All Things Class of 2015 Recruiting - Class Finally Complete? Nope Chris Obekpa visit

Per Alex Kline: Minnesota has offered 2015 SF Nate Grimes of Las Vegas Knicks (NV).

Go Gophers!!
 


<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Alex Illikainen is a very gifted passer for a big man. His stock is soaring.</p>— The EYBL Circuit (@D1Circuit) <a href="https://twitter.com/D1Circuit/statuses/467666482814803968">May 17, 2014</a></blockquote>
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I honestly hope we get a different (better) point guard to commit. I don't think Johnson is as good as he's been made out to be. He's not a top 100 player.

With that being said, I wouldn't mind if we got him. But I think expectations needs to be tempered.
 



I obviously want the best PG we can get, but I do think Mason and Johnson would be a very good PG duo.
 

Is this seriously a question? Of course we want Jarvis. How many recruits have we landed with offers from Bo and Izzo?
 

I love how some GHrs are scattering at the first sign of difficulty. It's just sooo.... soooo.... Gopherholish...

For what its worth, I've never been high on Jarvis, but I haven't been to the point where I wouldn't take him. I simply don't like his game from a couple highlight reels I've seen. But I wouldn't stand here and claim that our 6 commitments from this year were better than him...
 

I've seen him play a few times. He would be a good pick up. Hopefully his senior will be used to improve a little more. I'll probably see some more of him at the eybl event in Eagan.

He does a lot of things well, very athletic, and has a good feel for the game, those are things u can't teach.
If him and Sacar could both refine and polish they're games this year (sacar needs it more, particularly his shot)
I wouldn't mind seeing them both become Gophers.
Jarvis is a good get tho, I hope he decides to stay home instead of taking the biggest offer he gets (MSU) I think he will benefit from playing under Pitino.
 



Is this seriously a question? Of course we want Jarvis. How many recruits have we landed with offers from Bo and Izzo?

I agree. Jarvis is the best PG I've watched on film(I never watched Tyus). I'm guessing Mason can make a smooth transition to the 2, his more natural position.
 


I honestly hope we get a different (better) point guard to commit. I don't think Johnson is as good as he's been made out to be. He's not a top 100 player.

With that being said, I wouldn't mind if we got him. But I think expectations needs to be tempered.

I think him and Mason will be a good duel at the position, as upperclassmen, not saying they'll be as good, but we could see something that the Pistons did with Isiah and Dumars. Also Martin struggled in the EYBL, but he recovered
 


Can you paste Amelia's article? I don't click on any Strib articles anymore thanks to Soupcan.

Sacar Anim is still hoping to reach down and find that extra something.

Plenty of schools have come through Minnesota and other events the 2015 recruit has participated in to watch Anim, a skilled and intelligent 6-4 shooting guard. But very few have extended scholarship offers.

Minnesota is among those holding out. Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, Creighton and Dayton have also expressed interest but haven't gotten serious enough to talk scholarships. Right now the only offers Anim has are Northern Iowa and Drake, he said at the Howard Pulley Invitational.

"There's always that frustration -- you have the hard work but you haven't really gotten the offers yet," Anim said. "Things are really picking up, especially in the first section. I'm getting a lot of schools interested but no offers yet from this last tournament but hopefully after this next session and in the live period I'll start getting some more."

NCAA basketball recruiting is currently in a "quiet period" -- meaning coaches can't watch or visit players -- until July 5.

Anim, his athleticism taking a bit of a back seat to teammate Jarvis Johnson, has already shown he can be very effective on the break and is apt in finishing at the rim.

Asked what he thought programs were waiting to see from him, Anim replied "Just prove to them that I can play with the best of the best in the country. Just having a motor, showing them my outside range, being able to knock down the three, having all aspects of the game, just being a leader and all that."

He said Minnesota coach Richard Pitino has talked about a lot of the same -- things he likes about Anim's game -- and that the head coach has suggested sitting down together in July to chat about his recruitment further. Anim was on Dinkytown campus, visiting unofficially, a couple weeks ago.

In the meantime, it's his father and his coach at DeLaSalle, Dave Thorson, that have provided guidance in the waiting.

"[They say] just let the game come to me," Anim said. "Don't have a big head. The offers are going to come, just go out there and play your game and don't worry about it. And when it comes down to it, we'll sit down and make the right decision, look at the coaching staff and atmosphere and all that and pick the fit that fits me."
 

I never really felt like Jarvis was going to go to Michigan State despite some of the "crystal ball" movement towards the Spartans when they offered him. That said, it feels like the movement away from the Spartans and towards the Gophers on the crystal ball is due to a belief that Jarvis' struggles have put him further down MSU's list of PG prospects as opposed to any real new momentum with the Gophers and Jarvis.

Gophers are "in" on some level with a lot of prospects who seem to not be discussed here more than Sacar Anim, but are more highly regarded/recruited such as Chris Clarke, KJ Walton, Kain Harris, Dupree McBrayer, Ahmad Wagner, Kenny Williams, and Nate Grimes. Those are just guys that profile more as wings and doesn't include (arguably) our top 2 targets on the wing in Trier and Whitt.
 

I think him and Mason will be a good duel at the position, as upperclassmen, not saying they'll be as good, but we could see something that the Pistons did with Isiah and Dumars. Also Martin struggled in the EYBL, but he recovered
thats what is concerning about Martin. He struggled against tougher competition and then posted superstar type numbers back at home. I would love to see some Summer league numbers from him this year to see if he is able to sustain that production.
 

Can you paste Amelia's article? I don't click on any Strib articles anymore thanks to Soupcan.

Uh oh. What am I missing?
What's the deal with Souhan? Does he got a beef with GH?
I'd love to be caught up to speed.
 


I think him and Mason will be a good duel at the position, as upperclassmen, not saying they'll be as good, but we could see something that the Pistons did with Isiah and Dumars. Also Martin struggled in the EYBL, but he recovered

That's true, but that's because Martin grew about two inches. Johnson's issues don't have to do with his size.
 

Big difference with Martin and Johnson. Martin was playing on what was a poor team from what I remember and the guards he played with were not very good which didn't allow him to get his normal looks. Johnson being a guard gets to create his own shots he doesn't have to be give the ball. To much is put into summer league play IMO. I will gladly take Johnson and bet on his continued growth as a basketball player.
 

I never really felt like Jarvis was going to go to Michigan State despite some of the "crystal ball" movement towards the Spartans when they offered him. That said, it feels like the movement away from the Spartans and towards the Gophers on the crystal ball is due to a belief that Jarvis' struggles have put him further down MSU's list of PG prospects as opposed to any real new momentum with the Gophers and Jarvis.

Gophers are "in" on some level with a lot of prospects who seem to not be discussed here more than Sacar Anim, but are more highly regarded/recruited such as Chris Clarke, KJ Walton, Kain Harris, Dupree McBrayer, Ahmad Wagner, Kenny Williams, and Nate Grimes. Those are just guys that profile more as wings and doesn't include (arguably) our top 2 targets on the wing in Trier and Whitt.

Agree. Wish we could get more info about our top targets. I realize its easier to get info from the local guys, but it would nice to hear more about the guys we will likely go after hard...
 

That's true, but that's because Martin grew about two inches. Johnson's issues don't have to do with his size.

This isn't the NFL Draft, high school kids run into tough stretches, challenges, etc. Sign him up and hand him the ball for 2015. If we don't sign Jarvis Johnson, it's a whiff.
 

If Pitino is looking for a team modeled after Louisville, both Siva and Russ Smith were pretty poor 3 pt shooters also and not very big. But they were the utmost competitors with tremendous quickness and toughness. If that is Jarvis great. By the way Russ shot a decent 3 ball by his senior season. Russ was a 2* per scout, and a 3* per Rivals.
 

Minnesota target Jimmy Whitt looking to add bulk, hone point guard skills, focus on defense
Posted by: Amelia Rayno

Jimmy Whitt isn't the biggest guard you'll come across in the 2015 class -- but his slender, 6-2 frame has started catching eyes.

Since the Jayhawk Invitational in Kansas during an open recruiting period last month, Whitt's fearless slashing game as been on full display, and coaches have taken notice.

"I feel like I came out and had a real good performance and coaches saw," Whitt said of the AAU tournament in late April. "I think it's a testament to the hard work I've been putting in that coaches are starting to see and starting to recruit me harder."

The recent attention only adds motivation to gain weight, one of Whitt's biggest priorities for the summer. Several of the coaches recruiting him have told him it's a necessity.

The Columbia, Missouri native doesn't have a specific weight goal but generally wants to spend a lot of time in the weight room and add bulk. He's working with a personal trainer for the summer with that approach in mind.

"The biggest thing is physicality-wise, playing strong, trying to play against bigger guys, because at the next level, guys are going to be bigger and stronger," Whitt said.

Whitt doesn't have any visits scheduled yet for the summer. The rising senior has previously made unofficial trips to Kansas State, Kansas, Arkansas and Creighton.

He said he's just beginning to develop a relationship with Minnesota's Richard Pitino, who has told him he envisions him as a combo guard, capable of playing point guard or shooting guard. Whitt says he feels equally comfortable in those positions.

Apart from honing his point guard skills and adding pounds, Whitt wants to continue to focus on his defensive abilities, he said, at Pitino's beckoning.

"He just loves the way I play, how I'm a leader on the court, on the offensive and defensive end and he feels like with some hard work in college I could be a great defensive player -- not just a good one but a great one," he said.

Whitt's recruitment is still somewhat new, so theoretically the Gophers could have as good a chance as anyone. Most players' decisions come down to relationships, but Whitt said the academic considerations will play a big role as well. One other thing perhaps in Minnesota's favor when it comes to Whitt, who hopes to major in business? The Carlson School of management, one of the premiere business programs in the nation. Minnesota players Andre Hollins and Elliott Eliason are currently enrolled in the Carlson school.

"To see that somebody else can do it it gives you a lot of confidence knowing that if they can do it, there's no reason that you shouldn't be able to go in there and do it," Whitt said.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/blogs/259945941.html
 

If Pitino is looking for a team modeled after Louisville, both Siva and Russ Smith were pretty poor 3 pt shooters also and not very big. But they were the utmost competitors with tremendous quickness and toughness. If that is Jarvis great. By the way Russ shot a decent 3 ball by his senior season. Russ was a 2* per scout, and a 3* per Rivals.


I think that's a good comparison. No 2 or 3 skills sets pop out at you, but they all seem like gamers.
 

EYBL Hampton MVP: Allonzo Trier
05/19/2014, 2:45pm EDT
By Alec Kinsky, D1 Circuit

"Three EYBL sessions. Two Most Valuable Player awards.

Simply put, Allonzo Trier made this an easy decision. Leading Athletes First to a 3-1 record in Hampton, Trier was as good as he's ever been. In the four games, Trier averaged 32.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, while shooting a blistering 54% from the field and 92% from the line - also his season average.

During the session, Trier became the first player in EYBL history to score 30+ points in all four games. Accomplishing a feat that has never been done before, while also being a team-first player, Trier was extremely humble when the record was brought to his attention."

Full article: http://www.d1circuit.com/news_article/show/387045?referrer_id=1227612
 




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