BREAKING!!!! Dennis Evans ask for release….

Updated averages of last 6 games: 29.8 minutes, 8.7 pts, 3.2 rbs, 2.3 ast, 1.2 stl

If he leaves here, it won't be because of playing time. I can't imagine him getting the minutes at the overwhelming majority of P6 teams that he's getting here right now.
Those are nice numbers for a frosh. People would be shocked to hear that his 3 point shooting percentage is 32.6% versus Battle's 30.6%. Henley is going to be good. I hope Ben can keep him. Ben has certainly given him a great opportunity here.
 

First of all I have been a die hard Gopher hoops fan for over 50 years. I have spent many hours at Williams Arena as both a season ticket holder and a fan that bought tickets in good times and bad, when we are on the road I don't think I have missed more than 3 or 4 games on TV is those 50 years.

All that being said, I was so excited when Evans signed his letter of intent. I was hitting refresh every 1 minute back in November. I was so excited I texted everyone I knew who was remotely a Gopher fan.

As we all know this has been a really tough year to watch, but I was always reminding myself the future looks bright and in 1 or 2 years we will be competing for a Big 10 Championship. All the wind came out of my sails with the decommit of Evans. Sorry but right at this moment I have lost hope in this team ever turning it around. I am always the most optimistic fan when we hire a new coach. I really thought loved the whole Musselman show, thought Dutcher and Clem were fantastic and Monson was going to be the answer, then Tubby, then Pitino and now Ben. I am starting to question my "homer'ism". I think it is finally time to step back and maybe find a new team to throw my enthusiasm behind. This team has let me down again!!!
 

Shooter chimes in:

Don’t print that​

>> There’s buzz in coaching circles that Arizona State could be the destination for 7-foot-1 Dennis Evans, who not surprisingly decommitted from the Gophers basketball program last week.

Evans’ departure had been rumored for weeks. Don’t be surprised if pal Jaden Henley, a 6-7 Gophers freshman, joins Evans via the transfer portal.

Louisville is also said to be in the mix for Evans, who finished second in scoring for his Hillcrest (Riverside, Calif.) high school team (17-14), averaging 14.7 points.


Go Gophers!!
 


Shooter chimes in:

Don’t print that​

>> There’s buzz in coaching circles that Arizona State could be the destination for 7-foot-1 Dennis Evans, who not surprisingly decommitted from the Gophers basketball program last week.

Evans’ departure had been rumored for weeks. Don’t be surprised if pal Jaden Henley, a 6-7 Gophers freshman, joins Evans via the transfer portal.

Louisville is also said to be in the mix for Evans, who finished second in scoring for his Hillcrest (Riverside, Calif.) high school team (17-14), averaging 14.7 points.


Go Gophers!!
Can I ask a question?

How the hell is a savior to a program, at 7'1" with his wingspan, and a top 20 recruit........how is he averaging 14.7 points a game. That seems incredibly low and almost criminal.

Part of me wants to hang out and see if this guy actually pans out. He is super thin and doesn't score much.
 



First of all I have been a die hard Gopher hoops fan for over 50 years. I have spent many hours at Williams Arena as both a season ticket holder and a fan that bought tickets in good times and bad, when we are on the road I don't think I have missed more than 3 or 4 games on TV is those 50 years.

All that being said, I was so excited when Evans signed his letter of intent. I was hitting refresh every 1 minute back in November. I was so excited I texted everyone I knew who was remotely a Gopher fan.

As we all know this has been a really tough year to watch, but I was always reminding myself the future looks bright and in 1 or 2 years we will be competing for a Big 10 Championship. All the wind came out of my sails with the decommit of Evans. Sorry but right at this moment I have lost hope in this team ever turning it around. I am always the most optimistic fan when we hire a new coach. I really thought loved the whole Musselman show, thought Dutcher and Clem were fantastic and Monson was going to be the answer, then Tubby, then Pitino and now Ben. I am starting to question my "homer'ism". I think it is finally time to step back and maybe find a new team to throw my enthusiasm behind. This team has let me down again!!!
Welcome Buckethead!
 





Still way too out of control. It would serve him well to be playing fewer minutes than he is, to be sat down when he makes some of the dumb mistakes and be coached immediately about the mistake he made.
Henley is a three and a half year starter if he stays.
 









Evans, who is rated among the best high school seniors in the country, asked to be released from his signed letter of intent to the University of Minnesota, according to the Star Tribune's Marcus Fuller.

"People close to Evans told the Star Tribune that he and his family had been thinking for a while that the Gophers might not be the right fit after watching this season," Fuller wrote,
 

Evans, who is rated among the best high school seniors in the country, asked to be released from his signed letter of intent to the University of Minnesota, according to the Star Tribune's Marcus Fuller.

"People close to Evans told the Star Tribune that he and his family had been thinking for a while that the Gophers might not be the right fit after watching this season," Fuller wrote,
So all the poor disorganized play left our golden goose with a poor taste in his mouth, who would've ever thought? Not sure how Ben can possibly be brought back...
 


This is just one ranking, but NW is ranked as the 14th best school in the US. The next BIG10 school is Michigan at 25.

https://www.niche.com/colleges/sear...lRUWUCbJvuORPmYybDH1slD2XUXyPpDMaAsWQEALw_wcB

https://www3.forbes.com/leadership/americas-top-50-colleges-2021-ifs-vue-mn-wnb/?slide=21 *forbes has NW as 10th best in the country (Michigan is the closest Big10 at 22)

https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities
These are the rankings that I go by, and as far as I know are the rankings that actually matter to school presidents as opposed to USNews type rankings: https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2023

They more heavily favor research activity, as opposed to just "reputation".

NW is not a research power. Still, it's #32 in the world by these guys and the 2nd best in the Big Ten.

So perhaps indeed I underestimated NW a bit. I knew they weren't anything like a Stanford or Ivy, and I knew they were behind Michigan. That is correct.


I'm not sure what the reputation of NW is built upon. It's not some crazy academic school, like the U of Chicago, where it's genuinely difficult to survive as an undergrad. Being an undergrad at NW is no more difficult than being an undergrad at any other Big Ten school.

Maybe they have a great law school? Business school? No idea.

Not sure what majors the guys on the basketball team are in. Has to be tough to be in a really rigorous program and play P5 basketball.
 

These are the rankings that I go by, and as far as I know are the rankings that actually matter to school presidents as opposed to USNews type rankings: https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2023

They more heavily favor research activity, as opposed to just "reputation".

NW is not a research power. Still, it's #32 in the world by these guys and the 2nd best in the Big Ten.

So perhaps indeed I underestimated NW a bit. I knew they weren't anything like a Stanford or Ivy, and I knew they were behind Michigan. That is correct.


I'm not sure what the reputation of NW is built upon. It's not some crazy academic school, like the U of Chicago, where it's genuinely difficult to survive as an undergrad. Being an undergrad at NW is no more difficult than being an undergrad at any other Big Ten school.

Maybe they have a great law school? Business school? No idea.

Not sure what majors the guys on the basketball team are in. Has to be tough to be in a really rigorous program and play P5 basketball.
I’m pretty sure the world is run by business majors
 

Shooter chimes in:

Don’t print that​

>> There’s buzz in coaching circles that Arizona State could be the destination for 7-foot-1 Dennis Evans, who not surprisingly decommitted from the Gophers basketball program last week.

Evans’ departure had been rumored for weeks. Don’t be surprised if pal Jaden Henley, a 6-7 Gophers freshman, joins Evans via the transfer portal.

Louisville is also said to be in the mix for Evans, who finished second in scoring for his Hillcrest (Riverside, Calif.) high school team (17-14), averaging 14.7 points.


Go Gophers!!

I wouldn't be surprised. But I'd guess that there is no indication that he's planning to leave yet.....considering that Henley has been getting more and more minutes.
 

So all the poor disorganized play left our golden goose with a poor taste in his mouth, who would've ever thought? Not sure how Ben can possibly be brought back...
Playing in an empty arena without guards or a PG, I’m shocked the young guy wasn’t excited to come here.
 

So all the poor disorganized play left our golden goose with a poor taste in his mouth, who would've ever thought? Not sure how Ben can possibly be brought back...
louisville has been mentioned. even a bigger dumpster fire than the gophers
 



It’s a dumpster fire located near some hoses and a big drum of water. Ours is located in an old barn full of hay.
indeed. Gophers are like a pennsylvania coal mine thats been burning for decades. Louisville is like that house next store that just blew up because someone was making meth

either way, I'd be a bit surprised if Evans ends up at either.

a little bit about the meth cooking at Louisviille. https://slate.com/culture/2023/02/louisville-basketballs-horrible-losing-season-whos-to-blame.html
 
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Can I ask a question?

How the hell is a savior to a program, at 7'1" with his wingspan, and a top 20 recruit........how is he averaging 14.7 points a game. That seems incredibly low and almost criminal.

Part of me wants to hang out and see if this guy actually pans out. He is super thin and doesn't score much.
Neither did Motumbo. Don't know if he was a savior, but with him not actually coming, does Henly stay? They are pals and played AAU together. He was a good piece to have coming. Now we look thinner on the frontline next year than we did. Based on injuries, we need to be able to competently play deep.
 

Did I read that right? Evan's team this year is 17-14? Is that correct?
 

Evans looks painfully unathletic in his final HS game tape. And that’s from his highlights.

Not sure you could get the mpls phonebook under his vertical.
 




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