All Things 2018 Gophers Basketball Recruiting Thread

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I have only seen him in person once . . . He has a beautiful release on his shot. He needs to learn to shoot without dribbling - sky hook left and right - he would be unstoppable. Also needs to play with more intensity and aggressiveness. He is only a Junior in high school - 16 or 17 years old? He is pretty athletic for someone his age and size. He could be something pretty special in a few years.

Bothers me a bit that he does not watch bball - you can learn a lot by watching others - and being a student of the game. He ought to be watching videos of Jabbar to learn a style he could play. Or Randy Breuer (sp?) - he is the same size as Randy now, I believe - weight and height.

Just my humble opinion.
 

Big men develop much slower than guards and other forwards, Trapp has a lot of potential as a shot blocker and offensive big man. In the B1G you always need plenty of size and with the loss of Lynch, Konate next year we need size. Just imagine the lineup of Jelly(SO), Coffey(JR), Thompson(FR), Murphy(SR) and Oturu(FR) with Curry(JR)/Trapp (FR) as 6th man in 2018-19? That looks like a pretty solid lineup to me.
 

Unless he's a 5 star, 7 footers rarely can be relied upon to play early.

Ideally, if we are looking for a big man, curry is getting the lion share of the minutes at the 5 (even though I prefer him at the 4)
 

Trapp may luck out since we have 5 scholarships to use in 2018 (maybe more if someone transfers). I would love to give him our final scholarship and maybe even redshirt him, though that may not be possible since we'll be losing all of our centers after next season.
 


THE SAVAGE GOPHER said:
I have only seen him in person once . . . He has a beautiful release on his shot. He needs to learn to shoot without dribbling - sky hook left and right - he would be unstoppable. Also needs to play with more intensity and aggressiveness. He is only a Junior in high school - 16 or 17 years old? He is pretty athletic for someone his age and size. He could be something pretty special in a few years.

Bothers me a bit that he does not watch bball - you can learn a lot by watching others - and being a student of the game. He ought to be watching videos of Jabbar to learn a style he could play. Or Randy Breuer (sp?) - he is the same size as Randy now, I believe - weight and height.

Just my humble opinion.
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Randy was 7'4"
 

THE SAVAGE GOPHER said:
Bothers me a bit that he does not watch bball - you can learn a lot by watching others - and being a student of the game. He ought to be watching videos of Jabbar to learn a style he could play. Or Randy Breuer (sp?) -.
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I'd agree with this take. Not watching (which means following) any hoops limits the big picture of what you can learn. Obviously you learn the most by playing and getting exposed to good competition, but there is definitely something to be said for studying the game. Doesn't mean watching tape of game.. but just watching basketball. College, pros, etc. You learn by watching... Hard to imagine someone super passionate about basketball not actually watching it. Who knows.. everyone is different.
 

Rouser said:
I'd agree with this take. Not watching (which means following) any hoops limits the big picture of what you can learn. Obviously you learn the most by playing and getting exposed to good competition, but there is definitely something to be said for studying the game. Doesn't mean watching tape of game.. but just watching basketball. College, pros, etc. You learn by watching... Hard to imagine someone super passionate about basketball not actually watching it. Who knows.. everyone is different.
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Reminds me of a Pitino comment on Buggs: "Charles was watching [the NCAA] tournament game - I had no idea he was interested in basketball"
 

Not impressed by Trapp. The only way I know how to describe what I see in him is a guy that should be 6-foot-9, but is stretched out to 7-foot-2. He looks in pain. He's not athletic - not sure where someone would get that from watching him. He's a pretty slow jumper and slow up and down the floor.

For those who naturally want to compare him to Haas, he's nowhere near what Haas was as a youngster at Purdue. That dude is a freak of nature. Trapp isn't that, so please refrain from drawing that comp because he's the same height.

I get the feeling Trapp would be a decent mid-major big man because of his height but in a major conference, he'd be a massive liability because he cannot move. Teams will put him in ball screen actions all day and it'll be 2 on 1 for the guard and he's a pure low-post guy offensively.
 




SconnieGopher15 said:
Big men develop much slower than guards and other forwards, Trapp has a lot of potential as a shot blocker and offensive big man. In the B1G you always need plenty of size and with the loss of Lynch, Konate next year we need size. Just imagine the lineup of Jelly(SO), Coffey(JR), Thompson(FR), Murphy(SR) and Oturu(FR) with Curry(JR)/Trapp (FR) as 6th man in 2018-19? That looks like a pretty solid lineup to me.
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You think Oturu as a freshman will start over Curry in his junior season ?
 

Biggsohnasty said:
Not impressed by Trapp. The only way I know how to describe what I see in him is a guy that should be 6-foot-9, but is stretched out to 7-foot-2. He looks in pain. He's not athletic - not sure where someone would get that from watching him. He's a pretty slow jumper and slow up and down the floor.

For those who naturally want to compare him to Haas, he's nowhere near what Haas was as a youngster at Purdue. That dude is a freak of nature. Trapp isn't that, so please refrain from drawing that comp because he's the same height.

I get the feeling Trapp would be a decent mid-major big man because of his height but in a major conference, he'd be a massive liability because he cannot move. Teams will put him in ball screen actions all day and it'll be 2 on 1 for the guard and he's a pure low-post guy offensively.
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Fair points, but I'd be inclined to trust Purdue's / Painter's evaluation here. They have a great track record of developing big men and if they are recruiting Trapp, I hope we do as well.
 

Trapp doesn't need to......

MadtownGopher said:
Trapp may luck out since we have 5 scholarships to use in 2018 (maybe more if someone transfers). I would love to give him our final scholarship and maybe even redshirt him, though that may not be possible since we'll be losing all of our centers after next season.
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luck out. He's getting his college paid for and has two Big Ten offers already. The Gophers need bigs in '18 and it is inexplicable that they have not offered. Even if he ends up with Konate minutes (worst case scenario) he can help in some situations and is worth the risk.
 



Yeah let's offer the kid that can't move so he takes the scholarship and we can't offer other guys instead. Yep great idea.

If they haven't offered, there's a reason for it. Him being local should not matter this much to people.
 

THE SAVAGE GOPHER said:
I have only seen him in person once . . . He has a beautiful release on his shot. He needs to learn to shoot without dribbling - sky hook left and right - he would be unstoppable. Also needs to play with more intensity and aggressiveness. He is only a Junior in high school - 16 or 17 years old? He is pretty athletic for someone his age and size. He could be something pretty special in a few years.

Bothers me a bit that he does not watch bball - you can learn a lot by watching others - and being a student of the game. He ought to be watching videos of Jabbar to learn a style he could play. Or Randy Breuer (sp?) - he is the same size as Randy now, I believe - weight and height.

Just my humble opinion.
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Maybe Tom Kondla (I think that was his name...a Gopher center who played for the old Pipers)
 

Biggsohnasty said:
If they haven't offered, there's a reason for it. Him being local should not matter this much to people.
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THIS THIS THIS THIS THIS THIS THIS THIS x 10000000

I LOVE local high school hoops. I attend a ton of games. Local kids aren't automatically better than other kids. Nor should they get preferential treatment.
 

Biggsohnasty said:
Yeah let's offer the kid that can't move so he takes the scholarship and we can't offer other guys instead. Yep great idea.

If they haven't offered, there's a reason for it. Him being local should not matter this much to people.
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Exactly, the Minnesota angle shouldn't matter. Maybe we have better options out there. As an example I would think Gopher fans are pleased that we have Isaiah Washington signed for next year versus McKinley Wright.
 

34Gopher said:
Exactly, the Minnesota angle shouldn't matter. Maybe we have better options out there. As an example I would think Gopher fans are pleased that we have Isaiah Washington signed for next year versus McKinley Wright.
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And Jordan Murphy over Alex Illikainen, big time.
 

Zeppelin Gopher said:
Fair points, but I'd be inclined to trust Purdue's / Painter's evaluation here. They have a great track record of developing big men and if they are recruiting Trapp, I hope we do as well.
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Perhaps Trapp is a better fit for Painter's offense than Pitino's I see Trapp I think of EE, Square Peg, roundhole
 

Right now Trapp is a better fit for what Purdue does. So far he does not fit what Pitino is doing.
 

34Gopher said:
Exactly, the Minnesota angle shouldn't matter. Maybe we have better options out there. As an example I would think Gopher fans are pleased that we have Isaiah Washington signed for next year versus McKinley Wright.
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I agree to a point, and disagree to a point.

What do I mean? Well, if all things are otherwise equal or even close, an example would be a kid ranked #110 from Ohio and a kid from Minnesota ranked #122. Not a big difference, and like I said, if all things are otherwise equal, same type of player, same height, same weight or close, etc., THEN...

then I would go with the local kid. Why? Because of a couple things. The kid would be closer to home and his family support system, so better chance he might behavior a little better and a better chance he won't become homesick and drop out or transfer out leaving the team hanging, like some have in the past. And the likelihood that the kid grew up loving or at least following the Gophers is VERY high, which means that's another reason he might not transfer out if things are going perfectly. He might even be open to staying with the team as a walk-on and backup/bench player if he doesn't pan out like was hoped for. And if he's really good, and is teetering on the fence as to whether or not to go pro or not, as a diehard Gopher fan growing up, he may be just that much more likely to stick around for one more year in hopes of winning a title? And then there is after graduation, a local kid would be more likely to come back home and want to help out the program in some way. I mean, its not a given or a definite, just more likely is all. Kind of a percentages kind of thing. Play the best hand with the best odds and you give yourself the best chance of success. Not sure if a local kid would be more willing to make a sacrifice for the program, like transferring out to make room for a better player or not? But a local kid might feel less alone in the process with friends and family nearby?


But if all things WEREN'T equal, then I think the program has to go for the better player no matter where they are from.
 

34Gopher said:
Exactly, the Minnesota angle shouldn't matter. Maybe we have better options out there. As an example I would think Gopher fans are pleased that we have Isaiah Washington signed for next year versus McKinley Wright.
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I really like Wright actually. I haven't seen more than highlights of Washington but I trust the coaches who evaluate these kids daily.
 


KillmeNow said:
I agree to a point, and disagree to a point.

What do I mean? Well, if all things are otherwise equal or even close, an example would be a kid ranked #110 from Ohio and a kid from Minnesota ranked #122. Not a big difference, and like I said, if all things are otherwise equal, same type of player, same height, same weight or close, etc., THEN...

then I would go with the local kid. Why? Because of a couple things. The kid would be closer to home and his family support system, so better chance he might behavior a little better and a better chance he won't become homesick and drop out or transfer out leaving the team hanging, like some have in the past. And the likelihood that the kid grew up loving or at least following the Gophers is VERY high, which means that's another reason he might not transfer out if things are going perfectly. He might even be open to staying with the team as a walk-on and backup/bench player if he doesn't pan out like was hoped for. And if he's really good, and is teetering on the fence as to whether or not to go pro or not, as a diehard Gopher fan growing up, he may be just that much more likely to stick around for one more year in hopes of winning a title? And then there is after graduation, a local kid would be more likely to come back home and want to help out the program in some way. I mean, its not a given or a definite, just more likely is all. Kind of a percentages kind of thing. Play the best hand with the best odds and you give yourself the best chance of success. Not sure if a local kid would be more willing to make a sacrifice for the program, like transferring out to make room for a better player or not? But a local kid might feel less alone in the process with friends and family nearby?


But if all things WEREN'T equal, then I think the program has to go for the better player no matter where they are from.
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That's just it though. It feels like a lot of people don't care about that equal vs not equal angle. People would just rather have Mckinely Wright instead of Washington because he's local and people want all local kids.

That's what I find idiotic.

I agree. If two kids are essentially the same with regards to fit, talent level and to a degree, character, then sure give me the local kid. I'm not anti-local kids. But it just feels like there's this agenda now where we've taken the whole "secure the borders" thing too far.

Winning is what brings interest in. The team is winning right now and six of the top eight guys aren't Minnesotans. And one of the Minnesotans can't stop fouling, thus irritates everybody anyways.
 

Winasota Gopher said:
That's not how that went down.

It was Jonathan Nwankwo over Alex Illikainen.
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Yeah I know...my point stands. We wouldn't have gotten Jordan Murphy if we had taken Illikainen. And I have no idea what happened to Nwankwo, but he can't be doing much worse than AI.
 


MadtownGopher said:
Yeah I know...my point stands. We wouldn't have gotten Jordan Murphy if we had taken Illikainen. And I have no idea what happened to Nwankwo, but he can't be doing much worse than AI.
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I was curious and looked it up. He left VCU and is now at a community college - College of Southern Idaho. I'd say that's worse than AI.
 

GopherWeatherGuy said:
I was curious and looked it up. He left VCU and is now at a community college - College of Southern Idaho. I'd say that's worse than AI.
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Barely. Thank god Pitino landed Murphy instead of both. That could be argued as the single most important moment in Pitino's tenure thus far.
 


Cayman said:
New offer to Montez Mathis, SG from Maryland. #149 3-star in the composite, #66 4-star by 247's own ratings.

http://247sports.com/Player/Montez-Mathis-77111
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Not a huge fan of offering kids at this point in the cycle. Outside of the elite kids waiting to commit at the McDonald's game, most are still available for a reason. Would much rather explore the transfer market than a HS guy at this point
 

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