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

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captain.hindsight said:
Chip was athletic. I think, and hope, that the difference is that McNeil can finish. Chip never had that quality to him unless he could be close enough to dunk.
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Chip couldn't handle a bit or play defense. When you look at players who go to say a Florida Gulf Coast a lot of them can compete at a high level. There are a bunch of good players out there that were not blue chip recruits you just have to find then and project what they will be in college. Hopefully Mcneil will be one of those guys who can play at a high level. Tubby's evaluations of lesser recruited players seemed suspect. You think he could have came up with one diamond in the rough.
 

gopherMD said:
There very few top-tier recruits left at this time of year and there some big holes on this team. Pitino knows this guy better than anyone and you just have to defer to his judgement as to whether he can play PG in the B!G. He looks like he is a very good ball handler which is a major need on this team.
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Agreed. Other than than Dre and Mav when he's not peeing his pants from pressure, we don't have anyone that can bring the ball up under pressure. I'd almost even say Austin is our second best ball handler under pressure and he is not a PG by any means.
 

Gopherguy0723 said:
He fits the system, but I'm underwhelmed. I hope he gets here, works hard, and becomes a good player, but I'm not getting my hopes up.

We need talent, not bodies. This looks like a body signing, someone who can come off the bench and play some minutes. I doubt he ever excels.

By all means, prove me wrong.
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burton34 said:
Seriously, you're already writing this kid off!!!
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Not really sure why you'd write McNeil off. At one point, he reported having offers from Louisville, Washington, Oklahoma, Rutgers, VCU, etc. Clearly he must have some talent. And we're in need of slasher.

Can't ask for much more in mid-April.
 

RoyalGopher said:
Not really sure why you'd write McNeil off. At one point, he reported having offers from Louisville, Washington, Oklahoma, Rutgers, VCU, etc. Clearly he must have some talent. And we're in need of slasher.

Can't ask for much more in mid-April.
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Marcus thinks he might compete for the starting point guard job>> and Andre goes to sg >> so does Austin play sf and Joe sit then? I wonder if Buggs is a 3 or a 4 he seems like Paul Carter a bit, long and thin... Hope we add a pf still...
"McNeil can play either guard position. He might compete for the starting point guard spot so All-Big Ten junior-to-be Andre Hollins can play more at his natural shooting guard position."
...
"The 6-foot-3 fifth-year senior from Baltimore averaged 19 points a game this season"

http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_23044108/gophers-basketball-richard-pitino-lands-first-recruit
 

burton34 said:
Seriously, you're already writing this kid off!!!
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I'd put it this way. I'm highly skeptical. Late spring signings don't typically work out. This reeks of a move in order to get bodies instead of talent. I'm not saying it's the wrong move. We need players, and it's too late in the year to hope for big signings. I just doubt that he's more than a role-player at best. Trust me, I want to be proven wrong. But we won't know whether I am for awhile.
 


Gopherguy0723 said:
I'd put it this way. I'm highly skeptical. Late spring signings don't typically work out. This reeks of a move in order to get bodies instead of talent. I'm not saying it's the wrong move. We need players, and it's too late in the year to hope for big signings. I just doubt that he's more than a role-player at best. Trust me, I want to be proven wrong. But we won't know whether I am for awhile.
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Bingo!!!
 

Gopherguy0723 said:
I'd put it this way. I'm highly skeptical. Late spring signings don't typically work out. This reeks of a move in order to get bodies instead of talent. I'm not saying it's the wrong move. We need players, and it's too late in the year to hope for big signings. I just doubt that he's more than a role-player at best. Trust me, I want to be proven wrong. But we won't know whether I am for awhile.
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Your worries are valid. It's obvious we need another guard who can handle the ball and create, and McNeil may have been one of the best that is still available. Does that mean he's capable of being a good player in the big ten? Who knows.
 

Bad Gopher said:
How much time is a long time? So far, no player Smith has recruited to here has played a minute in the NBA. If that holds through the present group, he'll be the first Gopher coach since at least the 1940's to achieve that dubious accomplishment.
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I don't want to turn this into a Tubby recruiting argument again so this will be the last post about it in this thread.

I guess it just depends on how you determine talent. Is it determined by how they did in their college career? If so, there have been a bunch of players who have been at least 2nd team all conference players: Joseph, White, Cobbs, Mbakwe, and Iverson. Andre Hollins has a good chance to achieve that by the end of his career as well.

How about being drafted into the NBA? From 2001 to 2011 there was two former Gophers who were drafted: Humphries and Rickert. There were none from 2005 to 2011. So far there has been one in White. Mbakwe should get drafted and Andre Hollins will in the future. Iverson, Hollins, and Williams have a chance but highly unlikely. Even with just the three, that would be three guys in three or four years. It's been a long time since that has happened.

Even if you just go by guys who play at least a minute in the NBA, I think there is going to be a good amount. I guess that is still TBD.

Back to the main topic. I think getting a guy with his talents/offers at this point in the process is pretty good.
 

Gopherguy0723 said:
I'd put it this way. I'm highly skeptical. Late spring signings don't typically work out. This reeks of a move in order to get bodies instead of talent. I'm not saying it's the wrong move. We need players, and it's too late in the year to hope for big signings. I just doubt that he's more than a role-player at best. Trust me, I want to be proven wrong. But we won't know whether I am for awhile.
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It might be too late in the year to GET big signings, but I can HOPE with the best of 'em!
 





PiPress Gophers Now @GophersNow 33m
McNeil: "I'm pretty good with the ball and creating shots for others. With (Hollins) being a great shooter, it can take him back to (SG)."
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PiPress Gophers Now @GophersNow 38m
New #Gophers basketball recruit Daquein McNeil said he'll make his first visit to campus some time in May. He'll sign a few weeks from now.
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https://mobile.twitter.com/GophersNow
 

"...some time in May." By then we'll have the weather fixed.
 



Prior to this signing the Gophers had NO recruits. Pitino needed the best point guard he could get. No, this guy is not wavering between Minnesota and Duke, but he appears to be a major upgrade from Mav. Recall the game when Mav tried to do a crossover, fell on his butt and the other team picked up the ball and scored an easy lay-up. This is the best you can do at this late stage. He may turn out to be a very functional player. Put your Youtube evaluations to bed a trust Pitino's judgement. Next year you can judge his recruiting.
 

Gopherguy0723 said:
I'd put it this way. I'm highly skeptical. Late spring signings don't typically work out. This reeks of a move in order to get bodies instead of talent. I'm not saying it's the wrong move. We need players, and it's too late in the year to hope for big signings. I just doubt that he's more than a role-player at best. Trust me, I want to be proven wrong. But we won't know whether I am for awhile.
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Wouldn't a quality role-player be a decent signing?

If a guy fits an absolute need (your this is a "bodies") argument and the player develops into a quality role-player, isn't that a pretty good signing?

People seem to be under the impression that this kid is either going to be a Russ Smith or a bad signing. The role players don't have to be as unproductive as the Otos, Mavs and Mos of the world.

This kid fits an obvious need and he seems to fit the system.
 

Gopherguy0723 said:
I'd put it this way. I'm highly skeptical. Late spring signings don't typically work out. This reeks of a move in order to get bodies instead of talent. I'm not saying it's the wrong move. We need players, and it's too late in the year to hope for big signings. I just doubt that he's more than a role-player at best. Trust me, I want to be proven wrong. But we won't know whether I am for awhile.
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If this kid is better than Mav, it's worth bringing him on board. That's a pretty low bar. This team would benefit from a serviceable B1G point guard, even if he's not all-conference.
 

Our new coach takes over. He looks at his returning roster and sees some players he really likes who will easily fit his system. He sees other players and isn't so sure. He sees zero recruits coming in and 4 empty scholarships. He is busy getting his staff together and NCAA rules are going to soon deny him direct contact with potential recruits until July. Then there is this kid he recruited to FIU who is 100% his type of player and just wants to play for our coach whether that be Florida, Minnesota or wherever. And he can play PG. Coach P wants him on board here. I feel good about this kid coming here. Welcome Daquein!
 

I am not sure if it was in this thread or another one, but some people were wondering if McNeil was a rivals 150 kid. I seemed to remember seeing him on the list and he was rated #146 as of the 12/27 update to the rivals 150. McNeil is not in the rivals 150 that was updated on 4/15.

Here's one of many links you can find that reference his inclusion in the top 150: http://www.verbalcommits.com/players/daquein-mcneil
 

EG#9 said:
I am not sure if it was in this thread or another one, but some people were wondering if McNeil was a rivals 150 kid. I seemed to remember seeing him on the list and he was rated #146 as of the 12/27 update to the rivals 150. McNeil is not in the rivals 150 that was updated on 4/15.

Here's one of many links you can find that reference his inclusion in the top 150: http://www.verbalcommits.com/players/daquein-mcneil
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Thanks. Folks worked up over McNeil not being a consensus top 100 recruit need to relax. Alvin Ellis was not ranked, not even in December of this year. In fact, Rivals ranked McNeil and not Ellis. What does this mean? Nothing. It also means folks who fell in love with Ellis and nominated him for the Orlando Smith, "steal of the draft" award should take a deep breath. I like Ellis and I like McNeil. Lets trust coach to find a player that he thinks can play in his system at a high level. It's not that hard to make any player not ranked in the top 100 either a "steal" or a "reach".
 

I don't care about the rankings at this point, this team needs role players who specialize.
 

Daquein McNeil 'grateful' to follow Richard Pitino to Minnesota

“It feels really good,” McNeil said. “I was just very grateful [to be offered by Minnesota]. In college basketball this year, [the Big Ten] was the best conference. I know how much work it takes. As soon as I figure out coming [to campus] this summer, we’re going to go to work.”

McNeil said he wanted to play for Pitino “because he’s so young, and the energy he has. I just like something about him. He’s just a good guy. I like his style of play. It’s similar to how we play at Vermont.”

When Pitino landed the Minnesota job earlier this month, there were definitely nervous moments for McNeil.

“I was kind of shocked at first,” he said. “But then the connection that we have, I kind of knew he was going to take me, or at least call and see if I wanted to go.”

“I’m not saying [McNeil is] Russ Smith, but playing with fearlessness, playing with tenacity, playing with the desire to attack,” Bopp said. “Day is a kid that scores in a lot of different ways. He’s an improved decision maker that played some point for us. A lot of people think [Gophers star] Andre Hollins is moving to the 2, his natural position. They need a true point guard. I don’t necessarily think Day is a true point guard. Very few guys today are lead guards. [Where McNeil plays is] Richard Pitino’s decision based on how hard he works.”

McNeil was admittedly looking forward to spending his college years in Miami, but he’s excited now to make an unexpected return to Minnesota, where one year ago he averaged 10.3 points in four games for Nike Baltimore Elite.

“It’s time to work this summer, put in a lot of work,” McNeil said. “I know Minnesota is a good basketball place. … [I plan to] just come in and be a hard worker, do the right things and respond to adversity.”

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/...-pitino-to-minnesota-20130418,0,1612340.story

Go Gophers!!
 

BleedGopher said:
McNeil said he wanted to play for Pitino “because he’s so young, and the energy he has. I just like something about him. He’s just a good guy. I like his style of play..."
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Hopefully we hear that a lot more in the next 5 years...
 

Has he decommited yet after seeing it snows in April?
 





Marcus blog: Gophers basketball: New recruit Daquein McNeil praises Andre Hollins

“To be honest, I’m expecting to learn from him because he’s a great player,” McNeil said on Wednesday, April 17, after becoming the first player to commit to new coach Richard Pitino.

“I’m pretty good with the ball and I can create shots for others,” McNeil said. “With him being a great shooter, that can take him back to the shooting guard position. So I guess that’s how I can fit into his game. But for the most part, he’ll be just a great guy to play behind.”

http://blogs.twincities.com/gophers...all-new-recruit-mcneil-praises-andre-hollins/

Go Gophers!!
 

BleedGopher said:
Marcus blog: Gophers basketball: New recruit Daquein McNeil praises Andre Hollins

“To be honest, I’m expecting to learn from him because he’s a great player,” McNeil said on Wednesday, April 17, after becoming the first player to commit to new coach Richard Pitino.

“I’m pretty good with the ball and I can create shots for others,” McNeil said. “With him being a great shooter, that can take him back to the shooting guard position. So I guess that’s how I can fit into his game. But for the most part, he’ll be just a great guy to play behind.”

http://blogs.twincities.com/gophers...all-new-recruit-mcneil-praises-andre-hollins/

Go Gophers!!
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Wow! That's an impressive kid right there. Has the confidence that he can play beside Andre and the humility to play behind him. Great attitude! Can't wait to see "Day Day" in summer ball.
 


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