Ahmad Gilbert Commits to Gophers!!!

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station19 said:
yeah that was just one game for malik smith.:rolleyes:
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Lol.

I'm OK with this. Get on, get off or get left. That said, do we still take Elison (in the unlikely event he'd still come) or is the last spot reserved for one of the big men?
 

howeda7 said:
Lol.

I'm OK with this. Get on, get off or get left. That said, do we still take Elison (in the unlikely event he'd still come) or is the last spot reserved for one of the big men?
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Ellison said his #1 thing was playing time. If he was on the fence about coming to Minny before this would probably make things worse as he would face more competition for PT. I want Boucher. That would really change the potential look of this team at times- the ability to put some really long line ups out there especially for defense.
 

Obviously this commit is not a surprise in the slightest. The thing with Gilbert is this: he's versatile and has length. Has to continue to progress, but even if you need him to play some time at the de facto 4, the reality is he'll rebound better for you than a Joey King. Has a knack for getting offensive rebounds and that's unique about him.

The shot might be broken. I don't fancy him a great shooter, but he can cause some match up issues. Certainly another guy who could put up numbers in the nonconference... but after that, he's a guy that should be able to help defend multiple positions and offer some rebounding from the wing.

Interesting addition. I watched his team play a lot (peace to Malachi) - very good squad.

Wide range of outcomes for AG at Minnesota are possible.. but there is decent potential to be a very nice player.
 

howeda7 said:
Lol.

I'm OK with this. Get on, get off or get left. That said, do we still take Elison (in the unlikely event he'd still come) or is the last spot reserved for one of the big men?
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Big man that can rebound and score some would be my preference, one that can contribute next season (though I like the Lynch signing). We certainly have enough guards & wings for awhile. Hopefully Boucher holds us in higher regard than he does Texas Tech, Oregon State, etc.
 


Gopher Warrior said:
The shot might be broken. I don't fancy him a great shooter, but he can cause some match up issues. Certainly another guy who could put up numbers in the nonconference... but after that, he's a guy that should be able to help defend multiple positions and offer some rebounding from the wing.
.
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It's only broken if we try to "fix" it. he has a twist. oh well. He has decent arch and an okay release though a little higher might be nice. Let him practice and practice how he shoots now and he'll be a good shooter, try to change him too much and it could be a disaster.
 


MadtownGopher said:
Malik has seemed like a guy wanting a better offer/situation than Minnesota. Gilbert wants to be here. That is enough for me. They are pretty close in talent, neither is a program changer. Hopefully we get Boucher with the last scholarship.
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Agree 100% about the Ellison vs. Gilbert comparison and just as much with the preferred choice for the last scholarship.
 

Tim1406 said:
It's only broken if we try to "fix" it. he has a twist. oh well. He has decent arch and an okay release though a little higher might be nice. Let him practice and practice how he shoots now and he'll be a good shooter, try to change him too much and it could be a disaster.
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Getting stronger will help his release point too.
 



Even if he's a 4 year role player, we need them too.

We just need some kids to come in as freshmen and graduate as Gophers.
 

BTW, just as a reminder... Gilbert can't sign an NLI with the U. This is essentially a non-issue, but factual.

5n6vgz8.png
 

Gopher Warrior said:
BTW, just as a reminder... Gilbert can't sign an NLI with the U. This is essentially a non-issue, but factual.

5n6vgz8.png
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Wait what? if the signing period is from 4/15 to 5/20 shouldn't 4/23(today) fall inside that?
 

Tim1406 said:
Wait what? if the signing period is from 4/15 to 5/20 shouldn't 4/23(today) fall inside that?
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Yes - the signing period everyone refers is re: the NLI. Gilbert can't sign an NLI with the Gophers because he's already signed one this academic year (w/another school).

It's a non-issue, but a reminder that the regular signing period doesn't carry a lot of importance.
 



Gopher Warrior said:
Yes - the signing period everyone refers is re: the NLI. Gilbert can't sign an NLI with the Gophers because he's already signed one this academic year (w/another school).

It's a non-issue, but a reminder that the regular signing period doesn't carry a lot of importance.
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Because .......


NCAA
 

Gopher Warrior said:
Yes - the signing period everyone refers is re: the NLI. Gilbert can't sign an NLI with the Gophers because he's already signed one this academic year (w/another school).

It's a non-issue, but a reminder that the regular signing period doesn't carry a lot of importance.
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Thank you, I didn't realize that after being released you couldn't "sign" somewhere else the same academic year. I do realize that it means little.
 

Tim1406 said:
It's only broken if we try to "fix" it. he has a twist. oh well. He has decent arch and an okay release though a little higher might be nice. Let him practice and practice how he shoots now and he'll be a good shooter, try to change him too much and it could be a disaster.
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His shot is unorthodox. Kinda reminds me of Kevin Martin with a bit of a twist of his torso and a low release point. He'll have a hard time scoring in tight quarters, but could be fantastic as a guy waiting for a kick-out on the wing. What we don't see is how well he runs the court and how well he defends. The kid doesn't have to be all world, he just has to fill a niche to make up the whole.
 

I like it, he gives them a little more size at the wing. Hopefully, they can reel in Boucher too.
 

I understand the skepticism here. We've had a long history of guys who were not highly thought of by the recruiting services and who had marginal offers (though Pitt is certainly a good offer) not working out at Minnesota. When you add in the fact that he's a Spring recruit where we've also historically had very little success, it's hard to be really excited. When the reports of Gopher interest in Gilbert initially popped up, the first thing I noticed was his shot. If he's 6'6 or 6'7, he shoots like he's 6'3 because of his release point. He also appears to have a slower than average release. I'd like to find some more highlights of him, because I have no idea what type of athlete he is. It's encouraging that he has a knack for O-boards according to Gopher Warrior.

We were always likely to take a wing that was North of 6'4 as Pitino made that a priority and talked numerous times on his coaches show about adding a bigger wing. It's a disappointment that we couldn't land Ellison, but I think we had to take Gilbert with a potential visit to Pittsburgh being next on his agenda. I kind of agree with those that say we need role players too and it's likely that nobody available this Spring was going to be a standout. That said, the 2016 class better bring in a guy (or two) that looks like a headline player on a top team. Complementary guys look a lot worse when they aren't playing with a lead guy or two.
 

tinyarch said:
His shot is unorthodox. Kinda reminds me of Kevin Martin with a bit of a twist of his torso and a low release point. He'll have a hard time scoring in tight quarters, but could be fantastic as a guy waiting for a kick-out on the wing. What we don't see is how well he runs the court and how well he defends. The kid doesn't have to be all world, he just has to fill a niche to make up the whole.
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If his shot is as unorthodox as John Shurna's, I'm good with that.
 

Here's some video of Ahmad at the Reebok Breakout Classic last summer, an event that he preformed very well at.

<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/105557823" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe>
 

He's definitely not a polished prospect at this point, but he seems to possess enough tools to turn into a really good 4-year player for us. Obviously a lot will depend on his work ethic and commitment to improving every year, but I like the addition. His length and size is what really stands out to me right now. He'll probably get playing time right away for his defense and fit in the press. Really like the way the roster is shaping up with this 2015 class.
 

MadtownGopher said:
He's definitely not a polished prospect at this point, but he seems to possess enough tools to turn into a really good 4-year player for us. Obviously a lot will depend on his work ethic and commitment to improving every year, but I like the addition. His length and size is what really stands out to me right now. He'll probably get playing time right away for his defense and fit in the press. Really like the way the roster is shaping up with this 2015 class.
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If he can develop to a Damien Johnson level we'd be in great shape. Dame was a similarly rated and similar size as Gilbert. Eventually developed a good enough jump shot and was a pretty phenomenal defender.
 

scher215 said:
If he can develop to a Damien Johnson level we'd be in great shape. Dame was a similarly rated and similar size as Gilbert. Eventually developed a good enough jump shot and was a pretty phenomenal defender.
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Interesting comp. He wasn't a super-athlete either. Just an average to above average athlete. I think Gilbert is already a better ball handler than DJ ever was. DJ's defensive instincts were off the chart though.
 

MadtownGopher said:
Interesting comp. He wasn't a super-athlete either. Just an average to above average athlete. I think Gilbert is already a better ball handler than DJ ever was. DJ's defensive instincts were off the chart though.
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I can't say if they are similar players or not, haven't seen enough of Gilbert. Just noting they were similarly rated and sized. Damian worked out great, hoping for the same from Gilbert.
 

DeathClutch said:
Here's some video of Ahmad at the Reebok Breakout Classic last summer, an event that he preformed very well at.

<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/105557823" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe>
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Interesting, at about the 1:40 mark throws a long baseball pass on the mark righthanded.

Thanks for posting the video.
 



DeathClutch said:
fan of Ray Williams said:
Interesting, at about the 1:40 mark throws a long baseball pass on the mark righthanded.

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Looks like hes a righty that shoots left handed.
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Must be. The other four passes were all lefthanded as were his two blocks by the rim. The one other pass that wasn't a bounce pass was also lefthanded. In the whole scope of things it obviously means next to nothing. (Off season, nothing to yak about)
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Sounds a bit like Buggs to me. Doesnt understand the game, athletic enough. Good 3pt shooter who doesnt mix it up inside. Athletic enough that he should drive more but probably won't. We need size and depth at the 3.
 

I love the fact that the coaching staff is going out and getting lots of players in this class. At this point, every program in America cannot count on any single player being at a program for 4 years. Because of a lot of things happening in college basketball, whether it be 1 and dones, the transfer epidemic, academic shortcomings, etc, it is not normal to get guys committed for the long haul. Nice when you do, but not something that can be counted on.

And as for Gilbert, there is absolutely no way of telling how good he will be when he arrives, or 2 years into his tenure as part of the MN program. Impossible to tell. Yes rankings and offer lists and other data points are an indication of how well respected some kid is by a bunch of stalking recruiting "professionals", but at the end of the day the only sure things to contribute right away are McDonalds all Americans, and even there it is not a guarantee. He comes from the Philly public school league, quite frankly just to make it through a season there without injury is an accomplishment. This is a tough, rugged league and these kids all have chips on their shoulders. I'll take it and I hope he brings some ruggedness, attitude, and a winning mentality.
 

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