Anim continues to build a relationship with the Gophers coaching staff.
Sacar Anim, a junior wing from Minneapolis (MN) DeLaSalle, helped lead the Islanders to their third state Class 3A state title in March as they finished 26-3 this year and won its last 23 games Anim, who is considered one of the state’s top prospects in the Class of 2015, is starting for the second straight year for the Howard Pulley AAU team.
Gopher Hole.com recently caught up with Anim to learn the latest on his recruitment.
Gopher Hole: You picked up a couple new offers from Drake and Dayton? Anyone else?
Sacar Anim: No new offers since Drake and Dayton.
Gopher Hole: What offers do you have right now?
Sacar Anim: Drake, Dayton, Indiana State, Northern Iowa and Lehigh.
Gopher Hole: I know that you are going to be playing soon at the Victor Oladipo/Ty Lawson Camp. What is it like to be honored and to be named to an event like that, which only 60 players were invited?
Sacar Anim: It was great. To be recognized that all my hard work that I have been putting is paying off. This is just the beginning. This is just beginning of the summer. I am just going to keep going and try to lead my team to the Peach Jam championship and the Louisville championship and continue to get more offers.
Gopher Hole: Your AAU teammates Alex Illikainen and Jarvis Johnson are also attending the Victor Oladipo/Ty Lawson Camp. Does that make it nice that you are going to know a couple of the guys there already?
Sacar Anim: Yes, it is nice. Of course, I get to play with some of my good friends. You get to travel with them. That is always nice
Gopher Hole: What things have you been really working on to continue to improve yourself as a player?
Sacar Anim: Really trying to continue to increase my jump shot. Make my jump shot a lot better off the dribble and catch and shoot. My ballhandling. I want to make my ballhandling a lot better. I am trying to work on my explosiveness. Continue to work on that. Just having a high motor all the time and staying hungry.
Gopher Hole: You changed the form on your shot. Are you getting more comfortable with that?
Sacar Anim: Yes. I am blessed to have a lot of people along the way to help me fix my shot. Right now, I am just trying to be consistent with it and keep the same shot.
Gopher Hole: You have a reputation as a slasher and someone who is really good at going to the hoops. Do you think that by working on your outside shot more and making teams play you honestly, that it is going to help you get to the hoop?
Sacar Anim: That is really important, especially with teams playing zones. A lot of teams are going to zone on us because they know that they can’t guard us one-on-one. They can’t guard me one-on-one, so having the jump shot is really going to open things up for me and help me get to the hoop.
Gopher Hole: How pleased are you with how well things have been going AAU-wise? You started a little bit slow in Sacramento, but you played well the rest of the spring and have advanced to the Peach Jam.
Sacar Anim: I was really pleased. After Sacramento, where we went 1-3, we went to Dallas and went 3-1, and did well in Virginia and went 4-2 here. This is good for us. Going to Peach Jam, having our confidence. Knowing that our team can shoot. That is really big.
Gopher Hole: You played in front of the Gopher coaches at the team camp. Usually, you have one or two watching you, but at the camp, you had all of them watching you. Did you notice them or do you pay attention to that?
Sacar Anim: Yes, I notice them. It is just extra motivation for me to play harder, is really what it is. It is nothing too bad. It just makes me want to play harder.
Gopher Hole: What are you hearing from the Gophers right now?
Sacar Anim: Really just trying to build a relationship right now. They are going to watch me in July. They just want to see my improvement and we’ll go from there and in the end of July, we’ll sit down and have a talk. If the offer comes, it comes. If not, we’ll cross that bridge.
Gopher Hole: Have you even thought about when you are going to try to decide? Would you decide before your senior season? Have you thought that far? Will you take some official visits?
Sacar Anim: I want to take some official visits and I want to make that decision before the season starts. That is my goal.
Gopher Hole: So, you hope to sign in the early signing period?
Sacar Anim: Yes.