Goanar Mar, a 6-foot-7, 180-pound rising sophomore forward from Minneapolis (MN) DeLaSalle, is considered the number two prospect in the state for the Class of 2017.
Goanar Mar, a 6-foot-7, 180-pound rising sophomore forward from Minneapolis (MN) DeLaSalle, is considered the number two prospect in the state for the Class of 2017.
Mar came off the bench as the Islanders won its third straight Class AAA championships in March as they finished 26-3 this year and won its last 23 games. He is expected to receive a much bigger role with the graduation losses of starters Reid Travis (Stanford), Geno Crandall (North Dakota) and James Lawson (Sioux Falls) as the Islanders hope to tie a Minnesota state record with a fourth straight title this year.
Mar played in the Twin Cities Classic and Gopher Hole caught up with him to learn the latest on his recruitment and development.
Gopher Hole: How pleased are you with how well things went this summer for you AAU-wise, individually and team-wise?
Goanar Mar: Individually, I got a lot better and as a team, we did pretty good. We didn’t win as much as we could have or I would have liked to, but everybody got better and we pushed each other.
Gopher Hole: You got a chance to play in the adidas Uprising camp in Chicago. What was the experience like and how much do you think that helped you as a player going up against some of the top players in the country?
Goanar Mar: It was really fun because you just had to figure out ways to score against everybody who is as long as you, as athletic as you, as smart as you. It was fun and it got me a lot better because I am not used to playing with everybody as good as me, if not better on the court.
Gopher Hole: You are going into a big year at DeLaSalle as you are trying to win a fourth straight title, which I think has only happened once. Is that something that you guys are talking about winning that fourth title in a row?
Goanar Mar: Yes. It is a little bit away right now, so right now, we are just in the gym every day in the weight room and just trying to get better.
Gopher Hole: I know you lose Reid, James and Geno, but you return yourself, Jarvis Johnson and Sacar Anim and have a lot of other players back. What are the expectations for you guys this year?
Goanar Mar: This year, we are going to have to play a lot more defense. We are not going to be able to make as many mistakes as we could last year because of the type of players that we have this year. We should still be right up there.
Gopher Hole: I know that last year you had Reid in front of you so you didn’t play as much, but you had a McDonald’s All-American playing against you in practice. How much do you think that helped you just going up against him?
Goanar Mar: It helped me a lot, because Reid was just a monster everywhere. He was always pushing everyone. Always going 100%. It helped me a lot.
Gopher Hole: Did it show you what it going to maybe take to play at that high level?
Goanar Mar: Yes, because at the camps that I went to, he was really successful there. Playing with him just showed me how where I need to go to be elite and truly be elite.
Gopher Hole: Is that something you are looking forward to this year, getting more of a chance than you did last season?
Goanar Mar: Yes. I look forward to having a bigger role and more work to do.
Gopher Hole: I know that it is still so early in your recruitment and Iowa State was the first school to offer you. How pleased were you to finally get that first offer?
Goanar Mar: I was very pleased. Very thankful. It just shows me that I want to work a lot harder to get more.
Gopher Hole: What other schools are you hearing from besides Iowa State?
Goanar Mar: I am hearing from Michigan, Xavier, Indiana, Penn State and Minnesota.
Gopher Hole: You were at the Minnesota Team Camp. Have you had a chance to talk much to the coaches? Obviously, Ben Johnson is a DeLaSalle alum.
Goanar Mar: I have talked to them a little bit about the school and basketball. I like them there.
Gopher Hole: It is obviously the home state school. What would it mean to maybe have a chance to play for the Gophers?
Goanar Mar: It would be really cool to just play at home and have my mom and everyone just be close. My family could come to the games.
Gopher Hole: What things have you really been working on to continue to improve yourself as a player?
Goanar Mar: I have been working on just getting stronger and doing a lot more ball handling and doing post work to stay versatile.
Gopher Hole: I know that basketball is a love of yours. Did you play any other sports growing up?
Goanar Mar: Growing up, I played a little bit of soccer and a little bit of football, but basketball has always been the main thing.
Gopher Hole: You always hear big main crediting soccer with their foot work. Do you think that sport has helped you as well?
Goanar Mar: I think that it has helped me a little bit.