Nathan Reuvers, a 6-foot-9 junior from Lakeville (MN) North, has emerged the past nine months as one of the state’s top prospects in the Class of 2017. Reuvers only averaged 6.5 points per game as a sophomore, but stepped up his play in the Class AAAA state tournament when senior Connor Flack was sidelined with an injury. He scored in double figures in two of the Panthers’ three games and averaged 6.0 rebounds. Lakeville North finished 19-13 last season and 10-8 in the South Suburban Conference.
Reuvers has helped pace the Panthers to a good start as he is averaging 25.5 points per game and has scored more than 20 points in every game.
Reuvers currently has offers from Air Force, Boston University, Cornell, Creighton, DePaul, Duquesne, Green Bay, Pennsylvania, UNC Greensboro, North Dakota, San Diego, Santa Clara and South Dakota State. Reuvers has made multiple unofficial visits to Minnesota.
Gopher Hole recently caught up with Reuvers after a comeback 78-77 win over Lakeville South to learn the latest on his college recruitment and junior season.
Gopher Hole: Obviously a big win over a crosstown rival. You are off to a good start this season. How pleased are with the way the team is playing so far?
Nathan Reuvers: We didn’t play great tonight, obviously. We got off to a slow start, but we just kept battling. We never gave up. We are used to winning and that is how it came out tonight.
Gopher Hole: You had a couple of college coaches at the game in Creighton head coach Greg McDermott and assistant Darian DeVries and Santa Clara associate head coach Steve Snell. Do you ever notice them? I know that you have gotten used to it a little with coaches watching you during the AAU season.
Nathan Reuvers: I’m kind of used to it. In AAU, you get used to it. Now I am just playing. It is in the back of your head always when coaches are here, but you have to play and get the win.
Gopher Hole: How many offers are you up to right now?
Nathan Reuvers: 14.
Gopher Hole: Have you made any other trips to any other college games recently?
Nathan Reuvers: I have been up to the Gophers. I went up to their game against Nebraska-Omaha. It was a good game.
Gopher Hole: You were at one of their football games, right?
Nathan Reuvers: I went to their Kent State football game and the Michigan football game.
Gopher Hole: You are off to a great start this year. How pleased are you with your own individual play so far this season?
Nathan Reuvers: It is always good to get out there and score points. I feel like that is what I need to do to to help our team win, obviously and just try to get inside more. I feel like I did a lot better doing that, because they know that I can shoot from the outside. It wasn’t going tonight, so I just got in there and get some points.
Gopher Hole: Do you think that gives you an advantage that you are such a good outside shooter that if teams start guarding you too close outside, you can go inside?
Nathan Reuvers: Always get that drive down. Use that spin move and turn around.
Gopher Hole: You are putting up some big numbers. Are you even a little surprised? You have had a 3-point, 29-point and a 23-point game so far?
Nathan Reuvers: You are not really used to being the leading scorer, because obviously, I wasn’t doing that last year on this team. I was averaging like six points, coming off the bench. Had a great summer. Put in a lot of work, so I can see that is showing right now.
Gopher Hole: You had the coaches here today. Do you like the recruiting process? I know that it is still early being only a junior, but do you like it so far?
Nathan Reuvers: It is nice having these guys come out. I haven’t really had that many decisions yet. I’m not really getting too many people talking to me that is getting a little annoying. It is just cool getting talked to by some of these big colleges.
Gopher Hole: What is the most recent offer that you have received?
Nathan Reuvers: I think it is either Creighton or Cornell. I got two of them from open gyms.
Gopher Hole: Have any of the bigger schools talked about offering soon?
Nathan Reuvers: I know that Clemson has been up a couple of times, so I wouldn’t be surprised. The head coach came up and said he’ll be up later in the year.
Gopher Hole: Clemson was up at your game against Jefferson, right?
Nathan Reuvers: The assistant was. I wouldn’t be surprised if the head coach came up during the playoffs or something like that.
Gopher Hole: What about the Gophers? What are you hearing from Minnesota?
Nathan Reuvers: They said that they are liking the way that I am playing, playing at a high level. Obviously, they only have one scholarship, so I just assume that they are trying to see how things play out, but in the future, I hope that I could get an offer from them.
Gopher Hole: This game was like a playoff atmosphere as you came back and won a game that to be honest, that looked like you might not win. Is that something you feel like you guys are going to need because you want to make another strong run in the postseason? Is that the type of game that you like to get you ready for the postseason?
Nathan Reuvers: All these games are big games. We want to get a seed when we go to the state tournament. It just shows that we are not giving up and that is how we need to play the entire year to get tough wins like this.