Great write-up
Blake Hoffarber has a very logical mind and his father is a CPA, so when it came time to sort out the nearly 40 scholarship offers he received from Division I college basketball programs, the Hoffarbers naturally put everything on a spreadsheet. Pluses and minuses, strengths and weaknesses, coaches and locations, academic options and basketball prospects -- everything carefully ranked according to specific criteria, looking for the best fit. And one school eventually stood out as Hoffarber's obvious No. 1 choice.
Notre Dame.
Oh well. It was a fun exercise anyway.
"I really thought I'd be at Notre Dame. I was ready to commit. I was going on an official visit, and I planned to give them my [verbal commitment]," the Gophers senior captain said. "And at the last minute, Minnesota called and offered me [a scholarship]. And I knew right away this was where I wanted to be."
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"The [NBA's tighter] hand-check rules have made guys who can really bury it on a drive-and-pop more valuable. Still, you've got to be able to do more than that. And he'll have to demonstrate he has the range for NBA threes," said the executive, prevented from commenting on the record until after the college season is over. "He reminds me a little of [former North Carolina State sharpshooter] Rodney Monroe -- his shot wasn't enough [in the NBA], but he had a great career in Europe."
Which is not a bad second option, Hoffarber said with evident enthusiasm.
"I'd love to play overseas -- travel the world, live in a foreign country for a few years. I just know it'll be great," said Hoffarber, who has spent his entire life in the Twin Cities. "I've got buddies who have played over there and really enjoyed it."
Former Gophers guard Jamal Abu-Shamala played in Jordan for a season and now plays in Mexico. Forward Dusty Rychart is in the Australian League. Burnsville native Ryan Amoroso plays in Italy, and Hoffarber's former AAU teammate Jaycee Carroll is in Spain.
It's not a bad way to make a living; Americans who fail to make the NBA can expect to earn more than $100,000 in Spain, $50,000 to $150,000 in Germany and as much as $400,000 in Italy.