All Things Gophers Basketball Class of 2022 Recruiting Thread

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Slim Tubby said:
There’s plenty to be hopeful for and a great class is still possible. I personally believe that Holloman goes to MSU but he’d be a program-changing commitment for sure. My concern is I’m not convinced Ben is a great recruiter like so many of the optimists have anointed him already.
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Has he really had the chance to be???
 

Slim Tubby said:
We’re going to have to respectfully disagree on this one, built. I’ve been a diehard fan since I was 5 years old. I want Ben to succeed as much as anyone but enough is enough. He might very well turn out great but I’ve got zero patience left for this program. He was hired to recruit the hell out of the MN kids and cater to the local AAU programs. I want results, not excuses. That’s what most of us hear from our employers and I make a lot less per year than Johnson.

During his radio stint on KFAN, he damn near put me to sleep and was about as energetic and exciting as an unplugged toaster. To say I’m concerned about where we are and where we’re headed is the understatement of the year. Get results, Ben…life isn’t fair.
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Bye......
 

leib0039 said:
I dont doubt Ben is working hard, but quite honestly I'm with Slim Tubby, im over the excuses with this program. It's time to put up or shut up. Tre will go to MSU and it will be "well it was always his first choice and it's izzo" and Lee will leave and "we didn't really want him". I'm past that, win or find someone who can. Is that being tough on Ben, it absolutely is, but he's being paid $2m a year to coach a B1G basketball team, if that isn't expected then we shouldn't have a program.
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Bye......
 


leib0039 said:
I dont doubt Ben is working hard, but quite honestly I'm with Slim Tubby, im over the excuses with this program. It's time to put up or shut up. Tre will go to MSU and it will be "well it was always his first choice and it's izzo" and Lee will leave and "we didn't really want him". I'm past that, win or find someone who can. Is that being tough on Ben, it absolutely is, but he's being paid $2m a year to coach a B1G basketball team, if that isn't expected then we shouldn't have a program.
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And people are writing him off even though he hasn't "coached" a game yet.
 


From the Parkinglot said:
I got news for you $2 million for a coach at a major division 1 program is a joke. That is one reason they hired him as they knew they could pay him well below what other coaches would have cost. I am seriously worried that this season may be the worst in the history of the program and that’s sting something.
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So what if it is?
 


bfriedrichs10 said:
Has he really had the chance to be???
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I get excited when good things happen and disappointed when they don’t. I don’t take back a single thing in my last three posts. You disagree with my take? Good for you.
 

bfriedrichs10 said:
And people are writing him off even though he hasn't "coached" a game yet.
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That is both a reason to continue to support (he hasn't really started yet) and have hope and it is also a reason to be skeptical (he has no track record). He needs a win on the 2022 recruiting trail soon.
 




Slim Tubby said:
We’re going to have to respectfully disagree on this one, built. I’ve been a diehard fan since I was 5 years old. I want Ben to succeed as much as anyone but enough is enough. He might very well turn out great but I’ve got zero patience left for this program. He was hired to recruit the hell out of the MN kids and cater to the local AAU programs. I want results, not excuses. That’s what most of us hear from our employers and I make a lot less per year than Johnson.

During his radio stint on KFAN, he damn near put me to sleep and was about as energetic and exciting as an unplugged toaster. To say I’m concerned about where we are and where we’re headed is the understatement of the year. Get results, Ben…life isn’t fair.
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Spot on.
 

bga1 said:
That is both a reason to continue to support (he hasn't really started yet) and have hope and it is also a reason to be skeptical (he has no track record). He needs a win on the 2022 recruiting trail soon.
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I hope he does well in 2022 recruiting, because if not, it will just make it harder for him to do better in future classes.

Watching the recent interviews and how Ben says, he can hit 3's as a freshman 5 or slyther has some nasty and can be a great defender....

my first thought was, ok so besides the injured Fox and Battle to an extent, the rest of the players we have had no power5 offers from what i found or B1G offers besides us. So Ben is translating that a bunch of low to mid major kids practicing against each other means they'll be good in the B1G? Maybe against Northwestern or Penn State I guess, but the rest of the league...the players they play against will be A) stronger and B)Faster and C) probably taller roster...good luck with all that this coming season.
 

Slim Tubby said:
We’re going to have to respectfully disagree on this one, built. I’ve been a diehard fan since I was 5 years old. I want Ben to succeed as much as anyone but enough is enough. He might very well turn out great but I’ve got zero patience left for this program. He was hired to recruit the hell out of the MN kids and cater to the local AAU programs. I want results, not excuses. That’s what most of us hear from our employers and I make a lot less per year than Johnson.

During his radio stint on KFAN, he damn near put me to sleep and was about as energetic and exciting as an unplugged toaster. To say I’m concerned about where we are and where we’re headed is the understatement of the year. Get results, Ben…life isn’t fair.
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I don't know who your employer is but most employees are not hired for their performance today but what they can become tomorrow. A Fortune 500 CEO takes a chance on a hard working up and comer as the new CFO based on some intangible and believes they can provide the necessary support to turn the young upstart into a rock star.

Coyle didn't hire Ben as a finished product. He is taking a risk and he knows that. I thought the risk was simply going to be his lack of head coaching experience but it is turning out that the biggest risk is an impatient fan base that is ready to pounce on even the slightest of negatives because he was HIRED despite not having head coaching experience.

Rather than giving Ben even a few months to unpack his bags and show any signs of success, the fans are scrutinizing his every move and are surprisingly expecting him to walk on water from day one. I am utterly surprised at the number of fans that have turned on Ben before he's even coached a game and before he's had even a month of getting recruits on campus for official visits.

You are correct that one of the primary reasons Ben was hired was to recruit MN and build relationships with AAU programs. His bosses also hired him knowing full well that building these relationships take time. They didn't hire a sleazy snake oil salesman who lies with a forked tongue. They hired someone that will build a foundation of trust in the community. While much of the focus is on '22, Ben is already also developing relationships with a number of younger recruits. These building blocks will result in recruiting wins in the near future.

There are likely few if any coaches who could have persuaded Cam to come to the U. Why are you holding Ben up to such unrealistic standards? Do you think a Muss, Smith, or Dutcher would have charmed Cam into losing his love for the Boilers instilled from a young age? Little chance.

I think the patience of people around the world is worn to a nub after the stress of a 15 month pandemic. Throw in the added political turmoil of the last 9 months and everyone is simply amped up to an 11 on the dial. This is leading many to unrealistic expectations in so many facets of life... including our beloved Gophers.
 
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Obviously we have to let it play out a bit. But there haven't been many "wins" so far and a lot of misses. He needs a win soon or it could late early.
 

ecoperson said:
I don't know who your employer is but most employees are not hired for their performance today but what they can become tomorrow. A Fortune 500 CEO takes a chance on a hard working up and comer as the new CFO based on some intangible and believes they can provide the necessary support to turn the young upstart into a rock star.

Coyle didn't hire Ben as a finished product. He is taking a risk and he knows that. I thought the risk was simply going to be his lack of head coaching experience but it is turning out that the biggest risk is an impatient fan base that is ready to pounce on even the slightest of negatives because he was HIRED despite not having head coaching experience.

Rather than giving Ben even a few months to unpack his bags and show any signs of success, the fans are scrutinizing his every move and are surprisingly expecting him to walk on water from day one. I am utterly surprised at the number of fans that have turned on Ben before he's even coached a game and before he's had even a month of getting recruits on campus for official visits.

You are correct that one of the primary reasons Ben was hired was to recruit MN and build relationships with AAU programs. His bosses also hired him knowing full well that building these relationships take time. They didn't hire a sleazy snake oil salesman who lies with a forked tongue. They hired someone that will build a foundation of trust in the community. While much of the focus is on '22, Ben is already also developing relationships with a number of younger recruits. These building blocks will result in recruiting wins in the near future.

There are likely few if any coaches who could have persuaded Cam to come to the U. Why are you holding Ben up to such unrealistic standards? Do you think a Muss, Smith, or Dutcher would have charmed Cam into losing his love for the Boilers instilled from a young age? Little chance.

I think the patience of people around the world is worn to a nub after the stress of a 15 month pandemic. Throw in the added political turmoil of the last 9 months and everyone is simply amped up to an 11 on the dial. This is leading many to unrealistic expectations in so many facets of life... including our beloved Gophers.
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This isn’t Ben’s fault entirely (he gets some modest blame as a player and assistant) but the frustration you see from Gopher fans is 20 years in the making. It comes with frustration and we are tired. We already had a coach who wasn’t a finished product and that didn’t turn out.

We all want Ben to succeed. We just don’t want it to take 3-4 years. It doesn’t have to take that long.
 

I believe Coach Johnson was partly hired because he already had personal relationships with the AAU programs and local players. He has been an assistant coach recruiting the area for multiple years. Therefore, we should have some expectations that he can land some local talent sooner than later... The question remains can he coach and run a successful program... It will take a leap of faith for a high level recruit to believe he can.
 

Stan said:
This isn’t Ben’s fault entirely (he gets some modest blame as a player and assistant) but the frustration you see from Gopher fans is 20 years in the making. It comes with frustration and we are tired. We already had a coach who wasn’t a finished product and that didn’t turn out.

We all want Ben to succeed. We just don’t want it to take 3-4 years. It doesn’t have to take that long.
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I am fine if it takes 3 years to win. As long as i see the high character, great defense, strong fundamentals as the building blocks.
 

Stan said:
This isn’t Ben’s fault entirely (he gets some modest blame as a player and assistant) but the frustration you see from Gopher fans is 20 years in the making. It comes with frustration and we are tired. We already had a coach who wasn’t a finished product and that didn’t turn out.

We all want Ben to succeed. We just don’t want it to take 3-4 years. It doesn’t have to take that long.
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Might not want it to take 3-4 years but that is what it’s going to take. Could even take longer and I have no doubt Johnson is going to get all the time needed.

The AD took the chance on this hire and is going to give it as much time as he can for it to succeed.
 

With free agency this year everything is different but to only retain one player from last years roster is concerning, maybe its as much a reflection of the guys Pitino recruited, other than that have to give it time.
 

I’m not going to get worked up over the local class because I don’t live and breath MN high school basketball. So while cam hurts a bit because he visited, I don’t demand home runs from this class.

The bare minimum for me in 2032 is a 3-star (ish) point guard and rim protector who can grow in the system and support what is hopefully a more talented class of 2023 by their upper classmen years. In other words, this can’t be a class that produces nothing as juniors and seniors. Get some system guys in this short recruiting cycle and aim higher next year. Just make sure you groom them.
 


bc2211 said:
I’m not going to get worked up over the local class because I don’t live and breath MN high school basketball. So while cam hurts a bit because he visited, I don’t demand home runs from this class.

The bare minimum for me in 2032 is a 3-star (ish) point guard and rim protector who can grow in the system and support what is hopefully a more talented class of 2023 by their upper classmen years. In other words, this can’t be a class that produces nothing as juniors and seniors. Get some system guys in this short recruiting cycle and aim higher next year. Just make sure you groom them.
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He needs a homerun class in 2022. I certainly hope some of them are locals, as that would be a good sign. Waiting until 2023 for a good class is not an option. A "good class" in 2023 means you are looking at some success in 2025. That doesn't work for me and the fans will get disgusted in a hurry.
Ben needs momentum starting this fall or this hire is going to be painful.
 

bga1 said:
He needs a homerun class in 2022. I certainly hope some of them are locals, as that would be a good sign. Waiting until 2023 for a good class is not an option. A "good class" in 2023 means you are looking at some success in 2025. That doesn't work for me and the fans will get disgusted in a hurry.
Ben needs momentum starting this fall or this hire is going to be painful.
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Why should any 22 take a leap of faith on what BJ has done to date?

He could wind up being an amazing coach and building a powerhouse program here. But would you be willing to let your 22 class son risk that, at this time?
 

howeda7 said:
Obviously we have to let it play out a bit. But there haven't been many "wins" so far and a lot of misses. He needs a win soon or it could late early.
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That is based upon your opinion of what has taken place so far. I would say some of the recruits and the coaches have been wins he doesn’t get much credit for yet. I also think that many of the misses that people claim are not what they seem to the nay sayers. Some of the former players leaving could lean more towards a win than a lose. It is sounding like hiring Coach K would not have kept the local recruits that we “lost” to stay home.

Fans need to relax and let it play out. Ben and his staff are working as hard as they can to move our program to the next level and they need our support. No coach would have been able to satisfy the critics in this fanbase.
 


alchemy2u said:
That is based upon your opinion of what has taken place so far. I would say some of the recruits and the coaches have been wins he doesn’t get much credit for yet. I also think that many of the misses that people claim are not what they seem to the nay sayers. Some of the former players leaving could lean more towards a win than a lose. It is sounding like hiring Coach K would not have kept the local recruits that we “lost” to stay home.

Fans need to relax and let it play out. Ben and his staff are working as hard as they can to move our program to the next level and they need our support. No coach would have been able to satisfy the critics in this fanbase.
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LMAO, you're on fire today.
 

This is an interesting discussion to watch unfold. Ben has not landed 2 long shots. Is it a sign that things are heading that way or is it just that these 2 were never feasible? No way to know right now.
As far as’22 recruiting, he probably doesn’t need to hit a home run, but it’s gotta be a solid double because if he doesn’t start getting the base, we’re plug and playing from the transfer portal and another year pushed away from the true rebuild. Then it’s likely another tough year and a warmer seat for Ben. So while ‘22 may not be the end all be all for him, he has to make it a positive it it’s going to start the inertia in a not good direction.
Now this all becomes a moot point if somehow he makes this roster into a mediocre big ten team as that will give him more grace, but that’s pretty hard to see right now
 

upnorthkid said:
This is an interesting discussion to watch unfold. Ben has not landed 2 long shots. Is it a sign that things are heading that way or is it just that these 2 were never feasible? No way to know right now.
As far as’22 recruiting, he probably doesn’t need to hit a home run, but it’s gotta be a solid double because if he doesn’t start getting the base, we’re plug and playing from the transfer portal and another year pushed away from the true rebuild. Then it’s likely another tough year and a warmer seat for Ben. So while ‘22 may not be the end all be all for him, he has to make it a positive it it’s going to start the inertia in a not good direction.
Now this all becomes a moot point if somehow he makes this roster into a mediocre big ten team as that will give him more grace, but that’s pretty hard to see right now
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Agree he doesn't need a home run class. He needs to get guys that fit his system and start to showcase what his team's identity will be. '22 should still be a good class as he will have some time to build relationships, but I won't be surprised if we don't have a single 4* guy or worse yet, a top rated MN recruit (oh my god what will we do!!!!!). There just won't be enough on court, realistic product for recruits to watch this year in my opinion.
 

MplsGopher said:
Why should any 22 take a leap of faith on what BJ has done to date?

He could wind up being an amazing coach and building a powerhouse program here. But would you be willing to let your 22 class son risk that, at this time?
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if they are pitching early playing time and a chance to play in the big ten....man i would seriously tell my kid to take a close look at them.
And if we are a Minnesota family i sure as heck am telling them to consider staying him so we can make every home game....
 

alchemy2u said:
That is based upon your opinion of what has taken place so far. I would say some of the recruits and the coaches have been wins he doesn’t get much credit for yet. I also think that many of the misses that people claim are not what they seem to the nay sayers. Some of the former players leaving could lean more towards a win than a lose. It is sounding like hiring Coach K would not have kept the local recruits that we “lost” to stay home.

Fans need to relax and let it play out. Ben and his staff are working as hard as they can to move our program to the next level and they need our support. No coach would have been able to satisfy the critics in this fanbase.
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Which? Based on what criteria?
 

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