Report: McNeil Coming To Minnesota UPDATED 4/23: McNeil signs LOI with Gophers

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Sounds like he's a combo guard. So maybe Rector (or other PG prospects) are still in the mix.

PiPress Gophers Now ‏@GophersNow 4m
Daquein McNeil's prep school coach said he played him at both guard spots. But McNeil was primarily used as a scorer. #Gophers
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PiPress Gophers Now ‏@GophersNow 2m
McNeil wanted to play for FIU and now Minnesota because of his relationship with Pitino and assistant Kimani Young and the playing style.
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PiPress Gophers Now ‏@GophersNow 24s
McNeil's coach at Vermont Academy Jesse Bopp was a former grad assistant under Shaka Smart at VCU. Had good things to say about Gophers ADs.
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Interesting looking player. Watching the two video's posted here I don't see a college OG at all. I see a bigger Eric Harris. He looked great feeding cutters and making good passe. You saw him make some layups and that was about it. If this kid can be a point guard he looks like a guy with talent that can be a good start to the Pitio era. Clearly Pitino likes him for his style fit but as I have posted before style needs to fit what you can recruit and how well it can work against who you play against. I would like to see more of this kid he looks like a talent.
 


WolfontheProwl said:
Interesting looking player. Watching the two video's posted here I don't see a college OG at all. I see a bigger Eric Harris. He looked great feeding cutters and making good passe. You saw him make some layups and that was about it. If this kid can be a point guard he looks like a guy with talent that can be a good start to the Pitio era. Clearly Pitino likes him for his style fit but as I have posted before style needs to fit what you can recruit and how well it can work against who you play against. I would like to see more of this kid he looks like a talent.
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or a slightly skinnier Eric Harris. Harris was not a small dude.
 

EG#9 said:
Probably unlikely that McNeil had a Louisville offer at the time of his commitment to FIU. From reading both Gopher Warriors post (and some other articles around the web), I think it's likely that McNeil had some of those bigger programs express interest (and possibly offer) before becoming concerned about his academics. From his own mouth, his move to Vermont Academy from Baltimore was good for him academically.

One thing I've noticed about McNeil is that I have not been able to find any video of him finishing with his left hand. There's several plays out there where he seems to go out of his way to get to his right hand to finish. The kid seems like a very good athlete and in that short video I posted of him versus Rector, I thought he looked like the better prospect (obviously a tiny sample size).
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He specifically stated he moved to Vermont Academy because Baltimore schools are not that good. Since I live in Baltimore, I can attest to the fact that Baltimore City schools have issues. So to me this shows some maturity on his part...
 


PiPress Gophers Now @GophersNow 33m
Confirmed the #Gophers received a commitment from Baltimore PG Daquein McNeil, former FIU recruit.
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PiPress Gophers Now retweeted
Alex Kline @TheRecruitScoop 42m
Former Florida International commit Daquein McNeil - a 2013 PG from Vermont Academy - has committed to Minnesota, his coach tells me.
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https://mobile.twitter.com/GophersNow
 

Jon said:
PiPress Gophers Now @GophersNow 33m
Confirmed the #Gophers received a commitment from Baltimore PG Daquein McNeil, former FIU recruit.
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PiPress Gophers Now retweeted
Alex Kline @TheRecruitScoop 42m
Former Florida International commit Daquein McNeil - a 2013 PG from Vermont Academy - has committed to Minnesota, his coach tells me.
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https://mobile.twitter.com/GophersNow
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PiPress Gophers Now @GophersNow 17s
Vermont Academy coach Bopp: "Whether you’re in Miami or in Minnesota, Richard Pitino is going to have the same style of play." #Gophers
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PiPress Gophers Now retweeted
Dave Telep @DaveTelep 21m
If Rick Pitino really wants to help his son Richard at Minnesota, he'll buy a horse and name it "Tyus Jones"
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I want to preface this statement with I really hope this kid is a player. I want nothing more for the gophers but to win often!

but...does anyone find it amusing how quickly our minds change with a new coach? Everyone ripped Tubby for poor recruiting, not getting 4 star or 5 star players, OTO and MAV are terrible division 2 recruits.

I just flipped through ESPN rankings (which are not an exact science nor is any website) but almost EVERY recruit Tubby got was rated higher then this kid. If Tubby would have signed this guy the whole board would be moaning and groining about "another" 2 star player blah blah.....but magically we all think this recruit is a great get for MN and Pitino and I really hope it is but it is incredible how our judgments change with a new coach.
 

bleedgold said:
I want to preface this statement with I really hope this kid is a player. I want nothing more for the gophers but to win often!

but...does anyone find it amusing how quickly our minds change with a new coach? Everyone ripped Tubby for poor recruiting, not getting 4 star or 5 star players, OTO and MAV are terrible division 2 recruits.

I just flipped through ESPN rankings (which are not an exact science nor is any website) but almost EVERY recruit Tubby got was rated higher then this kid. If Tubby would have signed this guy the whole board would be moaning and groining about "another" 2 star player blah blah.....but magically we all think this recruit is a great get for MN and Pitino and I really hope it is but it is incredible how our judgments change with a new coach.
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To be fair I think our expectations are (justifiably) different for a guy who is basically forced to recruit in the spring his first few weeks on the job, and a guy who has had a few years to set a foundation. I think most reasonable posters on here said Tubby's normal cycle recruiting was more than adequate. Where he got in trouble was bringing in spring / panic time recruits that were pretty underwhelming (I know Gopher In Iowa specifically has made this point over and over)
 



With a new coach comes a new set of rose-colored glasses! I thought everyone knew that! :p

I always try to take these "star" ratings with a grain of salt. Can't judge until they have a ball in their hands and play in college. Color me silly, but i always remind myself of Lawrence Maroney, our 2 star running back...there is a gem in every dirt pile. You have to have some faith that the coach can judge talent and understand how the player fits into the plan.
 

bleedgold said:
I want to preface this statement with I really hope this kid is a player. I want nothing more for the gophers but to win often!

but...does anyone find it amusing how quickly our minds change with a new coach? Everyone ripped Tubby for poor recruiting, not getting 4 star or 5 star players, OTO and MAV are terrible division 2 recruits.

I just flipped through ESPN rankings (which are not an exact science nor is any website) but almost EVERY recruit Tubby got was rated higher then this kid. If Tubby would have signed this guy the whole board would be moaning and groining about "another" 2 star player blah blah.....but magically we all think this recruit is a great get for MN and Pitino and I really hope it is but it is incredible how our judgments change with a new coach.
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Not me. Also he's a rivals 3***. Every B1G team recruits 3***s.
 

bleedgold said:
I want to preface this statement with I really hope this kid is a player. I want nothing more for the gophers but to win often!

but...does anyone find it amusing how quickly our minds change with a new coach? Everyone ripped Tubby for poor recruiting, not getting 4 star or 5 star players, OTO and MAV are terrible division 2 recruits.

I just flipped through ESPN rankings (which are not an exact science nor is any website) but almost EVERY recruit Tubby got was rated higher then this kid. If Tubby would have signed this guy the whole board would be moaning and groining about "another" 2 star player blah blah.....but magically we all think this recruit is a great get for MN and Pitino and I really hope it is but it is incredible how our judgments change with a new coach.
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You have a very valid point. But for a spring recruit, and on the extremely short notice Pitino is working with, I have to say he looks pretty decent. Obviously he was already working to get him before as well, but Pitino's options are limited this late in the game. He can't just bank all four scholarship over to next year haha. In regards to Tubby, Oto was a decent pickup for spring as well considering his offers, but just hasn't turned out. This kid could be the same, we'll see. Anytime you bring someone fresh, they always look better than what you had initially. Once the new car shine wears off, people will start to get on Pitino if he's not producing, don't worry haha.
 

I'm not overly excited about this guy, but it seems like he has a pretty high ceiling for a spring recruit. Low risk high reward potential for a recruit this late in the game.

I think most people see this spring class as a gap filler. 2014 is the key class where we can start evaluating for real. I've heard some encouraging words from the local kids over the past few days.
 



Monty519 said:
You have a very valid point. But for a spring recruit, and on the extremely short notice Pitino is working with, I have to say he looks pretty decent. Obviously he was already working to get him before as well, but Pitino's options are limited this late in the game. He can't just bank all four scholarship over to next year haha. In regards to Tubby, Oto was a decent pickup for spring as well considering his offers, but just hasn't turned out. This kid could be the same, we'll see. Anytime you bring someone fresh, they always look better than what you had initially. Once the new car shine wears off, people will start to get on Pitino if he's not producing, don't worry haha.
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That will not happen on GopherHole for at least another two or three weeks.
 

fryguy22 said:
To be fair I think our expectations are (justifiably) different for a guy who is basically forced to recruit in the spring his first few weeks on the job, and a guy who has had a few years to set a foundation. I think most reasonable posters on here said Tubby's normal cycle recruiting was more than adequate. Where he got in trouble was bringing in spring / panic time recruits that were pretty underwhelming (I know Gopher In Iowa specifically has made this point over and over)
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This. He has about 2 weeks to recruit. Let's judge his first real class, next year.
 

The first hot girl you see at the bar always is the prettiest. Then the bar starts to fill up and you realize there are a lot more girls hotter than her. Doesn't mean the first one isn't hot, or isn't the right choice, just means there can always be other options to consider later on.
 

This guy is no worse than Foster and not bad at all for a Spring recruit. Pitino gets a pass on this year's class because he is going to have less than a month to put the class together. If he can get guys like Buckles and Black in addition to McNeil then it will be a great class. If he doesn't then I'm not going to worry too much. Next year is when we can start to judge his recruiting a bit since he'll have more time to recruit and will have a bunch of scholarships to hand out.
 

bleedgold said:
I want to preface this statement with I really hope this kid is a player. I want nothing more for the gophers but to win often!

but...does anyone find it amusing how quickly our minds change with a new coach? Everyone ripped Tubby for poor recruiting, not getting 4 star or 5 star players, OTO and MAV are terrible division 2 recruits.

I just flipped through ESPN rankings (which are not an exact science nor is any website) but almost EVERY recruit Tubby got was rated higher then this kid. If Tubby would have signed this guy the whole board would be moaning and groining about "another" 2 star player blah blah.....but magically we all think this recruit is a great get for MN and Pitino and I really hope it is but it is incredible how our judgments change with a new coach.
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It's spring recruiting. Filling out a roster that lost 4 seniors and 2 recruits after the vast majority of players have signed is not indicative of Pitino's overall recruiting acumen.

That said, McNeil looks like a player. From what I see, he'll immediately have the best handle on the team. He has quick hands and feet and can leap. This will earn him immediate playing time over some of those Tubby spring recruits you mentioned. Pitino is also quite familiar with McNeil and knows he fits how he wants to play. It's not all about rankings and stars.

The problem with Tubby's spring recruiting (along with his in-game coaching) is that it lacked rhyme or reason. He seemed to take guys to fill roster spots. I never felt like he added guys that fulfilled a vision or set a tone for how he wanted the team to play.
 

I would rather had been able to keep Ellis from what I have seen, but for a late pickup I dont have any major issue. I do disagree with the poster that said low risk high reward. I would say low risk if this was a transfer that had a year or two to play left, but if does turn out to be another Mav or Oto then you have a risk IMO.
 

Man time flies I went back and looked and didnt realise Harris was that big. He was such a steady tough guard I totally didnt recall him being 6'3" and 200 pounds when he graduated. So I take back my previous statement this kid is probably about the same size coming in compared to where Harris was at the same age maybe a little smaller.
 

Extensive Q&A: Vermont Academy HC Jesse Bopp Gushes Over New Gopher Daquein McNeil
By Chris Monter

http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/248024?referrer_id=331171


Daquein McNeil, a 6-foot-3, 185-pound combo guard from Saxtons River (VT) Vermont Academy, signed with Florida International in the early signing period. However, McNeil asked for his release after head coach Richard Pitino and members of his staff left for Minnesota. It appears that McNeil will follow Pitino as a member of the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

Gopher Hole caught up with Vermont Academy head coach Jesse Bopp to learn more about his standout guard and his decision to come to Minnesota.

Gopher Hole: I know that Daquein had asked for his release from Florida International. Is he definitely coming to Minnesota or has that been determined yet?

Jesse Bopp: He is definitely coming to Minnesota.

Gopher Hole: For people who maybe have not seen him play, what would you say are his strengths as a player?

Jesse Bopp: I would say that if you watched Louisville win a national championship and you saw how Russ Smith played and the energy that he plays with and the fearlessness that he attacks with, I would say Daquein has a lot of those same attributes. He can really score in a lot of different ways. He is a guy who has a desire to win and I think a lot of them comes from where he is from, some of the things that he has been through and that he has totally built on the things that go into winning and that is how he measures success, as winning.

Gopher Hole: What about things like any player his ages, that he needs to continue to improve on to play at a Big Ten level?

Jesse Bopp: I think for Daquein since he is such a good scorer and driver and that he has had such a success in doing that, that he could continue to develop as an outside shooter. I think that he is a scorer. I would not describe Paul Pierce as a great shooter. He is a great scorer and when he gets that rhythm and a scoring rhythm, I think that Daquein can score in a lot of different ways and that includes making shots. I think for him to improve as a shooter is definitely something that he can get better at and work at, but he can shoot because he is such a good scorer.

Gopher Hole: What about him just as a kid in your dealings with him the past couple of years?

Jesse Bopp: He, in terms of a kid who has had an impact on my life and someone who has taught me and I have learned from and I feel strongly that there is no kid that I have ever been around that I feel as strongly for. He has been here for three years. He was the first kid that made the decision to come to Vermont Academy after I became the coach here. He is from a very difficult, humbling background from East Baltimore and to think that a kid like that can make a transition to a small boarding school in the middle of nowhere Vermont and to turn into and become who he has become is an emotional thing. So I have no doubt in his ability to be someone in that program that is going to have a large impact. It is a huge loss for our program that he is leaving. I have never coached a game here without him here, but I know what he has done here. He has left a mark and left a legacy and for our incoming players and returning players, he is the standard.

Gopher Hole: What did you think when he signed with Florida International in the fall. You probably thought that they were getting a sleeper?

Jesse Bopp: Just my understanding and his understanding of who Richard Pitino was and what he was trying to do and how he felt about Kimani Young and the way that they showed and expressed their commitment to him and how what he was about aligned with who they were and what they wanted their program to be about and their style of play. It worked at the University of Florida for Coach Donovan and at Virginia Commonwealth University for Coach Smart. There are a lot of similarities in play with those programs and how we play and certainly how Louisville plays and a lot of the intangibles that they value. So for me, no matter where Richard Pitino was coaching and where Kimani Young was going to be, if it was at Florida International or Dartmouth or Cal Berkeley, there was such a connection between those guys in all the ways that we think are important for a kid to be connected with their perspective coaches at the next level.

Gopher Hole: How did you first find out about Daquein?

Jesse Bopp: He came to Vermont Academy through a friend in the business. I had just gotten the job and was looking for players and cast a wide net and in walked a very quiet, shy, uncertain 16- year old. We wonder if he was going to be able to make it. We had heard about what kind of kid he was and all the great things he had done, but a lot of kids show up and with an environment that they had no experience with. He was very shy and just to see where he is now three years later is a tribute to Vermont Academy and the way that they have cared for him and the things that he has done.

Gopher Hole: Originally, he picked Florida International over offers from Rhode Island, Richmond, St. Bonaventure and UAB. Had he heard from other schools?

Jesse Bopp: He had interest and was being recruited by Rutgers, Washington and VCU. They were three schools that were invested in the recruiting process with him.

Gopher Hole: Had you heard from many schools in the last week or two who figured that with Coach Pitino leaving that McNeil would re-open his recruitment?

Jesse Bopp: Schools had been reaching out since Coach Pitino left. There have been schools that reached out. I’m not going to go on record saying who those schools are, but there were a fair amount of schools that were interested to find out what he was doing.

Gopher Hole: So you have no doubt that even though people might look at it as a kid who signed with Florida International, you have no doubt that he can play at a Big Ten level?

Jesse Bopp: No question.
 

Chris, your interviews are so direct and to the point, and your questions are answered by your interviewees with professionalism and knowledge.

You, without a doubt, sound a whole lot more thorough than "some people" who spew opinions with nothing but idiot wind.

thank you.
 

gopherbadgerman said:
I would rather had been able to keep Ellis from what I have seen, but for a late pickup I dont have any major issue. I do disagree with the poster that said low risk high reward. I would say low risk if this was a transfer that had a year or two to play left, but if does turn out to be another Mav or Oto then you have a risk IMO.
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Yeah, I don't get the low risk stuff. If he isn't good, he will be eating up a scholarship for 4 seasons. I was impressed with his tape, so I'm not saying that is the case with McNeil, but he's as much of a risk as any other HS recruit.

As far as the Ellis comparison, yeah, I think I would have preferred Ellis as well. They are pretty close though (in terms of rating services and from my novice eye test from an incredibly small sample size). One thing that I do like about this kid is that he seems REALLY fast. I am envisioning a Russ Smith type of player at Louisville (obviously that would be a really pleasant suprise). But they are both definitely PG sized (McNeil is a LOT bigger than Smith when SMith was a FR), they probably are more SGs offensively, but they can both really run and hopefully create havoc with pressure defense.
 

MDGopherFan said:
With a new coach comes a new set of rose-colored glasses! I thought everyone knew that! :p

I always try to take these "star" ratings with a grain of salt. Can't judge until they have a ball in their hands and play in college. Color me silly, but i always remind myself of Lawrence Maroney, our 2 star running back...there is a gem in every dirt pile. You have to have some faith that the coach can judge talent and understand how the player fits into the plan.
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I agree with your overall point about "stars" but Maroney was a 4* recruit on Rivals. Back to the topic...
 

GopherHomer said:
I agree with your overall point about "stars" but Maroney was a 4* recruit on Rivals. Back to the topic...
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May have confused him with Barber, who I believe was 2*. Back to the topic for real... :)
 


Serious!? well crap...i have always worked under the knowledge that he was a low rated recruit. OK...my bad. perhaps a better example would have been Eric Decker?
 


I don't think there's much debate that Ellis is a better prospect overall (as of right now - not saying McNeil can't or won't be a better college player), but I think McNeil fits in better with our current roster and its deficiencies. Ellis looks to be more of a 2/3, and McNeil more of a 1/2, and we need the latter a lot more than the former.
 

EG#9 said:
.... One thing I've noticed about McNeil is that I have not been able to find any video of him finishing with his left hand. There's several plays out there where he seems to go out of his way to get to his right hand to finish. The kid seems like a very good athlete and in that short video I posted of him versus Rector, I thought he looked like the better prospect (obviously a tiny sample size).
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That was my impression as well. Rector did not show that much energy and McNeil seemed to be very involved.
 

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