Q&A: Jimmy Whitt on Recent Gophers Visit: I really liked it. I loved being up there.

[GopherHole Staff]

Q&A: Jimmy Whitt on Recent Gophers Visit: I really liked it. I loved being up there.

Q&A: Jimmy Whitt on Recent Gophers Visit: "I really liked it. I loved being up there."
By Chris Monter

http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/399860?referrer_id=331171

Jimmy Whitt, a 6-foot-2, 170-pound rising senior guard from Columbia (MO) Hickman, was recently ranked as the #52 player in the country by Yahoo Sports. Whitt helped lead the K.C. Run GMC team to the Jayhawk Invitational title in April and they have advanced to the semifinals of the Howard Pulley Invitational, despite missing two starters.

Whitt helped lead the Kewpies to a 27-3 mark, losing to Christian Brothers 86-77 in overtime in the Class 5A title game. Whitt had 29 points, seven rebounds and seven steals in the game as Hickman rallied from a twelve-point deficit at the end of the third quarter to force overtime.

White was named Class 5A All-State after averaging 22.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.4 steals per game this season.

Whitt and his Hickman teammates attended the Minnesota Team Camp this past weekend. He was forced to miss his game Sunday after losing a tooth in a game Saturday that required a four-hour emergency hospital visit. Gopher Hole.com recently caught up with Whitt to learn the latest on his recruitment.

Gopher Hole: Most importantly, how is your mouth?

Jimmy Whitt: The mouth is good. They ended getting the tooth back in and they just gave me these braces. It will be fine. I'll be good.

Gopher Hole: Every player has had some injuries. Have you had any injuries in the recent past?

Jimmy Whitt: Not too many injuries. My freshman year, I had a different tooth hit and I had to get a root canal, so this is the second mouth injury. I am going have to invest in a mouth piece.

Gopher Hole: How was the trip to Minnesota?

Jimmy Whitt: It was great. They showed around the camps and everything. Talked about their program. Talked about different ways that I would fit in. It really helped me imagine myself in the program, in the system and in their style of play.

Gopher Hole: Your head coach, David Johnson, attended Fergus Falls Community College and cached in Brainerd. Had he told you much about Minnesota before this trip?

Jimmy Whitt: We talked about Minnesota a little bit, the city and everything. It is a great place to live. There is so much support, fan support. You come up here and you will be known by the fans, the people and you will have so many connections from the business standpoint and everything, because that is what I want to study for. There are so many opportunities here.

Gopher Hole: What is your recruitment like right now? Are you pretty much narrowing down schools yet or are you still open to new schools?

Jimmy Whitt: I'm still open. The new schools that I have talked to are Marquette, North Carolina, Indiana and KU, so I am still talking to schools like that. I am going to narrow it down after July, though. That is when I am going to really start chopping down the list to about five to eight and talk to my parents about where we want to take the official visits.

Gopher Hole: Do you know what schools you definitely want to visit or have you thought that far?

Jimmy Whitt: I don't think that there are any schools that I definitely want to go to. We are just taking it all in right now.

Gopher Hole: I know that you were at the recent NBA Top 100 Camp. What was that experience like playing against some of the top players in the country?

Jimmy Whitt: Great experience. Being able to go out there with professional people who have been down the road in your shoes. They have been there. Ex-pros who know what you need to do to get there. They are people that have made it there from lottery picks to people who were undrafted who had to work their way even harder. To be able to see that and have them talk to you and pick their brain about the different things in the NBA and how to make it, is huge for me.

Goper Hole: How about playing against some of the top players, so you can see how you stack up and what things you need to work on?

Jimmy Whitt: Playing was great because you are playing with so many great players. It is not like AAU, where not everyone is top ranked. Every player is top where they are from, so they are the best of the best. Every game is the highest level of competition that you can get, so it really helps you figure out your strengths and weaknesses. What you do really great on the court and what you need to work on.

Gopher Hole: Obviously, Columbia Hickman is right there by the University of Missouri. Do most of your friends and family want you to play close to home?

Jimmy Whitt: Obviously, since being in town, there is a lot of people that want me to stay home and be in Mizzou, but at the end of the day, I have a lot of people around me that just want the best for me and feel that wherever I am most comfortable and excel the most, is where they want me to go.

Gopher Hole: Does this visit give you a little appreciation for Minnesota?

Jimmy Whitt: Definitely. It really helped me gauge my interest and gauge how serious Minnesota was and how much I liked the town. I really liked it. I loved being up there. Being able to play in front of Coach. Being able to talk to Coach and everything. Being able to meet some of the players. It was a great experience for me.

Gopher Hole: Does this make you even more aware how nice it might be to play here?

Jimmy Whitt: Definitely. It really increased my interest in Minnesota being able to get up here and see it for myself.

Gopher Hole: You definitely plan on signing in the fall, right?

Jimmy Whitt: Yes. I am definitely going to take my official visits before my season when college is back in and I'll commit before my first game, sometime before then.

Gopher Hole: You were missing a likely starter and a couple of key reserves this past weekend. How much do you think that you gained as a team playing in a camp like this?

Jimmy Whitt: Definitely, we grow a lot as a team. More physical. We had to play more physically as team, being able to gauge how we were against some top schools, like teams that won state. Teams like Apple Valley who has had Tyus Jones on their team, so they know how to move the ball and play as a team. We are young, so it was a huge learning experience for us.

 

[Rouser]

Q&A: Jimmy Whitt on Recent Gophers Visit: "I really liked it. I loved being up there." By Chris Monter http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/399860?referrer_id=331171 Jimmy Whitt, a 6-foot-2, 170-pound rising senior guard from Columbia (MO) Hickman, was recently ranked as the #52 player in the country by Yahoo Sports. Whitt helped lead the K.C. Run GMC team to the Jayhawk Invitational title in April and they have advanced to the semifinals of the Howard Pulley Invitational, despite missing two starters. Whitt helped lead the Kewpies to a 27-3 mark, losing to Christian Brothers 86-77 in overtime in the Class 5A title game. Whitt had 29 points, seven rebounds and seven steals in the game as Hickman rallied from a twelve-point deficit at the end of the third quarter to force overtime. White was named Class 5A All-State after averaging 22.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.4 steals per game this season. Whitt and his Hickman teammates attended the Minnesota Team Camp this past weekend. He was forced to miss his game Sunday after losing a tooth in a game Saturday that required a four-hour emergency hospital visit. Gopher Hole.com recently caught up with Whitt to learn the latest on his recruitment. Gopher Hole: Most importantly, how is your mouth? Jimmy Whitt: The mouth is good. They ended getting the tooth back in and they just gave me these braces. It will be fine. I'll be good. Gopher Hole: Every player has had some injuries. Have you had any injuries in the recent past? Jimmy Whitt: Not too many injuries. My freshman year, I had a different tooth hit and I had to get a root canal, so this is the second mouth injury. I am going have to invest in a mouth piece. Gopher Hole: How was the trip to Minnesota? Jimmy Whitt: It was great. They showed around the camps and everything. Talked about their program. Talked about different ways that I would fit in. It really helped me imagine myself in the program, in the system and in their style of play. Gopher Hole: Your head coach, David Johnson, attended Fergus Falls Community College and cached in Brainerd. Had he told you much about Minnesota before this trip? Jimmy Whitt: We talked about Minnesota a little bit, the city and everything. It is a great place to live. There is so much support, fan support. You come up here and you will be known by the fans, the people and you will have so many connections from the business standpoint and everything, because that is what I want to study for. There are so many opportunities here. Gopher Hole: What is your recruitment like right now? Are you pretty much narrowing down schools yet or are you still open to new schools? Jimmy Whitt: I'm still open. The new schools that I have talked to are Marquette, North Carolina, Indiana and KU, so I am still talking to schools like that. I am going to narrow it down after July, though. That is when I am going to really start chopping down the list to about five to eight and talk to my parents about where we want to take the official visits. Gopher Hole: Do you know what schools you definitely want to visit or have you thought that far? Jimmy Whitt: I don't think that there are any schools that I definitely want to go to. We are just taking it all in right now. Gopher Hole: I know that you were at the recent NBA Top 100 Camp. What was that experience like playing against some of the top players in the country? Jimmy Whitt: Great experience. Being able to go out there with professional people who have been down the road in your shoes. They have been there. Ex-pros who know what you need to do to get there. They are people that have made it there from lottery picks to people who were undrafted who had to work their way even harder. To be able to see that and have them talk to you and pick their brain about the different things in the NBA and how to make it, is huge for me. Goper Hole: How about playing against some of the top players, so you can see how you stack up and what things you need to work on? Jimmy Whitt: Playing was great because you are playing with so many great players. It is not like AAU, where not everyone is top ranked. Every player is top where they are from, so they are the best of the best. Every game is the highest level of competition that you can get, so it really helps you figure out your strengths and weaknesses. What you do really great on the court and what you need to work on. Gopher Hole: Obviously, Columbia Hickman is right there by the University of Missouri. Do most of your friends and family want you to play close to home? Jimmy Whitt: Obviously, since being in town, there is a lot of people that want me to stay home and be in Mizzou, but at the end of the day, I have a lot of people around me that just want the best for me and feel that wherever I am most comfortable and excel the most, is where they want me to go. Gopher Hole: Does this visit give you a little appreciation for Minnesota? Jimmy Whitt: Definitely. It really helped me gauge my interest and gauge how serious Minnesota was and how much I liked the town. I really liked it. I loved being up there. Being able to play in front of Coach. Being able to talk to Coach and everything. Being able to meet some of the players. It was a great experience for me. Gopher Hole: Does this make you even more aware how nice it might be to play here? Jimmy Whitt: Definitely. It really increased my interest in Minnesota being able to get up here and see it for myself. Gopher Hole: You definitely plan on signing in the fall, right? Jimmy Whitt: Yes. I am definitely going to take my official visits before my season when college is back in and I'll commit before my first game, sometime before then. Gopher Hole: You were missing a likely starter and a couple of key reserves this past weekend. How much do you think that you gained as a team playing in a camp like this? Jimmy Whitt: Definitely, we grow a lot as a team. More physical. We had to play more physically as team, being able to gauge how we were against some top schools, like teams that won state. Teams like Apple Valley who has had Tyus Jones on their team, so they know how to move the ball and play as a team. We are young, so it was a huge learning experience for us.

That's an encouraging interview. Whitt seems to have a good head on his shoulders. Also. Proves that having the kids attend these camps is a HUGE deal for recruiting. Getting kids on campus is so big. Plus. It's nice here in the summer. That doesn't hurt!

 

[Eye of the Gopher]

Great interview. Sounds like he got the hard sell on all of the positives of coming here and is buying into it.

Whitt, Jarvis, and Illikainen....my God.

 

[Keyser Söze]

Wait, I thought players attending team camps here meant next to nothing?

In all seriousness, Whitt sounds like a smart kid and he would be an awesome addition to the team. Hopefully he takes an official here.

 

[MadtownGopher]

Couldn't really ask for a more positive interview, I think we may have a shot with this kid.

 

[The Brain Trust]

Surprised he did not set up an official visit since attending a team camp along with 500 other campers is considered a major recruiting coup by some folks

 

[jaymil]

Surprised he did not set up an official visit since attending a team camp along with 500 other campers is considered a major recruiting coup by some folks

So after this interview you still believe the visit meant next to nothing?

 

[Golden_Sloth]

Hard to get too excited with all the bluebloods after him, but at least it seems like he's going about his recruitment the right way and has his priorities straight.

 

[go_gophers]

Surprised he did not set up an official visit since attending a team camp along with 500 other campers is considered a major recruiting coup by some folks

Surprised you still don't get it...wait...no I'm not. Happy Trolling!

 

[The Brain Trust]

So after this interview you still believe the visit meant next to nothing?

Here is the way it works fellas, His high school coach attended school in MN. He brings his team in for the the gopher camp and Whitt happens to be on his team. The fact that Whitt came here with his team is not indicative of any interest by him of playing here henceforth it means little. People! he came here with his team... he did not come here on his own! At best this team camp gets him to take a dedicated visit here in the future. These interviews almost always sound promising but need to be taken with a grain of salt

 

[HOOP DREAMS]

Here is the way it works fellas, His high school coach attended school in MN

Aren't you a member for the grammar police?

 

[BarnBoy]

Whether it's Jimmy Whitt, Newton, Travis, etc, I am not getting my hopes up for any 4* or 5* recruit. Will it eventually happen? Who knows?

I trust in Pitino and will continue to be a huge fan. But my gut tells me we are going to have to break through the ceiling with guys like Lil'Dre and Martin. We're not in a position yet to snatch 4s and 5s.

I don't buy into a non-MN guy wanting to take a leap of faith.

Go Gophers!

 

[HOOP DREAMS]

People! he came here with his team... he did not come here on his own!

This.

Jimmy Whitt: It was great. They showed around the camps and everything. Talked about their program. Talked about different ways that I would fit in. It really helped me imagine myself in the program, in the system and in their style of play.

 

[fryguy22]

Whether it's Jimmy Whitt, Newton, Travis, etc, I am not getting my hopes up for any 4* or 5* recruit. Will it eventually happen? Who knows?

I trust in Pitino and will continue to be a huge fan. But my gut tells me we are going to have to break through the ceiling with guys like Lil'Dre and Martin. We're not in a position yet to snatch 4s and 5s.

I don't buy into a non-MN guy wanting to take a leap of faith.

Go Gophers!

Why Jarvis and Alex are very important.

 

[underground629]

Here's how it actually worked, fella. Regardless of his interest in MN prior to the visit, the camp allowed him to see the campus, learn about the program, and talk with the coaches in person. It's kinda like how hosting EYBL games here is beneficial. Players who might not visit otherwise are able to take an unofficial visit.

Here is the way it works fellas, His high school coach attended school in MN. He brings his team in for the the gopher camp and Whitt happens to be on his team. The fact that Whitt came here with his team is not indicative of any interest by him of playing here henceforth it means little. People! he came here with his team... he did not come here on his own! At best this team camp gets him to take a dedicated visit here in the future. These interviews almost always sound promising but need to be taken with a grain of salt

 

[stocker08]

Here's how it actually worked, fella. Regardless of his interest in MN prior to the visit, the camp allowed him to see the campus, learn about the program, and talk with the coaches in person. It's kinda like how hosting EYBL games here is beneficial. Players who might not visit otherwise are able to take an unofficial visit.

.

 

[Keyser Söze]

Here's how it actually worked, fella. Regardless of his interest in MN prior to the visit, the camp allowed him to see the campus, learn about the program, and talk with the coaches in person. It's kinda like how hosting EYBL games here is beneficial. Players who might not visit otherwise are able to take an unofficial visit.

Exactly. It's amazing how he is unable (unwilling?) to grasp this obvious fact.

 

[GameDay]

The interview was very encouraging and I get the impression that he really liked Minneapolis. He sounds like a kid with a good head on his shoulders! That being said, he's an out-of-stater and he's going to have offers from some big-name schools. Until proven otherwise, I don't expect him to end up a Gopher. It will be interesting to see if we can make his final list of 5-8 schools though, although I still don't think that's a given.

 

[The Brain Trust]

Here's how it actually worked, fella. Regardless of his interest in MN prior to the visit, the camp allowed him to see the campus, learn about the program, and talk with the coaches in person. It's kinda like how hosting EYBL games here is beneficial. Players who might not visit otherwise are able to take an unofficial visit.

exactly my point... my good man...Whitt coming here as part of team camp meant very little with respect to gauging a serious interest level on his part, in the program. I never opinioned that he would avoid talking with staff members and learn about the program while here.

 

[Keyser Söze]

exactly my point... my good man...Whitt coming here as part of team camp meant very little with respect to gauging a serious interest level on his part, in the program. I never opinioned that he would avoid talking with staff members and learn about the program while here.

This is exactly why him coming here doesn't mean next to nothing. If he comes here and likes what he sees, that's valuable. No one is saying that his team coming here means that he loves the Gophers yet you keep acting like we do. Do you get it yet? How can a person be this slow?

 

[stocker08]

This is exactly why him coming here doesn't mean next to nothing. If he comes here and likes what he sees, that's valuable. No one is saying that his team coming here means that he loves the Gophers yet you keep acting like we do. Do you get it yet? How can a person be this slow?

He doesn't seem to understand the benefits of having a potential recruit here. Clearly slow.

 

[underground629]

Haha, Brain Trust's response to me confirmed that he isn't worth our time. I should've realized long ago though.

This is exactly why him coming here doesn't mean next to nothing. If he comes here and likes what he sees, that's valuable. No one is saying that his team coming here means that he loves the Gophers yet you keep acting like we do. Do you get it yet? How can a person be this slow?

 

[Keyser Söze]

Haha, Brain Trust's response to me confirmed that he isn't worth our time. I should've realized long ago though.

I just wonder if he's a troll who is messing with us or if he's actually this dumb/stubborn. Oh well, not worth our time like you said.