another train-wreck. But what are the odds we'll be that unlucky?

 

[fan of Ray Williams]

If they don't get a back-up PG, we're an IW injury or off-court issue away from another train-wreck. But what are the odds we'll be that unlucky?

One poster said it pretty good......a pulled muscle away from disaster

 

[bottlebass]

It can't get much worse than this year can it?

 

[bga1]

One poster said it pretty good......a pulled muscle away from disaster

We'll add players. Remember, Tubby went a few years without one real PG after Nolan graduated. We have one in IW. We need backup because things happen, but we are nowhere near disaster territory. I hope it doesn't get to this, but McBrayer can play the point and he wouldn't be bad at it.

 

[macgopher]

If they don't get a back-up PG, we're an IW injury or off-court issue away from another train-wreck. But what are the odds we'll be that unlucky?

+1000

 

[macgopher]

One poster said it pretty good......a pulled muscle away from disaster

Also+1000

 

[macgopher]

We'll add players. Remember, Tubby went a few years without one real PG after Nolan graduated. We have one in IW. We need backup because things happen, but we are nowhere near disaster territory. I hope it doesn't get to this, but McBrayer can play the point and he wouldn't be bad at it.

. Coffey could take over assuming he recovers?

 

[Keyser Söze]

I had previously mentioned in a previous thread Stull and his two teammates were leaving UWM citing a Milw Journal Sports story. The story went on to say that Stull (and his teammates) left on good terms and that Stull had family considerations driving his decision. Stull and family are from Louisville. If the story is accurate Minnesota misses out.

As in they used to live there, or they currently do? Pretty sure he went to high school in Illinois, which would make me think his family probably moved from Louisville to Illinois?

 

[jovs]

. Coffey could take over assuming he recovers?

Coffey has all the instincts of a PG, not sure having him play there would take full advantage of his skill set though, as a fill in fine but full time PG no.

 

[60's Guy]

Guys, the other team is typically coached by a fairly competent fella at this level. If I put my junk yard dog ball defender on Coffey or McBrayer the Gophers are not getting the ball up the floor the majority of the time. We will run and jump you, we will trap you, we will stunt trap you, we will half court trap you, we will disrupt the timing and location of your entry pass, we will deny your entry pass hard and see if your point guard can keep from traveling or picking up his dribble (both big problems not always duplicated in practice-ok, we'll back door-gosh, that looked open as it was open by design for the help defender to pick off the pass and outlet for a dunk on the other end) we will push your offense so far out on the floor you won't even recognize what the heck your team is doing, we'll push you to your weak side every time...basically, these and many other ways you can't fix, we will frustrate you to the point of tears.
Those two guys can play the point against a coach who falls asleep or one who likes to play a hands up Harry passive 2-3 zone but not versus elite teams. And once they smell blood and you spread panic across the faces of your team....turning it around is pretty close to not ever happening. Think Iowa and their little half court trap with McBrayer as the ball handler a couple years ago...ugly...now fast forward to he's the best or only option. Sorry.
Anybody who doesn't think we need to add two experienced guards is kidding themselves.

PS And being we are a year and a half into this need, I'm a little worried our coach is one of those, like some of you who think we'll be fine for this coming year without adding an experienced ball handler defender.

 

[beavergopher]

Guys, the other team is typically coached by a fairly competent fella at this level. If I put my junk yard dog ball defender on Coffey or McBrayer the Gophers are not getting the ball up the floor the majority of the time. We will run and jump you, we will trap you, we will stunt trap you, we will half court trap you, we will disrupt the timing and location of your entry pass, we will deny your entry pass hard and see if your point guard can keep from traveling or picking up his dribble (both big problems not always duplicated in practice-ok, we'll back door-gosh, that looked open as it was open by design for the help defender to pick off the pass and outlet for a dunk on the other end) we will push your offense so far out on the floor you won't even recognize what the heck your team is doing, we'll push you to your weak side every time...basically, these and many other ways you can't fix, we will frustrate you to the point of tears.
Those two guys can play the point against a coach who falls asleep or one who likes to play a hands up Harry passive 2-3 zone but not versus elite teams. And once they smell blood and you spread panic across the faces of your team....turning it around is pretty close to not ever happening. Think Iowa and their little half court trap with McBrayer as the ball handler a couple years ago...ugly...now fast forward to he's the best or only option. Sorry.
Anybody who doesn't think we need to add two experienced guards is kidding themselves.

PS And being we are a year and a half into this need, I'm a little worried our coach is one of those, like some of you who think we'll be fine for this coming year without adding an experienced ball handler defender.

Spot on.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Spot on.

Agreed. But too many Pollyanna’s on this board to recognize what might be obvious.

 

[Bordergopher]

Coffey has all the instincts of a PG, not sure having him play there would take full advantage of his skill set though, as a fill in fine but full time PG no.

Instincts maybe, but can he handle the ball well enough? From what I have seen, I think he would get his pocket picked too many times to play the point.


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[Mulligan]

Can barely keep up with all that is happening because the search is on "high-speed."

 

[cjbfbp]

Think Iowa and their little half court trap with McBrayer as the ball handler a couple years ago...ugly...now fast forward to he's the best or only option. Sorry.

Yes, I remember that image well. There were other, albeit less memorable, troublesome moments in McBrayer's soph year where he was the primary ball handler for significant minutes. Penn State comes to mind.

Speaking of Iowa, their difficulty with the point guard position and ball handling depth this past season was a lesson in itself why a coach should not be complacent about the need to fortify this area of the team. Move Bohannon to SG and replace him with an average power conference point guard and they're much better than a 4-14 Big Ten team.

 

[Ewert86PC]

If you thought last year, or 2015-2016, were bad wait until you go through the 2018-2019 season.

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[macgopher]

As in they used to live there, or they currently do? Pretty sure he went to high school in Illinois, which would make me think his family probably moved from Louisville to Illinois?

don't know any of the answers to what you ask, the article in the Milw Journal
didn’t mention anything but Louisville.

 

[MennoSota]

If Coffey wants to play point then he should be working hard on his dribbling as soon as his shoulder allows him to work on dribbling. These are things that any serious player will work on during the off-season. We tend to think the kid that ends one season will be the kid we see the next season. That should never be. We should see improvements in areas where the player was weak. Coffey should be improving his handles.

Coffey has all the instincts of a PG, not sure having him play there would take full advantage of his skill set though, as a fill in fine but full time PG no.

Instincts maybe, but can he handle the ball well enough? From what I have seen, I think he would get his pocket picked too many times to play the point.


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[macgopher]

As in they used to live there, or they currently do? Pretty sure he went to high school in Illinois, which would make me think his family probably moved from Louisville to Illinois?

Reread the story again in the Milw Journal and I apologize that I miss read it. The comments about family and Louisville pertained to Stull’s teammate Bell, one of the two other UWM players who left.

 

[Keyser Söze]

Reread the story again in the Milw Journal and I apologize that I miss read it. The comments about family and Louisville pertained to Stull’s teammate Bell, one of the two other UWM players who left.

Gotcha, no worries. Makes me feel a little bit better about our chances.