Clarke, Illikainen, Jarvis, or Grimes?

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golfing18now said:
I agree. Do we know who has closed the deal on these three east coast kids? Has Kimani been the primary recruiter, along with Pitino? Or McHale? Anybody know?
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From a recruiting perspective, Kimani is very important.
 

Winasota Gopher said:
As I echo'd someones sentiments earlier. If they were coming because they wanted to "stay home" they would have been here already. Jarvis and Alex are 2 recruits we spent a ton of time on, don't think of them as local kids anymore.
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It almost seems like the Gophers are being used as a springboard to better offers and maybe a fall back plan, I understand the need to explore other opportunities but it carries the risk that the local offer is no longer on the table. Gophers are in a good place with this class with or without Jarvis and/or Alex.
 

My guess is that both Alex and Jarvis are still very much interested in the Gophers. It's just that they won't be devastated if the scholarships fill up here and they are forced to go somewhere else. It's not like they don't have other good offers on the table. They probably want to take all of their official visits and check out their options before they are ready to make their decisions, and there's nothing wrong with that in my opinion.
 

But as an irrational, Gopher Homer like myself, it's maddening.
 


BarnBoy said:
But as an irrational, Gopher Homer like myself, it's maddening.
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If you're a Gopher Homer, is Gopher Homer a Barn Boy?

I'm happy we are getting early commits....and good ones. Recruits will have to think more about us and maybe commit before it is too late. It beats waiting around till spring and then scrambling for what is left over.
 

Pitino was on with Sid on Sunday. Sid was complaining about the "registrar" not admitting GD. Pitino said it was "unexpected," but they were "working through it." As I recall, Pitino did not come out and specifically say that GD is expected to join the team mid-season, but he gave that impression. Teague was on earlier, and (big surprise), he and Pitino said almost exactly the same thing. I got the sense they don't want to publicly criticize the admissions department, and were trying to play nice.
 

Has anyone heard or seen anything on Clarke taking a visit to the U? I'd be ecstatic to have him, but I think he's more than a longshot without an official.
 

Pocket Gopher said:
Has anyone heard or seen anything on Clarke taking a visit to the U? I'd be ecstatic to have him, but I think he's more than a longshot without an official.
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Clarke visited UConn over the weekend, which I believe was his first official visit. He hasn't announced any other potential visits that I am aware of. Minnesota made the list of his final 7 schools, but I'd consider them an underdog at the moment.
 



Richard said:
Clarke visited UConn over the weekend, which I believe was his first official visit. He hasn't announced any other potential visits that I am aware of. Minnesota made the list of his final 7 schools, but I'd consider them an underdog at the moment.
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I would agree, but it is still fun to dream. He isn't completely ignoring Minnesota fans. He re-tweeted this person's tweet.

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Richard said:
Minnesota made the list of his final 7 schools, but I'd consider them an underdog at the moment.
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With our current roster, needed depth at the 3 and the guards we have signed I would think it is a very attractive school for him. So if by long shot you mean 15+/-% chance...? Ok.
 

golfing18now said:
I would agree, but it is still fun to dream. He isn't completely ignoring Minnesota fans. He re-tweeted this person's tweet.

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If Clarke were next, he almost certainly would not be the "last commit," and it would probably end up a top-10 class.
 




I don't think we, as fans, need to get too caught up in the number of scholarships available. I don't feel like the coaches are taking commitments from players and are going to be like "Oh sh!t, we don't have a scholarship for [coveted player]". If the staff is recruiting like five scholarships are going to be available for 2015, then it's a good bet that five scholarships will be available.

Playing along with the theme of the idea of the thread though, if just one scholarship was available and all four of those kids wanted to come to Minnesota...I'd make another scholarship or two available. If I really have to choose just one, it would be Chris Clarke. I love that kids game and he's going to be a very nice piece wherever he lands. Because Pitino hasn't landed a top instate kid yet, I would choose the instate kid if I thought the talent was really close. I don't feel like Minnesota is in a great position with Clarke though and feel like UConn/Florida/VaTech all are more likely landing spots for him.
 

Alex is my choice. Pitino needs to start making some inroads on the Minnesota kids. Tubby got a couple but onson did a better job of getting the instate folks. I hate seeing Minnesota kids go elsewhere.
 

Otis said:
Tubby got a couple but onson did a better job of getting the instate folks.
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Huh? Which Minnesota kid did Tubby want and not sign? The 2014 class all signed after he left.
 

I don't think he had a chance of getting any of them. And his staff totally blew the management of Royce.
 

Otis said:
I don't think he had a chance of getting any of them.
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I think he would've signed all of them. Both statements are equally provable (i.e., not at all).

Otis said:
And his staff totally blew the management of Royce.
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So it's Tubby's fault that Royce was an idiot lying thief and that Joel Maturi wouldn't let him play for the basketball team?
 

Tubby should have ran off Royce's crew that The Mayor wouldn't allow him to hang with down in Ames. Of course, Fred probably had more pull.
 

Otis said:
Tubby should have ran off Royce's crew that The Mayor wouldn't allow him to hang with down in Ames. Of course, Fred probably had more pull.
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A guy moves hundreds of miles away from home and suddenly the people he knew back home don't have as much influence anymore. Amazing. I'm certain that's never happened before. And, of course, that's in some way Tubby's fault.

Also, all of this has anything to do with the initial comment, which was that "onson" did a better job of signing in-state kids than Tubby. Still waiting on the name of the Minnesota kid that Tubby wanted and didn't get.
 

I live in Tubby's home town and you defend him more than I do! lol (Lexington Park, MD)
 



Otis said:
Alex is my choice. Pitino needs to start making some inroads on the Minnesota kids. Tubby got a couple but onson did a better job of getting the instate folks. I hate seeing Minnesota kids go elsewhere.
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I have no idea if Coffey is close with Alex or Jarvis but I'd like to think the guys playing together with Howard Pulley is a positive experience.. if they enjoy each other and have an interest in playing for the Gophers, that is a good thing. If they get Javis/Alex/Amir/Michael Hurt, you'd think by 2017 they would have a good shot with Mar/Trent JR/Davison etc because all of these guys know each other. There's not a lot of big name AAU teams here so it's easy for the best players in state to play with each other in that circuit.. doesn't happen like that everywhere.
 

I'm completely over making Minnesota kids a priority. Just get the best available. Quit caring about where they come from after that Minnesota kid picked Stanford.
 

diehard said:
I'm completely over making Minnesota kids a priority. Just get the best available. Quit caring about where they come from after that Minnesota kid picked Stanford.
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I'm with you. It's chicken and egg at this point. A Sweet Sixteen or two and the MN kids will start to come. And if they don't, and we keep winning, who cares?
 

BarnBoy said:
I'm with you. It's chicken and egg at this point. A Sweet Sixteen or two and the MN kids will start to come. And if they don't, and we keep winning, who cares?
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Too bad Reid went to Stanford.
 

Otis said:
Alex is my choice. Pitino needs to start making some inroads on the Minnesota kids. Tubby got a couple but onson did a better job of getting the instate folks. I hate seeing Minnesota kids go elsewhere.
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I'm not concerned about getting Minnesota kids as much as I'm concerned about winning games. Become a perpetual NCAA tournament team and the local kids will start pining to come to the U.
 

We don't need Minnesota kids. We need the best kids across the country who want to be Gophers. Wisconsin can have Johnson and Illikainen as long as we get kids who are better than them. Dorsey is better than Johnson. So I think we are doing just fine.
 

I am not sold that Dorsey is better than Johnson. Ratings wise maybe but I think Jarvis has the athleticism to really blossom under Pitino and be a stud player.
 

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