All Things 2013 Basketball Recruiting Thread UPDATED 5/15: Malik Smith a Gopher!

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DeathClutch said:
What's the problem with Malik?
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Could be that he was brought in as a shooter and only shot something like 36% from 3 last year, which is a slightly worse percentage than Mav shot last year, but actually better than Austin Hollins last year. But he also seemed to be a volume shooter, so he might be able to be a little more selective with his shooting here at Minnesota and have a better percentage.

And of course he's only here for a year and I don't think we would have gotten anyone significantly better at this point, so even if he doesn't end up being great, he's just kind of a bonus for this year anyway. He's a low risk signing and I'm totally fine with it myself.
 

DeathClutch said:
What's the problem with Malik?
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His low shooting percentage and lack of assists just worries me. I haven't watched him play, so I admit that probably don't know what I'm talking about, but looking at his stats it looks like he is selfish with the ball and isn't an efficient scorer. I don't think Big 10 defenses will be kind to his game.

But again, he's only here for one year and he knows the system so I'm completely fine bringing him in. I just don't think he'll be a great player for us.
 

Golden_Sloth said:
His low shooting percentage and lack of assists just worries me. I haven't watched him play, so I admit that probably don't know what I'm talking about, but looking at his stats it looks like he is selfish with the ball and isn't an efficient scorer. I don't think Big 10 defenses will be kind to his game.

But again, he's only here for one year and he knows the system so I'm completely fine bringing him in. I just don't think he'll be a great player for us.
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This has been stated already in this thread, but Malik Smith was just as efficient of scorer as Austin Hollins last year when you look at points per shot. Obviously they played against different competition, but Malik's ability to hit the 3 and get to the line at a decent rate makes him more efficient than people realize than if you just look at his FG %.
 

Pitino at Gopher Caravan:

"I like our roster -- it could change. We've got another scholarship, who knows where that will go or what we'll do with it. The key with every coaching change is to bring in the right fit. You can't just give away a scholarship just to fill a spot."

http://www.startribune.com/sports/blogs/210431621.html

Go Gophers!!
 










GopherFan88 said:
Will Dre Mathiue ever really succeed in the Big 10?
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That's why they play the games. We will find out come November. By all accounts he is quick and has like a 40 inch vert, so it certainly seems he has the athleticism to play in the big ten. He'll be an upgrade as the backup pg over Mav.
 






jaymil said:
Joey King to the U is official. Also this from Darren Wolfson:

<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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@therecruitscoop: Rutgers transfer Derrick Randall is visiting Wagner today, per a source.

Go Gophers!!
 






per ZagsBlog: Transferring Rutgers big man Derrick Randall visited Wagner Tuesday and is closing in on a decision.

The 6-foot-8, 240-pound Randall is also considering Iona, Pittsburgh and Minnesota. He is expected to visit Pittsburgh Thursday.

He previously visited Iona and has not yet been to Minnesota.

Randall, a Bronx native who played at South Kent (Conn.) and Paterson (N.J.) Catholic, averaged 2.1 points and 1.5 rebounds as a sophomore at Rutgers.

He opted to transfer in the wake of the Mike Rice scandal and could obtain a waiver to play immediately.

http://zagsblog.com/articles/derric...closing-in-on-decisions-kevin-johnson-update/

Go Gophers!!
 

Amelia blog: Are the Gophers going after Derrick Randall?

Another possibility is Derrick Randall, a 6-9, 220-pound power forward who would help fill a major role for the Gophers with much needed size and bulk. The rising junior played for Rutgers last year, averaging 2.1 points and 1.5 rebounds in 8.2 minutes a game -- slightly down from the previous season, when he played 11.3 minutes a game and averaged 2.5 points and 2.4 rebounds. Randall announced his intent to transfer after head coach Mike Rice was fired and could be able to get a waiver to play right away considering the circumstances. Randall has been considering Minnesota, but CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein reported that Randall will likely end up at Iona or Pittsburgh.

While Randall wasn't used very much in the past two years and in that sense is still a bit raw, the Connecticut native is very strong and has the potential to be a good rebounder and defensive presence. Pitino recently got a commitment from Joey King, but the Minnesota native is really more of a shooter than a bang-around guy. Otherwise, the Gophers' frontcourt possibilities are Elliott Eliason, Mo Walker, Oto Osenieks and Charles Buggs.

http://m.startribune.com/?id=211736101

Go Gophers!!
 

BleedGopher said:
While Randall wasn't used very much in the past two years and in that sense is still a bit raw, the Connecticut native is very strong and has the potential to be a good rebounder and defensive presence.
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Brooklyn is actually in New York. Could have brought in the NYC recruiting angle again, but the author was probably confused by where Randall went to prep school for a year.
 

I really think we should take Randall if he's interested. Rutgers message boards seemed VERY disappointed when Randall announced he was transferring - stat lines don't always tell the whole story.

Really, how close is this team to a NCAA birth? I think we're closer than a lot of people think. With improvement down low (maybe by adding Randall), we certainly have a shot at dancing.
 

@AdamZagoria: Derrick Randall to Pitt

Go Gophers!!
 

BleedGopher said:
@AdamZagoria: Derrick Randall to Pitt

Go Gophers!!
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Oh thank goodness! Dodged a bullet there. Buckles is a better player by far (when/if healthy) and he frees up a scholarship next year for the big 2014 recruiting class.
 

GameDay said:
Oh thank goodness! Dodged a bullet there. Buckles is a better player by far (when/if healthy) and he frees up a scholarship next year for the big 2014 recruiting class.
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You know how?

Not disagreeing, just saying not a lot of evidence to support your claim
 

Winasota Gopher said:
You know how?

Not disagreeing, just saying not a lot of evidence to support your claim
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My guess is just that he was more highly rated out of high school

Randall - 3 Star not ranked
Offers from Rutgers, DePaul, Providence, Seton Hall, South Carolina, St. John's, St. Joseph's, Virginia Tech

Buckles - 4 star 36 overall, 11 PF
Offers from Louisville, Cincinnati, Florida, Florida State, Miami (Fl)
 

scher215 said:
My guess is just that he was more highly rated out of high school

Randall - 3 Star not ranked
Offers from Rutgers, DePaul, Providence, Seton Hall, South Carolina, St. John's, St. Joseph's, Virginia Tech

Buckles - 4 star 36 overall, 11 PF
Offers from Louisville, Cincinnati, Florida, Florida State, Miami (Fl)
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With that said I would disagree with the original post... a ranking of a recruit 5 yrs ago means about Jack squat right now.
 

Winasota Gopher said:
With that said I would disagree with the original post... a ranking of a recruit 5 yrs ago means about Jack squat right now.
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I would agree with this sentiment but Pitino posted on Twitter prior to taking the Gophers job that he is excited to be coaching Buckles in the upcomming season, not sure he would single out a player like that if there weren't heightened expectations based on what he was seeing.
 

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