Recruiting the next few years in Minnesota








I'll never understand how we were unable to retain the tre hollamans of the world, I mean sure Michigan state is a better program, but they haven't exactly been THAT much better than us recently

I don't know, I think Patinos strategy of ignoring Minnesota was unsustainable, but you also can't win with just Minnesota players. Ben has to lock down a high caliber pg, not a marcus carr or even an Andre hollins but a decent starter if he wants to go anywhere.
 

I'll never understand how we were unable to retain the tre hollamans of the world, I mean sure Michigan state is a better program, but they haven't exactly been THAT much better than us recently
This is a joke about Michigan State not being that much better or a program right? They are borderline a blue blood
 

I wish they would list our current players elite skills because I'll admit, I can't tell
Athleticism is a skill too. Also that elite skill can get murky when playing others with similar elite skills.
 




From the original post
I went to see Bloomington Jefferson vs Benilde last night, some observations:
Freitag: Very impressive athlete, strong, can shoot it, good handle, good passer. Can score with both hands. He also spent much of the game bitching at his teammates. It was clear that many on his team didn't care for him, and the whole vibe was not good. Granted, he doesn't have a whole lot of talent on his team and it can get frustrating, but there's a way to do it that doesn't tear everyone down. I understand why Johnson has cooled on him. I'd like his talent on the team, but the rest of the package doesn't seem worth it. Maybe Fleck?

Jalen Wilson, Benilde: 24/7 has him as a 4 star , the #1 rated recruit in the MN class of 2025,, and the 16th ranked SG in the country. He's not the most impressive looking athlete, pretty small in the upper body, not a lot of explosive quickness or lift, but he's about 6'7 and does a lot of things well. Very good shooter, handles it well, very hard-nosed, plays hard on defense, and he's a good team guy. They play him more underneath as more of a 4 or 5 on their team, but that's where they need him.

Jaleel Donley, point guard, Benilde: Class of 2025: I think I saw him rated as #5 for that 2025 class in MN. The guy is about 6'1 and has a great handle and really quick. Hard to say about his shot, haven't seen enough, but he can get it off any time he wants. Great crossover move and fun to watch. The thing is, he's probably about 140 lbs, so he'll
have to gain some weight, but the guy can play.

Christian Wiggins, class of 2026: This is a 9th grader, about 6'3, who can really shoot it. He had 6 3pointers in one game this year and has a sweet shot. He also plays really hard on defense and has the type of frame that will put on some weight and muscle.

Former Gopher Damian Johnson is coaching the Benilde team, and I hope the other Johnson is spending some time over there, that's a fun team to watch, with some of the best young talent in the state. And shooters Ben!!
Jalen Wilson & Damian Johnson were behind the bench during the Iowa game. Saw Thorson talking to both after the game.
 








Rod Williams had athleticism as a FR. His athleticism didnt develop any more over his 4 years at MN.
Did you see Williams in high school vs college? How can you truly say this? He gained like 20 lbs of muscle in those 4 years. You think that had no effect on his athleticism?
 

Did you see Williams in high school vs college? How can you truly say this? He gained like 20 lbs of muscle in those 4 years. You think that had no effect on his athleticism?
Great dunker. Couldn't hit a shot outside of 10 feet though.
 

Now youre getting it. Athleticism is God given. Skills are developed.

Coach.
This is dumb. A basic Google search shows hundreds of workouts to improve athleticism. A certain level of athleticism might be god given, but it can absolutely be improved.
 

You cant prove this. He definitely got stronger & probably a bit more explosive as well.
There is absolutely god given athleticism - Rodney Williams is a good example. Even without lifting weights he already had a (guessing here...) ~40 inch vertical. Yeah there are guys who may be born with a 20 inch vertical and by hard work and training they get it to a 26 inch vertical...but there are still people out there who can roll out of bed, do no training, and jump 40 inches....think Rico Tucker back in the day.
 

Rod Williams had athleticism as a FR. His athleticism didnt develop any more over his 4 years at MN.
Any athlete who works out to improve/maximize his speed, stamina and strength will dispute that and they all do now, not sure if he did or not. If he didn’t, that’s his bad.

Surprising that colleges even allocate funds for S&C coaches, as based on your supposition they’re not needed.
 


Did you see Williams in high school vs college? How can you truly say this? He gained like 20 lbs of muscle in those 4 years. You think that had no effect on his athleticism?
Yup, you can build strength and muscle. Using your words - never said muscle and strength could not be built.

He was already ultra athletic.
 


There is absolutely god given athleticism - Rodney Williams is a good example. Even without lifting weights he already had a (guessing here...) ~40 inch vertical. Yeah there are guys who may be born with a 20 inch vertical and by hard work and training they get it to a 26 inch vertical...but there are still people out there who can roll out of bed, do no training, and jump 40 inches....think Rico Tucker back in the day.
Just stop, the coach and his assistants here cant ever be wrong.
 


Noun - a high degree of NATURAL talent, strength, enthusiasm
 


There is absolutely god given athleticism - Rodney Williams is a good example. Even without lifting weights he already had a (guessing here...) ~40 inch vertical. Yeah there are guys who may be born with a 20 inch vertical and by hard work and training they get it to a 26 inch vertical...but there are still people out there who can roll out of bed, do no training, and jump 40 inches....think Rico Tucker back in the day.
Maybe he got the 40 inch vertical by jumping repetitively 1000s of times playin basketball. Genetics come into play with some of it of course, but there are other factors too that are developed like any other skill. Same with shooting, dribbling, etc… They don’t just roll out of bed, they may not have formal training, but it’s happening somewhere through their daily habits.
 

Yup, you can build strength and muscle. Using your words - never said muscle and strength could not be built.

He was already ultra athletic.
He was ultra athletic because of his habits prior to coming to the U as well. It’s insulting to Rodney to act like he didn’t put in any work to get that athleticism as well.
 




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