Reid Travis is being heavily recruited by both Tubby Smith and Jerry Kill.
Reid Travis, a 6-foot-7 junior forward from Minneapolis DeLaSalle, is off to an outstanding start this season. He has led the defending Class AAA champion Islanders to a 4-0 start as he is averaging 32.3 points per game and has scored more than 30 points in each contest.
Travis, who has a Minnesota scholarship basketball offer, attended the Minnesota-Michigan State basketball game and talked to GopherHole about his season and the latest on his recruitment.
Travis, who is one of the state’s top two-sport athletes, had an outstanding season as the quarterback for the Islanders and is one of the state’s top basketball players in the loaded Class of 2014.
Travis is the younger brother of Jonah, who is a sophomore at Harvard this season.
Gopher Hole: How pleased are you with the team’s start. You are 4-0 and are playing extremely well with four straight 30 plus point performances?
Reid Travis: We are pretty pleased. All the offseason work that we put together and the team camaraderie that we have got now. We wouldn’t expect anything short of that. Kind of pleased, but that is what we expected from the start.
Gopher Hole: What was the experience like playing in the Corn Palace (in Mitchell, SD) this past week? What was it like not only playing there, but as a team-building exercise staying overnight and getting to know your teammates a little better as well?
Reid Travis: Definitely. It was a great experience, especially the stage being as big as that was and that many fans and playing against great teams like we did and like you said the team bonding. We are trying to put ourselves in those pressure situations, so we are ready for March.
Gopher Hole: You have a couple of big games this week. You play Park Center, who is undefeated and ranked #1 in Class AAAA at home Thursday and then you play a good out-state opponent in Blue Valley Northwest, who is ranked #1 in Kansas at the Target Center Saturday. Are you looking forward to those games?
Reid Travis: Yes, definitely. This is why we prepare all season to get ready for games like this and kind of just staple ourselves as one of the best teams in Minnesota and just put it out there that we can play with anybody. I think that games like this get us ready for that.
Gopher Hole: What about your most recent offer that you received from Michigan State on Monday (December 31st)? What was that like?
Reid Travis: It was great. I met with Izzo and he offered. It was pretty good just to hear that.
Gopher Hole: Did that make it kind of interesting to attend the game having both teams having offered you a scholarship? Was it kind of fun to see both teams up close and personal?
Reid Travis: Yes, it made things a little more exciting coming into it. It was nice to see both styles of play and a good game.
Gopher Hole: How many offers are you up to now? Do you still keep track or is hard to?
Reid Travis: Yes, it is kind of hard. Somewhere around 20 or something like that.
Gopher Hole: That has to make you feel awfully proud, though?
Reid Travis: Definitely.
Gopher Hole: What schools are you hearing the most from right now?
Reid Travis: Right now, it is Harvard. I am hearing from Minnesota a lot. USC. Stanford is coming. Marquette, Butler and Michigan State. Those are kind of the few right now.
Gopher Hole: What would it mean to play for the homestate school?
Reid Travis: It would mean a lot. I am definitely going to look at them a lot as the decision making process come down to it. It would definitely be nice to play in front of family, but that is not the only thing that I am looking at. I could definitely go out-state too, but I am looking at it, too.
Gopher Hole: I know that it is a little bit tougher to see your brother play at Harvard. Would that make it more special for your family and friends to be able to see you a little more often?
Reid Travis: Yes, it would be nice to stay home and they could see me a lot more, but they can see me on TV too and they can fly out, so that is not the breaking factor, I would say, but it would be nice.
Gopher Hole: Does the fact that Minnesota is playing so well right, ranked #11 in the country and will likely move up. Does that help their chances much?
Reid Travis: It means a little bit. Just to see the style of play and everything clicking together. Obviously, something is working here and it is going good, so I would definitely consider that.
Gopher Hole: I know the last time I talked to you was during the football season and you were in football mode. Now you are in basketball mode. Are you thinking more about playing basketball in college or are you still open to playing football? Or have you decided that far yet?
Reid Travis: No. I am pretty much open to anything right now. I probably wouldn’t know until next fall which I am going to do.
Gopher Hole: Have you thought about going to some football camps this summer? I know that you are so busy with AAU basketball, but are going to try to go to some camps?
Reid Travis: Yes, definitely. I am going to try to get out there a little more than last summer and kind of go that way?
Gopher Hole: Do you know which camps you might try to attend? Have you thought that far?
Reid Travis: No, I am not sure. I’ll probably take my top three football schools and try to get down to their camps.
Gopher Hole: Are you going to go to any football Junior Days in February?
Reid Travis: No, I haven’t thought about that
Gopher Hole: You have a football offer from Boston College. Who else are you hearing from football-wise?
Reid Travis: Alabama, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Iowa State. That is pretty much it right now.
Gopher Hole: Is it a thing where when you are playing football, football is your favorite sport and when you are playing basketball, hoops is your favorite? Do you like them evenly?
Reid Travis: Pretty much even right now. They are pretty equal. In football season, I’d say football and in basketball, I play basketball. I can’t put one over the other.
Gopher Hole: What things have you been working on to continue to improve yourself as a basketball player?
Reid Travis: Definitely during the season, I have been trying to get my face-up game a lot better. Put it on the bounce. I am still working on my shot and improving on the things that I do well already.