All Things Class of 2025 Gophers Basketball Recruiting Thread

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Per Shooter:

** Tommy Ahneman, the 6-11, 240-pound incoming basketball senior at Cretin-Derham Hall, is Minnesota’s top college prospect. He was North Dakota’s player of the year as a junior last season and currently ranks No. 48 among the country’s top 50 players. Ahneman is just 17 years old.

The way it looks now, Ahneman’s college commitment will be to either the Big Ten or Notre Dame in the ACC. His five finalists — currently there’s no favorite — are Minnesota, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Iowa and the Irish. Academically, he has a 3.3 grade point average.

Besides Ahneman, the consensus Minnesota top-five incoming seniors are, in order: 6-10 Chase Thompson, Alexandria; 6-6 Nolan Groves, Orono; 6-2 Anthony Smith, Hopkins; 6-6 Jalen Wilson, Benilde-St. Margaret’s.

www.twincities.com

Charley Walters: Signs point to this being make-or-break season for Vikings’ Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, Kevin O’Connell

It would seem the Vikings would be more inclined to give O’Connell an extension than Adofo-Mensah.
www.twincities.com www.twincities.com

Go Gophers!!
 



Let's face the facts head-on. Recruiting is totally irrelevant.

Yes there will be resistance to this new reality. Some will say that there's a better chance a recruit sticks around than if we had no previous contact with him.

But that is false. Clearly. For instance, just look at our team. Not even one single recruit stayed...and not even one single current player was a recruit.
 

EasyThere Pilgrim said:
Let's face the facts head-on. Recruiting is totally irrelevant.

Yes there will be resistance to this new reality. Some will say that there's a better chance a recruit sticks around than if we had no previous contact with him.

But that is false. Clearly. For instance, just look at our team. Not even one single recruit stayed...and not even one single current player was a recruit.
Click to expand...
If you have competitive NIL funding and a coach who has a good relationship with his players you have a better chance of keeping your players than losing them. Last year we just did not have the funds to keep the guys we wanted to keep. Carrington and JOJ were let go. Payne was the only HS recruit we lost to NIL and he was lost because they had to scrap money just to keep Garcia- who we still underpaid versus the market. Recruiting matters.
 

Even the best teams will have turnover. I keep thinking Pro terms: I feel like every Super Bowl champ is either poached hard or has to overpay a few players which forces the departure of others. Either way- damn near impossible to keep a core together nowadays. Even bottomless pockets GSW could only figure out how to deal with their luxury tax/curtain/whatever situation for so long.

You recruit what you can, keep as many of them as you can (or want), and fill in the rest with transfers. If you can keep 1/3 or 1/4 for four years, but that 1 is a Dawson Garcia, gotta consider that a win in my book. Crazy how times have changed
 





bga1 said:
If you have competitive NIL funding and a coach who has a good relationship with his players you have a better chance of keeping your players than losing them. Last year we just did not have the funds to keep the guys we wanted to keep. Carrington and JOJ were let go. Payne was the only HS recruit we lost to NIL and he was lost because they had to scrap money just to keep Garcia- who we still underpaid versus the market. Recruiting matters.
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Our administration hired Coyle to research this. He says he's looking into it. Monitoring the changing landscape. Embracing the long-term challenge...with very real determination - NO ONE wants to win more than Coyle. He's focused like a laser to eventually get us into the NCAA Tournament.

Obviously we'll never be able to pay even 1/4 of what the big schools pay. Matching our 2 NCAA wins in the next 27 years will be a big challenge. But Coyle is right on top of it. If we can just squeak into the NCAA once in the next 10 years...hey, anything can happen...
 

Ski-U-Ham said:

Doesn't give me a great feeling about landing Amari Allen

247sports.com

Keaton Wagler, Shawnee Mission Northwest , Shooting Guard

1/26/2024: Keaton Wagler is a 6-4, 175-pound Shooting Guard from Shawnee, KS.
247sports.com 247sports.com
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I'm thinking he just impressed at an event considering Illinois also offered on the 22nd. Wouldn't read too much into it other than he put on a show at an event that we saw. We've got extra room, why not offer good players.
 





BleedGopher said:
Per Shooter:

** Tommy Ahneman, the 6-11, 240-pound incoming basketball senior at Cretin-Derham Hall, is Minnesota’s top college prospect. He was North Dakota’s player of the year as a junior last season and currently ranks No. 48 among the country’s top 50 players. Ahneman is just 17 years old.

The way it looks now, Ahneman’s college commitment will be to either the Big Ten or Notre Dame in the ACC. His five finalists — currently there’s no favorite — are Minnesota, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Iowa and the Irish. Academically, he has a 3.3 grade point average.

Besides Ahneman, the consensus Minnesota top-five incoming seniors are, in order: 6-10 Chase Thompson, Alexandria; 6-6 Nolan Groves, Orono; 6-2 Anthony Smith, Hopkins; 6-6 Jalen Wilson, Benilde-St. Margaret’s.

www.twincities.com

Charley Walters: Signs point to this being make-or-break season for Vikings’ Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, Kevin O’Connell

It would seem the Vikings would be more inclined to give O’Connell an extension than Adofo-Mensah.
www.twincities.com www.twincities.com

Go Gophers!!
Click to expand...
Any info on where we are with the other four?
 


Per Marcus:

Gophers men’s basketball coach Ben Johnson will kick off the first big recruiting week of the fall by hosting four-star Wisconsin guard Amari Allen and others starting Thursday.

Allen, a 6-7, 195-pound senior at Ashwaubenon High School near Green Bay, narrowed his list to six schools, including rival Wisconsin. The Gophers have been as persistent as any program recruiting Allen since he played at IMG Academy in Florida as a sophomore.

Joining Allen to watch Thursday’s Gophers football opener against North Carolina will also be 6-11 Cretin-Derham Hall senior Tommy Ahneman, who will be on an unofficial visit.

“I’m just excited to be able to get on campus in Minnesota,” Allen told the Star Tribune. “It’s kind of close to home, so it’s not that hard to travel. Being able to see the atmosphere at the football game vs. North Carolina should be good.”

The Gophers coaching staff followed Allen closely this summer playing for the Wisconsin-based Power Five AAU program on the Adidas circuit. They haven’t missed one of Allen’s games during the live period.

“That definitely means a lot,” Allen said. “There was more than one coach at every single game [in the July recruiting period]. They’ve made it known I’m a priority for them and have put in the effort to see me play.”

In the Class of 2025, Allen is ranked No. 52 nationally by Rivals, No. 53 by Prep Hoops and No. 98 by 247Sports’ composite ranking. His other official visits scheduled are Alabama (Aug. 31), Nevada (Sept. 2), Mississippi State (Sept. 7), Wisconsin (Sept. 14) and Central Florida (Sept. 28).

Allen plans to announce his college decision at least a month before the early signing period in November.

www.startribune.com

Highly touted Wisconsin recruit Amari Allen has official visit with Gophers on Thursday

Amari Allen will join Cretin-Derham Hall senior Tommy Ahneman, who is making an unofficial visit with the Gophers.
www.startribune.com www.startribune.com

Go Gophers!!
 

BleedGopher said:
Per Marcus:

Gophers men’s basketball coach Ben Johnson will kick off the first big recruiting week of the fall by hosting four-star Wisconsin guard Amari Allen and others starting Thursday.

Allen, a 6-7, 195-pound senior at Ashwaubenon High School near Green Bay, narrowed his list to six schools, including rival Wisconsin. The Gophers have been as persistent as any program recruiting Allen since he played at IMG Academy in Florida as a sophomore.

Joining Allen to watch Thursday’s Gophers football opener against North Carolina will also be 6-11 Cretin-Derham Hall senior Tommy Ahneman, who will be on an unofficial visit.

“I’m just excited to be able to get on campus in Minnesota,” Allen told the Star Tribune. “It’s kind of close to home, so it’s not that hard to travel. Being able to see the atmosphere at the football game vs. North Carolina should be good.”

The Gophers coaching staff followed Allen closely this summer playing for the Wisconsin-based Power Five AAU program on the Adidas circuit. They haven’t missed one of Allen’s games during the live period.

“That definitely means a lot,” Allen said. “There was more than one coach at every single game [in the July recruiting period]. They’ve made it known I’m a priority for them and have put in the effort to see me play.”

In the Class of 2025, Allen is ranked No. 52 nationally by Rivals, No. 53 by Prep Hoops and No. 98 by 247Sports’ composite ranking. His other official visits scheduled are Alabama (Aug. 31), Nevada (Sept. 2), Mississippi State (Sept. 7), Wisconsin (Sept. 14) and Central Florida (Sept. 28).

Allen plans to announce his college decision at least a month before the early signing period in November.

www.startribune.com

Highly touted Wisconsin recruit Amari Allen has official visit with Gophers on Thursday

Amari Allen will join Cretin-Derham Hall senior Tommy Ahneman, who is making an unofficial visit with the Gophers.
www.startribune.com www.startribune.com

Go Gophers!!
Click to expand...
Honestly, this makes me cautiously optimistic that we could land him. Showing up for all of his games is very meaningful. And Ahmeman looking forward to the campus as much as he does is also encouraging. I don't want to get my hopes up, but I don't always want to be doom and gloom. I just have a good feeling.
 


EG#9 said:
Kai Shinholster took an official visit during the UNC game. Also has official visits scheduled with James Madison and Florida Atlantic. Might be a name to keep an eye on.
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Ryan James provides details about the visit here in front of the paywall. Shinholster enjoyed his visit and hopes to make a decision soon.
 

EG#9 said:
Kai Shinholster took an official visit during the UNC game. Also has official visits scheduled with James Madison and Florida Atlantic. Might be a name to keep an eye on.
Click to expand...
His name is Shinholster. How can you not keep an eye on that?
 



Alabama has one of the top NIL funds of all schools. Is Allen a priority for them?
 



The Gophers cannot win by recruiting high schoolers because they cannot keep them for four years. The Gophers have to build via free agency. Otherwise, the Gophers will be the equivalent of a community college feeder program.
 

FinnGopher said:
The Gophers cannot win by recruiting high schoolers because they cannot keep them for four years. The Gophers have to build via free agency. Otherwise, the Gophers will be the equivalent of a community college feeder program.
Click to expand...
It won't be either or. If Ben can get 1-3 high schoolers, he's shown the ability to get high quality transfers to come here. And I don't think anyone can keep a guy for four years. If they do, major props. The only thing missing is a decent S.O.S 😅
 

Hopefully this starts a domino effect 🙏 🤞🤞🤞
 

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