All Things 2018 Gophers Basketball Recruiting Thread

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MRJ said:
Could very well be the case. Regardless, it seems the staff is pretty satisfied with the players they already have committed. I get the feeling the staff feels there really isn't a desperate need to fill that final scholly, so it wouldn't be surprising at all if they bank it for next year.
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Can't imagine them banking it for next year but I wouldn't be surprised if they hold it until the spring. There is no backup point guard for next year on the roster now (unless you consider Dupree to be that but I don't). They need to do one of the following (in no particular order):

1) get a high schooler or prep schooler point guard now or in the spring; or

2) get a grad transfer point guard or a transfer who is able to play immediately for some other reason; or

3) get a junior college point guard who is something like this guy http://athletics.spcollege.edu/sports/mbkb/2016-17/bios/Ahmad_Clark?view=bio
(Yes, he was a backup in high school but he was a backup to Markell Fultz.)

MUST HAVE BACKUPS AND INSURANCE PLAYERS. History clearly has told us that.
 

What really strong offers does Nelson have ? Just curious. Could care less if he is ranked. If this staff likes him that is good enough.
 

builtbadgers said:
What really strong offers does Nelson have ? Just curious. Could care less if he is ranked. If this staff likes him that is good enough.
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Assuming the list from 247 sports in correct and committable (big assumption) he has offers from West Virginia, Seton Hall, Cincinnati, UNLV, Dayton and us. He has plenty of offers from schools a step down such as Clemson, Rutgers, St. Johns.
 

cjbfbp said:
Can't imagine them banking it for next year but I wouldn't be surprised if they hold it until the spring. There is no backup point guard for next year on the roster now (unless you consider Dupree to be that but I don't). They need to do one of the following (in no particular order):

1) get a high schooler or prep schooler point guard now or in the spring; or

2) get a grad transfer point guard or a transfer who is able to play immediately for some other reason; or

3) get a junior college point guard who is something like this guy http://athletics.spcollege.edu/sports/mbkb/2016-17/bios/Ahmad_Clark?view=bio
(Yes, he was a backup in high school but he was a backup to Markell Fultz.)

MUST HAVE BACKUPS AND INSURANCE PLAYERS. History clearly has told us that.
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Kinda misspoke when I referred to banking it for next year. Meant until after the season was over, meaning picking up the current recruiting cycle again in spring of 2018 (not 2019). Sorry for the confusion.

Anyway, I agree. Would like to have another point guard, although I'm not going to freak out if they wait until Spring. With that said, it'd certainly be preferable to get either Nelson or Johnson, although Nelson strikes me as the true point guard of those two. Johnson is more of a tweener it seems, so if it's going to be strictly a point guard, Nelson is the guy.

Otherwise, like I said, wait until Spring.
 

Tim1406 said:
Assuming the list from 247 sports in correct and committable (big assumption) he has offers from West Virginia, Seton Hall, Cincinnati, UNLV, Dayton and us. He has plenty of offers from schools a step down such as Clemson, Rutgers, St. Johns.
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So in essence he has better offers than Kalscheur and at least equivalent to Jarvis. I'd say that Clemson = Pitt and West Virginia/Cinci = Iowa St./Marquette for the purpose of comparison.

Back to my previous comments on Nelson being unranked, but it will be interesting to see how they rank him eventually, because if we just compare offers, Nelson would seem to equate with a high 3-star.
 


Also can be hopeful that a season as a top 25 team increases our reach? That’s a lot of gambling for the pg position. I’d hate to waste Murphy, McBrayer, Fitz senior seasons trying to see if we can upgrade at the pg position.
 

Winasota Gopher said:
Also can be hopeful that a season as a top 25 team increases our reach? That’s a lot of gambling for the pg position. I’d hate to waste Murphy, McBrayer, Fitz senior seasons trying to see if we can upgrade at the pg position.
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This was my earlier point. If we dominate this year (big if) and make a decent run in the tourney you'd have to think we'd get serious looks from some of the better spring players and or grad transfers etc. I mean a good year won't hurt.
 


Sorry if this has already been discussed previously but what's the word on this kid Joe Hedstrom from Hopkins? WI has offered, he just took a visit there and he's apparently a 6'10 center. Seeing that we got Oturu coming in already I recognize it might be tough to recruit him. That said, with our seemingly poor depth at the center position in the future, except Matz and Oturu, is he not a Pitino guy? Just don't want to see another in-state kid go to WI and flourish. Or maybe he's just another Illikainen.
 



Blitzkrieg said:
Sorry if this has already been discussed previously but what's the word on this kid Joe Hedstrom from Hopkins? WI has offered, he just took a visit there and he's apparently a 6'10 center. Seeing that we got Oturu coming in already I recognize it might be tough to recruit him. That said, with our seemingly poor depth at the center position in the future, except Matz and Oturu, is he not a Pitino guy? Just don't want to see another in-state kid go to WI and flourish. Or maybe he's just another Illikainen.
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Next year with Matz, Oturu, Murph, Curry and Thomas. Not to mention Fitz and if we go small even Hurt, we're pretty set in the front court. Need another ball handler to round out this class.
 

Blitzkrieg said:
Sorry if this has already been discussed previously but what's the word on this kid Joe Hedstrom from Hopkins? WI has offered, he just took a visit there and he's apparently a 6'10 center. Seeing that we got Oturu coming in already I recognize it might be tough to recruit him. That said, with our seemingly poor depth at the center position in the future, except Matz and Oturu, is he not a Pitino guy? Just don't want to see another in-state kid go to WI and flourish. Or maybe he's just another Illikainen.
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Yeah I think it's an Illikainen situation where they struck out on a couple other front court targets so now they are just in a situation where they need the front court bodies. Hedstrom's probably a little too slow footed for the way Pitino wants to play defense so it makes sense we aren't in on him. Not sure there's a ton of potential there.
 

PG or Combo guard is a must for this class.
 

Joe Hedstrom has committed to Wisconsin. No Gopher offer.
 



Cayman said:
Joe Hedstrom has committed to Wisconsin. No Gopher offer.
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Congrats to the Kid on a such a high level basketball school. Minnesota got the best center in the state for this recruiting cycle. You cannot offer everyone especially if you don't think they'll fit or your team has other needs. This isn't the NBA where you draft the best talent regardless of position.
 

Headstrom is a walk on there for a year or two and then was promised a scholarship after, correct? I thought that was the story
 



Tim1406 said:
Congrats to the Kid on a such a high level basketball school. Minnesota got the best center in the state for this recruiting cycle. You cannot offer everyone especially if you don't think they'll fit or your team has other needs. This isn't the NBA where you draft the best talent regardless of position.
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As we all know, the great equalizer between our 4-star recruit and their unranked recruit will be some referee in the Kohl Center at a key point in some game. That is the grotesque beauty in our ongoing and eternal frustration.
 

Bad Gopher said:
As we all know, the great equalizer between our 4-star recruit and their unranked recruit will be some referee in the Kohl Center at a key point in some game. That is the grotesque beauty in our ongoing and eternal frustration.
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So cynical (don't blame you)
 

BballJones said:
Nelson and/or Johnson visiting this weekend then?
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Looks like Johnson just was offered and took an official visit to Florida - optics don't look good there. According to 247 Nelson is scheduled to be on campus for official tomorrow - I presume he is sticking around for MSU game. Would appear Nelson is our best shot at solidifying class with PG / CG. Fingers crossed.
 



Holf said:
Looks like Johnson just was offered and took an official visit to Florida - optics don't look good there. According to 247 Nelson is scheduled to be on campus for official tomorrow - I presume he is sticking around for MSU game. Would appear Nelson is our best shot at solidifying class with PG / CG. Fingers crossed.
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According to Ryan James, Oak Hill's coach says Johnson will be visiting here this weekend.
 

Per Ryan James on Twitter: Oak Hill Academy Head Coach Steve Smith said today that 4 star 2018 small forward Keyontae Johnson does plan to visit Minnesota this weekend
 

tmvander said:
Yeah until Wisconsin finds someone better than him to offer a scholly to next year.
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Yeah, seems like a risk on Hedstrom's part. If he were on full scholly I'd actually like this move because it ties up another Wisc scholarship with a mediocre player.

BTW I wish we'd cancel the tuition reciprocity we have with Wisconsin, really is of little use to Minnesota. Allows walk ons like Cichy, Sorenson, and now Hedstrom to leave the state without penalty, and on the flip side it helps further infest our student body with a bunch of Badgers.
 

UpAndUnder43 said:
Per Ryan James on Twitter: Oak Hill Academy Head Coach Steve Smith said today that 4 star 2018 small forward Keyontae Johnson does plan to visit Minnesota this weekend
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That's a pretty big win, even if its only a visit. Too bad he didn't visit a month later with much nicer weather. Florida is going to be tough to turn down.
 

UpAndUnder43 said:
Per Ryan James on Twitter: Oak Hill Academy Head Coach Steve Smith said today that 4 star 2018 small forward Keyontae Johnson does plan to visit Minnesota this weekend
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Holy sh*t! Things just got really interesting.

Funny because I just finished reading Marcus' in-depth post on Nelson and his background (DEF READ IT) and got psyched on him: http://www.startribune.com/new-york...nelson-visits-gophers-this-weekend/450638343/

But it's interesting that both guys are visiting the same weekend when we only (seem) to have one spot left in this class.

So now that it looks like both guys will be here tomorrow, WHO do YOU want? The better position fit (Nelson) or the higher-rated 4-star (Johnson)??
 

WriterGoph said:
Holy sh*t! Things just got really interesting.

Funny because I just finished reading Marcus' in-depth post on Nelson and his background (DEF READ IT) and got psyched on him: http://www.startribune.com/new-york...nelson-visits-gophers-this-weekend/450638343/

But it's interesting that both guys are visiting the same weekend when we only (seem) to have one spot left in this class.

So now that it looks like both guys will be here tomorrow, WHO do YOU want? The better position fit (Nelson) or the higher-rated 4-star (Johnson)??
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I would take Nelson hands down...watch his footage and I think you will think the same.
 

WriterGoph said:
Holy sh*t! Things just got really interesting.

Funny because I just finished reading Marcus' in-depth post on Nelson and his background (DEF READ IT) and got psyched on him: http://www.startribune.com/new-york...nelson-visits-gophers-this-weekend/450638343/

But it's interesting that both guys are visiting the same weekend when we only (seem) to have one spot left in this class.

So now that it looks like both guys will be here tomorrow, WHO do YOU want? The better position fit (Nelson) or the higher-rated 4-star (Johnson)??
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Pitino must think that McBrayer or Coffey can fill the backup PG role in 2018 if Johnson is visiting and a viable option.
 

jovs said:
Pitino must think that McBrayer or Coffey can fill the backup PG role in 2018 if Johnson is visiting and a viable option.
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OR

He's not planning on having a freshman backup his PG slot and thinks, like almost every year since who knows when we'll have attrition this offseason and he'll have a transfer scholarship open.
 

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