Gary Trent Jr on Gophers: “I am cool with Coach Pitino. I like his style of play and I like his coaching.”
Gary Trent Jr., a sophomore guard from Apple Valley (MN) High, was offered by Minnesota this summer. Trent Jr. is averaging 28.7 points per game this season as the Eagles are off to a fast start. He scored 21 points versus Chaska, 23 against Chanhassen and 42 versus Minnetonka.
Gopher Hole recently caught up with Trent Jr. to learn the latest on his college recruitment and current season.
Gopher Hole: You guys are off to a good start this season. How pleased are you with how well your team is playing so far?
Gary Trent Jr.: We have been playing pretty decent as a team, but Coach has been talking in the huddles and interviews and there are certain things that we need to work on. We need to pick it up on the defensive end, because we are getting it done on the offensive end. We have a lot of scoring weapons, but we really need to lock down on defense and get back in transition.
Gopher Hole: How about your own individual play so far this season?
Gary Trent Jr.: It is going pretty good. Everything is off to a great start and just got keep bringing it every night. Played against a great guard (Chanhassen’s Joey Witthus) and had to guard him up most of the game and it was very hard and took most of my energy, but I had to just suck it up and finish it out.
Gopher Hole: I know that Robert Tobroxen was your defensive stopper last year and it seems like you are playing that role more this year. Is that something you take as a challenge to guard the best player on the other team?
Gary Trent Jr.: Oh, yes. Most definitely. To always guard the best player on the other team and chase him around and try to make him to chase you around is basically like a game of cat and mouse and give and take. It is coming together for us.
Gopher Hole: Last time we talked, you said that you were going to try to go some college football games or visit some campuses. Did you get a chance to do that?
Gary Trent Jr.: The only campus I went to was Minnesota. I had a great time. Saw the facility. Went to the football game against Purdue, actually and I enjoyed it. Saw the Coach and talked with him. That was about it.
Gopher Hole: Any plans to do anything in the next couple of months?
Gary Trent Jr.: Not sure, but if I do, I’ll let you know.
Gopher Hole: What is your favorite part of the recruiting process so far?
Gary Trent Jr.: The coaches you watch on TV growing up. Watching them play in the big tournaments and the big games and when you see them and they talk to you on the phone and say “How are you doing?” or just call in to check up on you, it is really promising and lets you know that if you work hard, great things can come.
Gopher Hole: How much do you think it helps you having a father who has gone through some of the same things?
Gary Trent Jr.: That is the Golden Ticket. He has been through the recruiting process and he knows what it takes to get to that next level and the level above that, so if he is going to give me the blueprint, I’m just going to follow it.
Gopher Hole: To be honest, he was kind of an “under the radar” guy and didn’t have a lot of scholarship offers before picking Ohio University. You are going to end up with a lot more offers than he had. Is that something that you maybe tease him a little bit about?
Gary Trent Jr.: Oh, yes. We always joke, him and me. If I do a move here and I do a move there, he’ll say “I did this, this way and dunked it.” Just in a joking manner. It is always fun and we always have our little battles about what we are doing.
Gopher Hole: When you finally start to narrow your list of school, what are going to be the main things that you are looking for out of a school?
Gary Trent Jr.: First off, the main thing I am going to choose is what I am going to take as a career choice. That will be my number one option. What that school major is in. What that school is good in and not good in. The coach and the style of play. Those are the big things that I will be looking to when I go into colleges. Just looking into the history of them and reading about them.
Gopher Hole: Do you watch a lot of college basketball yourself?
Gary Trent Jr.: Yes. I watch a lot of college basketball.
Gopher Hole: What are some of your favorite teams to watch?
Gary Trent Jr.: I always love watching Platoon 1 and Platoon 2 with Kentucky and Calipari. I like watching Tyus play and Jahlil. Going against him last year, I know how hard it is to guard him. I like to watch teams that just run and play.
Gopher Hole: Do you watch just to watch or do you try to pick up some things that you can incorporate into your game?
Gary Trent Jr.: Every time I do something involved with basketball, I am always looking for a learning opportunity out of it. So I’ll look at a move and say “I saw him make this move here and maybe I can use it,” or I’ll see how this coach ran this play and maybe I’ll tell this to my coach. Little things like that. I’ll pass them along when I am watching the game of basketball.
Gopher Hole: Still the three offers? Minnesota, Providence and Texas Tech?
Gary Trent Jr.: Yes.
Gopher Hole: Any new schools that you are hearing from?
Gary Trent Jr.: Lately, I have been hearing from Arizona, UCLA and Temple, so those have been the most recent. Kansas as well.
Gopher Hole: You mentioned going to Minnesota recently. What has your relationship been with Coach Pitino and the coaching staff like?
Gary Trent Jr.: I am cool with Coach Pitino. I like his style of play and I like his coaching.
Gopher Hole: Who did you deal with the most, Coach Pitino or one of his assistants?
Gary Trent Jr.: One of his assistants
Gopher Hole: Which assistant?
Gary Trent Jr.: Coach Johnson.
Gopher Hole: He is a Minnesota guy. Has he talked to you about what it is like to stay home and play for the hometown school?
Gary Trent Jr.: We talk here and there. When I went to the football game, he gave me some tips about the facilities and stuff that they do during practice. How they all come as one and be a team together.