Mar has attended several Gopher games this season.
Goanar Mar, a 6-foot-7, 180-pound 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 last March as they finished 26-3 this year and won its last 23 games. He has received a 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 is averaging 8.6 points per game as the Islanders are trying to 4-peat this March. He has scored in double figures in six games with a season-best 22 points versus Concordia Academy.
Gopher Hole caught up with Mar, who has attended a few Gopher games this year, to learn the latest on his recruitment.
Gopher Hole: You guys are playing really well right now after getting off to a bit of a slow start because you were playing some really good schools. How pleased are you with how well you are playing right now?
Goanar Mar: I am pretty pleased. We are just getting better pretty fast. At the beginning of the season, we weren’t playing defense the right way, but now we are starting to get it. Get in the right spots. Starting to play harder. Being in the stance longer.
Gopher Hole: How about your own individual play? How pleased are you with how well you have been playing?
Goanar Mar: I have been doing really good on the defensive side. On the offensive end, I need to get in better spots to give myself opportunities and hit the offensive glass harder. Run the floor harder. It is something special, if you are the first one to run to the front of the rim on each side, so I am working to get more athletic and getting faster and stronger.
Gopher Hole: It seems like you are getting more confident when you are on the court? Is that something that you have been trying to work on in terms of being more aggressive?
Goanar Mar: Yes, because my role this year is a lot bigger than last year after losing the three seniors. This year, I am trying to get a lot more confident and getting stronger. It is coming together good.
Gopher Hole: Have you had a chance to go to any college basketball games lately?
Goanar Mar: Yes. I have been to a few Gopher games this year and I have been watching a lot of games at home.
Gopher Hole: When you watch games, are there certain players that you try to emulate or do you try to watch everybody?
Goanar Mar: I have been watching a lot of Nebraska games lately and (Terran) Petteway, I just like how hard he plays all the time and he is always wanting to do something. He is always active and just how hard he plays.
Gopher Hole: What offers do you have right now?
Goanar Mar: Right now, I have Iowa State, Northern Iowa and Nebraska.
Gopher Hole: What other schools are you hearing from besides those three?
Goanar Mar: I am hearing from Minnesota, Purdue and Ohio State.
Gopher Hole: What are you hearing from the Gophers? What are the Gophers saying to you? I know that you had mentioned that you have been to several games
Goanar Mar: I just need to get stronger and I need to get more active all the time.
Gopher Hole: What would it mean to maybe have a chance to play for the hometown school?
Goanar Mar: It would be really unique to get a chance to play in front of friends, family and be around here.
Gopher Hole: Your teammate Jarvis Johnson is going to be there next year and I know that you have gotten to be friends playing together. What would it mean to maybe play with him as well?
Goanar Mar: It would be really cool to play with him. Just to see he’ll be a lot better with college training. Now, mentally, he is there, because Coach Thorson has put him through a lot. He’ll get a lot better physically and make those extra plays. It would be cool to play with him
Gopher Hole: What things have you really been working on to continue to improve yourself as a player?
Goanar Mar: Getting stronger. Lifting a lot more in season and out of season. More conditioning, ball handling and post moves.