Brock Bertram, a 6-foot-11, junior center from Apple Valley (MN) High, is one of the top players in the state in the Class of 2016. Bertram averaged 11.5 points per game as a second year starter for the 27-2 Eagles last year, who lost to Cretin-Derham Hall for the Section 3AAAA title game 89-77 in overtime. He has helped lead Apple Valley to a strong start this season
Bertram, who attended the Gopher football game versus Northwestern this fall, recently talked to Gopher Hole about his recruitment.
Gopher Hole: How pleased are you with how well the season has been going so far?
Brock Bertram: I am pretty pleased. We have been doing really well so far. We are really working hard towards our goal.
Gopher Hole: How about your own individual play?
Brock Bertram: I am pretty pleased. I made a couple good moves down in the paint and tried to control the paint. It was an overall good game.
Gopher Hole: You had a big game against DeLaSalle, which has won three straight state titles. Was that a game you were looking forward to?
Brock Bertram: For sure. We were definitely looking forward to that. We knew it would be a good environment and a good game, just like last year. We are just trying to keep winning.
Gopher Hole: How about your recruitment? Anything new on that front?
Brock Bertram: New right now, Providence, Nebraska, Xavier and Purdue.
Gopher Hole: Have you had a chance to make any more visits recently?
Brock Bertram: I went to Minnesota a little over a month ago and I visited Iowa.
Gopher Hole: Which football game did you go to for Minnesota?
Brock Bertram: They played Northwestern.
Gopher Hole: What was that experience like?
Brock Bertram: It was pretty fun. We went down and Jarvis (Johnson) was there. Hung out with him. Hung out with Coach Johnson. Got to tour around and look at everything. It was a pretty fun time.
Gopher Hole: How about the Iowa visit? We had talked a little bit about that the last time we talked. Are you starting to hear from them a little bit more?
Brock Bertram: I text Coach Francis a lot. He is a good guy. It was a fun visit. I really like the school.
Gopher Hole: I know that your recruitment is still wide-open, but when you start to narrow down the list of schools, what things are going to be really important to you when you make your decision?
Brock Bertram: Definitely the fit of the coaches and the relationships that I have with the players. I want to go to a school that is like a family, like we are at Apple Valley, because I want to be able to trust my teammates and coaches.
Gopher Hole: When you look at yourself as a player a few years ago, did you ever think that you could develop into the player that you have become?
Brock Bertram: That is the goal. That is what I have been trying to work on every year. Just try to get better to where I am right now. I am proud of myself, but I am going to keep going and working hard.
Gopher Hole: You mentioned Jarvis, who was a player who decided to stay home and play college basketball. What would it maybe mean to play for the home state school?
Brock Bertram: It would mean a lot. Just to be close to my family and friends. I have always been a Gopher fan growing up and it would mean a lot.