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Q&A: Jalen Suggs Holds Offers From Baylor and Georgia Tech, Talks Recruiting
By Chris Monter
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/693119?referrer_id=388419
Jalen Suggs, a 6-foot-1 freshman guard from Minneapolis (MN) Minnehaha Academy, is one of the top guards in the Midwest in the Class of 2020 and is considered the number one prospect from Minnesota in the class.
Suggs averaged 17.3 points per game this past year for the Redhawks, who finished 22-7, losing to St. Croix Lutheran 81-67 in the Section 4AA finals. He scored in double figures in 25 of 27 games with ten games of 20 or more points, including a season-best 29 points versus St. Croix Lutheran in the playoff loss.
Gopher Hole recently caught up with Suggs to talk about the latest on his recruitment.
Gopher Hole: I saw that you picked up an offer from Baylor. Baylor has been a national program. What was the feeling when you heard about the offer?
Jalen Suggs: Just excitement. It showed me that I have to keep working harder to get more offers and stay in the gym. Don't let that get to my head and stay humble.
Gopher Hole: What offers do you have right now?
Jalen Suggs: Baylor, Wright State and Georgia Tech. (UNLV also recently offered).
Gopher Hole: Didn't Wisconsin-Milwaukee offer you a couple of years ago? Is that still there, because I know that they had a coaching change?
Jalen Suggs: I think it is, but I'm not positive right now.
Gopher Hole: I don't know if you have ever Googled yourself, but there was an article a few years ago saying that you were the top seventh grader in the country. What do you think when you see articles like that?
Jalen Suggs: They are fun to see, but I still got to stay humble and stay in the gym, like I said and not let it go to my head.
Gopher Hole: You come from a basketball family. Is that where you got the love of the game?
Jalen Suggs: Yes. I have been playing ever since I was able to touch a ball, really. I had a love for the game. I'd always go the gym. I was always watching games, so ever since I could remember, I have been playing basketball.
Gopher Hole: What would it mean to play Division I basketball?
Jalen Suggs: It would mean a lot to me, but as long as I'm in college for free, that is my main goal. I would love to not pay for college, but go for free.
Gopher Hole: How about this summer? You played for the Grassroots program and you had some good success in some tournaments. How pleased were you with how things went AAU-wise this summer?
Jalen Suggs: I was very pleased. I had a lot of fun this season. It is always fun meeting the new people to play with this season. Obviously, I picked up a couple of offers, which is great and a lot of other people picked up great offers, so it was a good summer.
Gopher Hole: You are often times playing against players three years older. How do you think that helps you as a player playing against bigger, stronger kids?
Jalen Suggs: It has helped me getting more physical. A lot of them are usually stronger than me. I have got to figure out new ways to score and it helps me adapt my game
Gopher Hole: Obviously, you are going to fill out and get stronger, but do players think when they see you are a little bit smaller, do they try to take advantage of that?
Jalen Suggs: Oh, yes. I definitely think that I have a bit of a bullseye on my back, but I like that kind of stuff. I don't back down from it.
Gopher Hole: What things have you been really focused on to continue to improve yourself as a player?
Jalen Suggs: My jump shot and my athleticism. Getting stronger, staying in the weight room. Pushups and all that. That is what I am focused on right now.
Gopher Hole: You have been playing with your high school team. You have had success the past couple of years. What are the expectations for Minnehaha this upcoming season?
Jalen Suggs: State championship. Definitely, state championship. That is our goal right now on everyone's mind and we are going to do our best to achieve that.
Gopher Hole: What do you think that you need to do to get to that level?
Jalen Suggs: Defense. I think that if we play good defense, we are one of the toughest teams in the state. We have the offense. I just think that we need to work on our defense.
Gopher Hole: You have a high school coach in Randy Carter, (a former Minnesota Gopher) who played at the Division I level. What does he tell you about what it takes to play at that level?
Jalen Suggs: Just a level head. Stay strong and don't let anyone get you out of your head. Just play our game and we'll be good.
Gopher Hole: You were recently at the Minnesota team camp. What was that experience like to play in an arena like Williams Arena?
Jalen Suggs: It was a fun time. Playing with all my friends, kids that I grew up with in an arena like that, was a good time.
Gopher Hole: Are you hearing much from the Gophers? I know that it is so early since you are only going to be a freshman this upcoming season. Have you heard much from the Gophers?
Jalen Suggs: I talked to a couple of the assistants, Ben Johnson and all them, but I haven't talked to Pitino or heard anything of an offer yet.
Gopher Hole: What would it mean to maybe have the chance to play for the home state school?
Jalen Suggs: It would definitely be fun having the opportunity to stay home. I know everyone here, so it would be a good time.
Gopher Hole: What levels did your relatives play basketball?
Jalen Suggs: Mostly just went to college. Not really too high D1 and after that really just stopped playing.
Gopher Hole: What would it mean to surpass what they were able to do?
Jalen Suggs: It would mean a lot to me. To be one of the best players in my family, because everyone always talks stuff in our family. No one really backs down. We'll play one-on-one anywhere, so to have that happen, would be great.
Gopher Hole: Who wins those games now?
Jalen Suggs: Right now, my dad is winning, but I haven't played him in a while. It has been awhile since we played, so I think I've got him now.
Gopher Hole: Is it going to be one of those deals that once you finally beat him, he is not going to want to play anymore?
Jalen Suggs: Yes. He already told me that we are going to stop playing anymore because I am starting to getting more physical and bigger. He said that he would give me a year, so I can beat him.
Gopher Hole: Do you like hearing people talk about you as a basketball player, even though you are so young? Does that ever get to be too much sometimes?
Jalen Suggs: No, not really. I like hearing about it. It is always fun to hear those things. Just staying humble. Keep my head right.
By Chris Monter
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/693119?referrer_id=388419
Jalen Suggs, a 6-foot-1 freshman guard from Minneapolis (MN) Minnehaha Academy, is one of the top guards in the Midwest in the Class of 2020 and is considered the number one prospect from Minnesota in the class.
Suggs averaged 17.3 points per game this past year for the Redhawks, who finished 22-7, losing to St. Croix Lutheran 81-67 in the Section 4AA finals. He scored in double figures in 25 of 27 games with ten games of 20 or more points, including a season-best 29 points versus St. Croix Lutheran in the playoff loss.
Gopher Hole recently caught up with Suggs to talk about the latest on his recruitment.
Gopher Hole: I saw that you picked up an offer from Baylor. Baylor has been a national program. What was the feeling when you heard about the offer?
Jalen Suggs: Just excitement. It showed me that I have to keep working harder to get more offers and stay in the gym. Don't let that get to my head and stay humble.
Gopher Hole: What offers do you have right now?
Jalen Suggs: Baylor, Wright State and Georgia Tech. (UNLV also recently offered).
Gopher Hole: Didn't Wisconsin-Milwaukee offer you a couple of years ago? Is that still there, because I know that they had a coaching change?
Jalen Suggs: I think it is, but I'm not positive right now.
Gopher Hole: I don't know if you have ever Googled yourself, but there was an article a few years ago saying that you were the top seventh grader in the country. What do you think when you see articles like that?
Jalen Suggs: They are fun to see, but I still got to stay humble and stay in the gym, like I said and not let it go to my head.
Gopher Hole: You come from a basketball family. Is that where you got the love of the game?
Jalen Suggs: Yes. I have been playing ever since I was able to touch a ball, really. I had a love for the game. I'd always go the gym. I was always watching games, so ever since I could remember, I have been playing basketball.
Gopher Hole: What would it mean to play Division I basketball?
Jalen Suggs: It would mean a lot to me, but as long as I'm in college for free, that is my main goal. I would love to not pay for college, but go for free.
Gopher Hole: How about this summer? You played for the Grassroots program and you had some good success in some tournaments. How pleased were you with how things went AAU-wise this summer?
Jalen Suggs: I was very pleased. I had a lot of fun this season. It is always fun meeting the new people to play with this season. Obviously, I picked up a couple of offers, which is great and a lot of other people picked up great offers, so it was a good summer.
Gopher Hole: You are often times playing against players three years older. How do you think that helps you as a player playing against bigger, stronger kids?
Jalen Suggs: It has helped me getting more physical. A lot of them are usually stronger than me. I have got to figure out new ways to score and it helps me adapt my game
Gopher Hole: Obviously, you are going to fill out and get stronger, but do players think when they see you are a little bit smaller, do they try to take advantage of that?
Jalen Suggs: Oh, yes. I definitely think that I have a bit of a bullseye on my back, but I like that kind of stuff. I don't back down from it.
Gopher Hole: What things have you been really focused on to continue to improve yourself as a player?
Jalen Suggs: My jump shot and my athleticism. Getting stronger, staying in the weight room. Pushups and all that. That is what I am focused on right now.
Gopher Hole: You have been playing with your high school team. You have had success the past couple of years. What are the expectations for Minnehaha this upcoming season?
Jalen Suggs: State championship. Definitely, state championship. That is our goal right now on everyone's mind and we are going to do our best to achieve that.
Gopher Hole: What do you think that you need to do to get to that level?
Jalen Suggs: Defense. I think that if we play good defense, we are one of the toughest teams in the state. We have the offense. I just think that we need to work on our defense.
Gopher Hole: You have a high school coach in Randy Carter, (a former Minnesota Gopher) who played at the Division I level. What does he tell you about what it takes to play at that level?
Jalen Suggs: Just a level head. Stay strong and don't let anyone get you out of your head. Just play our game and we'll be good.
Gopher Hole: You were recently at the Minnesota team camp. What was that experience like to play in an arena like Williams Arena?
Jalen Suggs: It was a fun time. Playing with all my friends, kids that I grew up with in an arena like that, was a good time.
Gopher Hole: Are you hearing much from the Gophers? I know that it is so early since you are only going to be a freshman this upcoming season. Have you heard much from the Gophers?
Jalen Suggs: I talked to a couple of the assistants, Ben Johnson and all them, but I haven't talked to Pitino or heard anything of an offer yet.
Gopher Hole: What would it mean to maybe have the chance to play for the home state school?
Jalen Suggs: It would definitely be fun having the opportunity to stay home. I know everyone here, so it would be a good time.
Gopher Hole: What levels did your relatives play basketball?
Jalen Suggs: Mostly just went to college. Not really too high D1 and after that really just stopped playing.
Gopher Hole: What would it mean to surpass what they were able to do?
Jalen Suggs: It would mean a lot to me. To be one of the best players in my family, because everyone always talks stuff in our family. No one really backs down. We'll play one-on-one anywhere, so to have that happen, would be great.
Gopher Hole: Who wins those games now?
Jalen Suggs: Right now, my dad is winning, but I haven't played him in a while. It has been awhile since we played, so I think I've got him now.
Gopher Hole: Is it going to be one of those deals that once you finally beat him, he is not going to want to play anymore?
Jalen Suggs: Yes. He already told me that we are going to stop playing anymore because I am starting to getting more physical and bigger. He said that he would give me a year, so I can beat him.
Gopher Hole: Do you like hearing people talk about you as a basketball player, even though you are so young? Does that ever get to be too much sometimes?
Jalen Suggs: No, not really. I like hearing about it. It is always fun to hear those things. Just staying humble. Keep my head right.