J.P. Macura Evaluating Talent

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60's Guy

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I always thought J.P. belonged in the group of seniors to make it a top four group versus only three. He dominated high school games and demonstrated multiple talents and intangibles. You never got the feeling Pitino was giving him anything but lip service. Of the four guys, one would think, J.P. was the most attainable on day one if you went after him really hard and showed him you wanted him
very badly.

He'd be helpful right now on the Gopher roster and the outlook would be much different. His Xavier team is 9 and 0. J.P. is averaging 11 points a game as a sophomore in 21 minutes on 48% shooting.
Pretty sure he's going to get better.
 

60's Guy said:
I always thought J.P. belonged in the group of seniors to make it a top four group versus only three. He dominated high school games and demonstrated multiple talents and intangibles. You never got the feeling Pitino was giving him anything but lip service. Of the four guys, one would think, J.P. was the most attainable on day one if you went after him really hard and showed him you wanted him
very badly.

He'd be helpful right now on the Gopher roster and the outlook would be much different. His Xavier team is 9 and 0. J.P. is averaging 11 points a game as a sophomore in 21 minutes on 48% shooting.
Pretty sure he's going to get better.
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Pure conjecture.
 


Yeah we missed a good one with JP. Maybe he wanted out of town, maybe RP didn't show enough love - who knows? Xavier sure is fun to watch. Although he isn't starting, (in the couple of games I've seen) he seems to be the first player off the bench.
 

Yeah JP is awesome, plays with a toughness and heart that seems to be missing from this team.
 


Good player. Maybe we beat one South Dakota team with him and we could use shooters. The point is we don't have him . Reid Travis would be nice too. Kind of like talking about Tubby. Sounds like JP fell in love with Xavier on his visit
 

I'm not sure if JP would have signed here over Xavier, but it is a fact that Richard showed little interest in him.
 


Richard showed him so little interest that he offered him early and had him on campus in September. The seeds were sown when the previous coach didn't so much as send him a letter (not conjecture).
 




balds said:
Richard showed him so little interest that he offered him early and had him on campus in September. The seeds were sown when the previous coach didn't so much as send him a letter (not conjecture).
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Wasn't Macura a late bloomer though? He didn't get his first offer until after he completed his junior year, which is also to say he didn't get his first offer until after Tubby had been fired.

Also weren't his finalists us, Creighton, Butler, and Xavier? I thought I remembered him being into the small private school deal, which the U definitely is not.
 

Cayman said:
Wasn't Macura a late bloomer though? He didn't get his first offer until after he completed his junior year, which is also to say he didn't get his first offer until after Tubby had been fired.

Also weren't his finalists us, Creighton, Butler, and Xavier? I thought I remembered him being into the small private school deal, which the U definitely is not.
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JP was somewhat of a late bloomer, but he was on a very talented Lakeville South team, as a Sophomore. They had a bunch of Seniors on that team and they lost in the State Championship game.

He was considered a heavy Butler lean, until Brad Stevens left for the NBA.

As far as Pitino having showing little interest, Richard offered him the first time he saw him play during the July recruiting period and Macura took a bunch of unnoficials to the U thereafter.
 




It seemed well know at the time that JP was more interested in the small school atmosphere and not really interested in the U.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

60's Guy said:
I always thought J.P. belonged in the group of seniors to make it a top four group versus only three. He dominated high school games and demonstrated multiple talents and intangibles. You never got the feeling Pitino was giving him anything but lip service. Of the four guys, one would think, J.P. was the most attainable on day one if you went after him really hard and showed him you wanted him
very badly.

He'd be helpful right now on the Gopher roster and the outlook would be much different. His Xavier team is 9 and 0. J.P. is averaging 11 points a game as a sophomore in 21 minutes on 48% shooting.
Pretty sure he's going to get better.
Click to expand...
Pitino offered JP the first time he watched him play. He absoloutly wanted him.
 

If you accept a so called soft offer that means it's not really an legitimate offer?
 

What exactly is this soft offer crap? He offered the kid after he saw him play for the first time. That we actually know as fact. What exactly is this other "proof" that you guys speak of? Sounds like some weird speculation to complain about Pitino some more.
 

underground629 said:
What exactly is this soft offer crap? He offered the kid after he saw him play for the first time. That we actually know as fact. What exactly is this other "proof" that you guys speak of? Sounds like some weird speculation to complain about Pitino some more.
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Because when people hate those coach they spew whatever crap they can to fit their agenda. The Tubby haters did this as well
 


bemidjigopher said:
Because when people hate those coach they spew whatever crap they can to fit their agenda. The Tubby haters did this as well
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Well Tubby didn't recruit Macura at all. As the others mentioned Macura was a fall back option for Richard as he was after several big time recruits at the same time. Macura didn't want to wait around and committed to the school that wanted him the most. It's not anti-Pitino, it is just the truth. I've said before Pitino deserves at least next year no matter what happens this year.

You want a source? I have a friend who knows the family.
 

GopherWeatherGuy said:
Well Tubby didn't recruit Macura at all. As the others mentioned Macura was a fall back option for Richard as he was after several big time recruits at the same time. Macura didn't want to wait around and committed to the school that wanted him the most. It's not anti-Pitino, it is just the truth. I've said before Pitino deserves at least next year no matter what happens this year. You want a source? I have a friend who knows the family.
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Even without a source this would be a solid assumption. Right or wrong, Pitino made Macura option 3 after Vaughn, Tyus, Reid, etc. it does look like Pitino has adjusted his strategy a bit though by going after more medium-high rated recruits instead of only highly rated recruits that go to blue bloods.
 

scher215 said:
Even without a source this would be a solid assumption. Right or wrong, Pitino made Macura option 3 after Vaughn, Tyus, Reid, etc. it does look like Pitino has adjusted his strategy a bit though by going after more medium-high rated recruits instead of only highly rated recruits that go to blue bloods.
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Agree. Takes awhile to get the 'lay of the land'. To find out who you can get.....what level of recruit. Have to learn your surroundings. Something he has to learn.
 


98VQueens said:
Pretty common. Get with it.
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Why don't you just describe it for me in the case of Macura. He received an offer after the first time Pitino watched him play. What do you think he would've said to qualify his offer?
 

My wife did not accept my soft offer last night........
 

JP was NOT a fallback option for Pitino. Pitino wanted him. He offered him the first time he saw him play live, had him on numerous on-campus visits, & worked hard to try to get a commitment from him. Xavier (and many others) offered before MN did, as Pitino waited to see him play in person. Pitino had to play catch up and I think he closed ground, but ultimately JP chose Xavier. But, JP absolutely had a committable Minnesota offer for weeks prior to his verbal to Xavier. Pitino was sorely disappointed when JP turned him down.

As for counting Macura in the same group as Vaughn and Jones, let's not get too carried away. Those two were instant starters at big time programs, one was the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four, and both were 1st round NBA draft picks. JP has yet to start a college game in his career. That said, I love his game, and he would have likely worked his way into the MN starting lineup last year and would be a top player for the Gophers right now.
 

GopherWeatherGuy said:
Well Tubby didn't recruit Macura at all. As the others mentioned Macura was a fall back option for Richard as he was after several big time recruits at the same time. Macura didn't want to wait around and committed to the school that wanted him the most. It's not anti-Pitino, it is just the truth. I've said before Pitino deserves at least next year no matter what happens this year.

You want a source? I have a friend who knows the family.
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Maybe so, but I doubt Pitino turns him away if JP had picked up the phone and said hey coach I want to come here, we had four spots open in the fall and we needed a couple of wings. Even as option two or three I highly doubt Pitino is dumb enough to turn down a borderline top 100 in state recruit
 

bemidjigopher said:
Maybe so, but I doubt Pitino turns him away if JP had picked up the phone and said hey coach I want to come here, we had four spots open in the fall and we needed a couple of wings. Even as option two or three I highly doubt Pitino is dumb enough to turn down a borderline top 100 in state recruit
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That's possible, but Pitino was after the big three in addition to Isaiah Whitehead, Tum Tum Narin, Sandy Cohen, James Blackmon etc. Meanwhile Chris Mack and Xavier wanted him more. News flash, Xavier is a better basketball school than the Gophers. They've been to the Sweet 16 three of the past six years.
 

GopherWeatherGuy said:
That's possible, but Pitino was after the big three in addition to Isaiah Whitehead, Tum Tum Narin, Sandy Cohen, James Blackmon etc. Meanwhile Chris Mack and Xavier wanted him more. News flash, Xavier is a better basketball school than the Gophers. They've been to the Sweet 16 three of the past six years.
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Not arguing with you that Xavier is better than us they have been since the late 90's. personally with the wide net Pitino was casting I think he would've taken anyone on his radar. I won't argue about Mack wanting him more, can't prove either way. I guess if you have less targets the perception is you're more of a priority, but at the same time Chris Mack had an established program, Pitino didn't. Oh well wish him well, I just take issue with the people saying we didn't want him because that's simply not true
 

DeathClutch said:
JP was somewhat of a late bloomer, but he was on a very talented Lakeville South team, as a Sophomore. They had a bunch of Seniors on that team and they lost in the State Championship game.

He was considered a heavy Butler lean, until Brad Stevens left for the NBA.

As far as Pitino having showing little interest, Richard offered him the first time he saw him play during the July recruiting period and Macura took a bunch of unnoficials to the U thereafter.
Click to expand...

Macura went to Lakevilke North and I believe they lost in the state title game when he was a junior before winning it as a senior (over Hopkins).

His whole situation was bad timing for Minnesota. Not only was the program transitioning coaches, but by no fault of him own, Macura was not Pitino's No. 1 target that season because of the loaded class. No one ever thought Minnesota would get Tyus, but there was some hope that they would snag Vaughn and (especially) Travis. In any "normal" year, Macura is the state's unquestioned top prospect and No. 1 objective with the coaching staff. Unfortunately he just slipped out of their hands, which is too bad. He is the type of player that's going to average 16 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 three-pointers, and shoot 80% from the line when he's a senior. Smart, smooth offensive game and athletic.

And, yes, he was a late bloomer. He started getting looked at by North Dakota State, etc. as a sophomore and then grew a few inches and slowly began to blossom. He visited Purdue shortly before he committed to X, so I'm not sure how close he was to ever considering the U.
 

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