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New Q&A: J.P. Macura Discusses Butler Coaching News, Recent Gophers Visit and More
J.P. Macura Discusses Butler Coaching News, Recent Gophers Visit and More
By Chris Monter
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/270148?referrer_id=331171
J.P. Macura, 6-foot-5, 185-pound wing from Lakeville North may not be part of the “Big Three” of Minnesota 2014 top recruits. However, that has not prevented Boston College, Butler, Creighton, Dayton, Drake, Florida State, Iowa State, Kansas State, Saint Louis and Xavier from offering him a scholarship. He has also received interest from several high-profile programs, including Minnesota.
Head coach Richard Pitino is expected to watch Macura play this week at the adidas Invitational in Indianapolis, which starts Thursday.
Macura was named second team College Basketball News’ All-Metro and first team Star Tribune All-Metro after averaging more than 25 points per game in his first season of varsity action. Macura helped lead the Panthers to the Class AAAA state tournament this past season.
GopherHole.com caught up with Macura to learn the latest on his recruitment.
Gopher Hole: How many calls did you get Wednesday when Coach Stevens left Butler?
J.P. Macura: I can’t even say how many. Probably around ten, maybe. Some close friends and some other coaches. It was just shocking. No one saw that coming, so they were just checking to see if I was still interested in Butler or not and I definitely am still because the new coach, Coach Miller, I like him a lot and I think that he knows what he is doing. I think that he is going to continue everything that is going on there.
Gopher Hole: You had just been to Butler the previous weekend and there was no indication at all, right?
J.P. Macura: No, nothing at all. Everyone thought that he was going to stay for awhile because they were just moving into the Big East and stuff, but you can’t really pass up a big opportunity like that to coach in the NBA.
Gopher Hole: Have you heard from Coach Stevens since then?
J.P. Macura: No, not yet.
Gopher Hole: Have you heard from the other coaches?
J.P. Macura: I haven’t heard from anybody from Butler yet.
Gopher Hole: Obviously, you have three big weeks of AAU basketball coming up as you play in Indianapolis, Bloomington and Las Vegas. What are you trying to focus on to show the coaches?
J.P. Macura: Just playing team basketball. Nothing selfish. Just playing together and showing the coaches that everyone can play together as a team. Just being able to hit some big time shots down the stretch.
Gopher Hole: Have you started to hear from some new schools with the coaching change at Butler, since many people had thought that they were the favorite?
J.P. Macura: Marquette, Miami of Florida, Xavier, but I have been hearing for awhile. Gonzaga. (D1 Minnesota program director told Gopher Hole that Penn State and Purdue had contacted him this week)
Gopher Hole: Have you had a chance to do much with your high school team?
J.P. Macura: Yes. Three times a week, we have camp at seven in the morning and then we lift right after that. I think on Tuesday night, we have two summer league games against other high schools. We are doing quite a bit with my high school.
Gopher Hole: You were down at Minnesota recently. What was that visit like?
J.P. Macura: I mainly just went down there to hang out some of their players and the coaches. I went out and got some food with (assistant coach) Ben Johnson. I watched a few of their players lift and shot around with Joey (King).
Gopher Hole: What are you hearing from Minnesota?
J.P. Macura: It is just that they are really interested and they just need to see me play.
Gopher Hole: I think that Ben Johnson saw you in Denver, but I don’t think the other coaches got to see you in April, right?
J.P. Macura: I think that it was just Ben who was out there. I think that Pitino is coming to my game in Indianapolis, so that will be good.
Gopher Hole: When you are playing, do you notice the coaches or do you try not to?
J.P. Macura: I really don’t pay too much attention to that and just focus on my game, because if you let that get into your head, then it is hard to play and kids start to do too much to impress them and it goes downhill.
Gopher Hole: But, you do know that they are there?
J.P. Macura: I know that there are there, but I just try not to pay attention to them.
Gopher Hole: Have you even thought about when you might even decide on a school? Are you going to take some more official visits?
J.P. Macura: I think that after July, I am going to take more officials and try to get out to some more schools and decide in August.
Gopher Hole: Do you know what schools you definitely want to visit?
J.P. Macura: No. I haven’t really thought that much about that.
Gopher Hole: Does the Butler situation make you realize that it is a business? You obviously want it to be about the school, but you also have to realize that coaches can leave.
J.P. Macura: Yes. That is what I have to pay attention to. Like Stevens, anyone can leave at anytime. You just never know. You just have to pay attention to that a little bit.
Gopher Hole: To be honest, it seemed like Stevens was one more likely coaches to stay since he had turned down several other opportunities in the past.
J.P. Macura: Yes. It was definitely surprising when he took that job.
J.P. Macura Discusses Butler Coaching News, Recent Gophers Visit and More
By Chris Monter
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/270148?referrer_id=331171
J.P. Macura, 6-foot-5, 185-pound wing from Lakeville North may not be part of the “Big Three” of Minnesota 2014 top recruits. However, that has not prevented Boston College, Butler, Creighton, Dayton, Drake, Florida State, Iowa State, Kansas State, Saint Louis and Xavier from offering him a scholarship. He has also received interest from several high-profile programs, including Minnesota.
Head coach Richard Pitino is expected to watch Macura play this week at the adidas Invitational in Indianapolis, which starts Thursday.
Macura was named second team College Basketball News’ All-Metro and first team Star Tribune All-Metro after averaging more than 25 points per game in his first season of varsity action. Macura helped lead the Panthers to the Class AAAA state tournament this past season.
GopherHole.com caught up with Macura to learn the latest on his recruitment.
Gopher Hole: How many calls did you get Wednesday when Coach Stevens left Butler?
J.P. Macura: I can’t even say how many. Probably around ten, maybe. Some close friends and some other coaches. It was just shocking. No one saw that coming, so they were just checking to see if I was still interested in Butler or not and I definitely am still because the new coach, Coach Miller, I like him a lot and I think that he knows what he is doing. I think that he is going to continue everything that is going on there.
Gopher Hole: You had just been to Butler the previous weekend and there was no indication at all, right?
J.P. Macura: No, nothing at all. Everyone thought that he was going to stay for awhile because they were just moving into the Big East and stuff, but you can’t really pass up a big opportunity like that to coach in the NBA.
Gopher Hole: Have you heard from Coach Stevens since then?
J.P. Macura: No, not yet.
Gopher Hole: Have you heard from the other coaches?
J.P. Macura: I haven’t heard from anybody from Butler yet.
Gopher Hole: Obviously, you have three big weeks of AAU basketball coming up as you play in Indianapolis, Bloomington and Las Vegas. What are you trying to focus on to show the coaches?
J.P. Macura: Just playing team basketball. Nothing selfish. Just playing together and showing the coaches that everyone can play together as a team. Just being able to hit some big time shots down the stretch.
Gopher Hole: Have you started to hear from some new schools with the coaching change at Butler, since many people had thought that they were the favorite?
J.P. Macura: Marquette, Miami of Florida, Xavier, but I have been hearing for awhile. Gonzaga. (D1 Minnesota program director told Gopher Hole that Penn State and Purdue had contacted him this week)
Gopher Hole: Have you had a chance to do much with your high school team?
J.P. Macura: Yes. Three times a week, we have camp at seven in the morning and then we lift right after that. I think on Tuesday night, we have two summer league games against other high schools. We are doing quite a bit with my high school.
Gopher Hole: You were down at Minnesota recently. What was that visit like?
J.P. Macura: I mainly just went down there to hang out some of their players and the coaches. I went out and got some food with (assistant coach) Ben Johnson. I watched a few of their players lift and shot around with Joey (King).
Gopher Hole: What are you hearing from Minnesota?
J.P. Macura: It is just that they are really interested and they just need to see me play.
Gopher Hole: I think that Ben Johnson saw you in Denver, but I don’t think the other coaches got to see you in April, right?
J.P. Macura: I think that it was just Ben who was out there. I think that Pitino is coming to my game in Indianapolis, so that will be good.
Gopher Hole: When you are playing, do you notice the coaches or do you try not to?
J.P. Macura: I really don’t pay too much attention to that and just focus on my game, because if you let that get into your head, then it is hard to play and kids start to do too much to impress them and it goes downhill.
Gopher Hole: But, you do know that they are there?
J.P. Macura: I know that there are there, but I just try not to pay attention to them.
Gopher Hole: Have you even thought about when you might even decide on a school? Are you going to take some more official visits?
J.P. Macura: I think that after July, I am going to take more officials and try to get out to some more schools and decide in August.
Gopher Hole: Do you know what schools you definitely want to visit?
J.P. Macura: No. I haven’t really thought that much about that.
Gopher Hole: Does the Butler situation make you realize that it is a business? You obviously want it to be about the school, but you also have to realize that coaches can leave.
J.P. Macura: Yes. That is what I have to pay attention to. Like Stevens, anyone can leave at anytime. You just never know. You just have to pay attention to that a little bit.
Gopher Hole: To be honest, it seemed like Stevens was one more likely coaches to stay since he had turned down several other opportunities in the past.
J.P. Macura: Yes. It was definitely surprising when he took that job.