All Things Amir Coffey Thread UPDATED 9/11: #25 by ESPN, 9/12: #35 by Scout

[GuyFawkes]

Someone suggested we make a thread for this kid, so here it is, I will admit I haven't seen the him play yet in person, but from what I have seen from highlight videos, he reminds me a lot of Austin Hollins, very lengthy guard.

If you haven't heard of him yet, he is a freshman 6'5 SG for Hopkins(class 2016),Son of former Gopher Richard Coffey, most experts have him rated highly for the class of 2016 nationally

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketb...-Coffey-139498

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/ba...79/amir-coffey

http://247sports.com/Player/Amir-Coffey-25282



Post any opinions and info about Amir Coffey here

[mnsportsgeek]

Another "Baller Swag Elite" video. These are my favorite.

[cemba99]

If he plans on being a shooting guard at the next level, would be interesting in seeing a few more actual shots. Only saw one jumper, a few lay-ins, a bunch of passes and a lot of hustle (which I love). I have not seen him in person of course. Have to remember that he is still only a HS freshman.

[MinneStoa]

If he plans on being a shooting guard at the next level, would be interesting in seeing a few more actual shots. Only saw one jumper, a few lay-ins, a bunch of passes and a lot of hustle (which I love). I have not seen him in person of course. Have to remember that he is still only a HS freshman.

Yeah, I was a bit underwhelmed by this "highlight" video. When there are no real shots taken, and one horrible charge included, it's just not quite a highlight reel.

I did like Henry Ellenson hitting the long jumper at the 0:59 mark, though.

[ski-u-mah]

No idea, 2016 is so far my radar, but his dad was the man. If he has half the heart of his dad, that's a damn good start. I'll check back in two years.

[GophersOnTheRise]

I've seen him quite a bit and he is definitely a good shooter. Best way to describe him is versatile. Helps the team in a lot of ways.

[khoffman43]

Will be interesting to see him Tuesday vs. Apple Valley. Should be a good game.

I'm just glad that he is in high school. The Tre Jones thread makes me feel bad.

[GopherHole Staff]

Amir Coffey says it would mean a lot to play at same school as his Dad
By Chris Monter

http://www.gopherhole.com/news_artic...rrer_id=331171


Amir Coffey, a 6-foot-5 freshman wing from Hopkins, comes from a basketball family. His father, Richard, played for the Minnesota Golden Gophers from 1986-90 and one season with the Minnesota Timberwolves. His older sister, Sydney, is a freshman at Marist, where she was recently named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week. His other sister, Nia, is a standout for defending state champion Hopkins and signed with Northwestern in the early signing period.

Gopher Hole.com recently caught up with Amir to learn the latest on his freshman campaign and early recruitment.

Richard Coffey was a fan favorite for the Gophers, who averaged 8.2 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. He was nicknamed “The Paratrooper” for his stint with the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division and did not join the Gophers until he was 25.

Amir Coffey has 12.8 points per game as he has helped lead the Royals to a 3-1 start. He has scored in double figures in three of the four games, including 22 points in a 79-48 win over Rosemount.

Gopher Hole: You currently have offers from Iowa State and Penn State. What are some of the other schools that you are hearing from?

Amir Coffey: There are some schools that are showing interest. I got letters from Wisconsin, Notre Dame, Tulsa and Virginia.

Gopher Hole: What things have you been working on to improve yourself as a player?

Amir Coffey: My defense and my strength to get better in everything and just improve in anything I can.

Gopher Hole: You have grown quite a bit in the last year. How much have you grown in the past year or so?

Amir Coffey: A couple of inches. I am 6-4 or 6-5 now. I have grown a couple of inches.

Gopher Hole: How much do you think that has helped your game?

Amir Coffey: A lot. It always helps when you are taller. It helps.

Gopher Hole: You obviously come from a basketball family. Has basketball always been in the blood?

Amir Coffey: Yes. Since I was little, I always wanted to play basketball. I got in the gym when I was little and play decent now. Got to keep working and stay humble.

Gopher Hole: Have you seen much tape of your Dad playing with Minnesota?

Amir Coffey: No, I haven’t. I’ve heard a lot of stories, though about him. That he was tough and almost got kicked out of the games.

Gopher Hole: He was more of a physical player, but maybe not as skilled as you are. Is that something he tried to work with you on?

Amir Coffey: He works with me on my skills all the time and he says that he knows that I am not going to be as physical as him, so he wants to work on my jump shot and my dribbling and the skill stuff.

Gopher Hole: Do you guys ever go one-on-one ever?

Amir Coffey: No. We play HORSE or Around The World.

Gopher Hole: Who wins those?

Amir Coffey: Me, of course (Laughing)

Gopher Hole: How about your sisters? Do you ever go up against them?

Amir Coffey: When we were little, I used to beat them.

Gopher Hole: when was the last time you went up against them?

Amir Coffey: Probably in sixth grade.

Gopher Hole: You had a tough loss against Tartan in the Breakdown Tip-Off Classic, but you are expected to be one of the best teams in the state. What are the expectations for the season?

Amir Coffey: Hopefully, win a state championship. We have got to get better. Obviously, we are going to keep working and we want to win a state championship like everybody else does. We just have to strive for it.

Gopher Hole: Obviously, your recruitment is still a long ways ahead. Do you like the attention that you receive?

Amir Coffey: I don’t really pay attention to it. Just keep humble and keep working for it.

Gopher Hole: Do you have a school that you would love to hear from or a dream school?

Amir Coffey: I really like North Carolina and Kentucky. Those are some of my favorite schools.

Gopher Hole: Have you had a chance to go to many college basketball games?

Amir Coffey: I went to a couple of Minnesota games just for fun, but soon enough I hope that will happen.

Gopher Hole: Would you like to hear from Minnesota?

Amir Coffey: Yes. It is a great school. My Dad went there. It is an awesome school to go to.

Gopher Hole: Your dad played at Minnesota. Have you ever thought about following in his footsteps and going there?

Amir Coffey: Definitely. I have been up to the campus. It is beautiful. It is a great school. It is a nice school and I have thought about it many times.

Gopher Hole: What would that mean to you to play at the same place that your Dad did?

Amir Coffey: It would mean a lot. It is a great school. There are a lot of schools, but Minnesota is a great school. It would mean a lot.

[GopherHole Staff]

Q&A: Amir Coffey says it would mean a lot to play at same school as his Dad

http://www.gopherhole.com/news_artic...rrer_id=388419

[Parski1]

Richard Coffey was a bad a$$......and a great Gopher!

[underground629]

Sounds like we haven't even shown interest..........

Q&A: Amir Coffey says it would mean a lot to play at same school as his Dad

http://www.gopherhole.com/news_artic...rrer_id=388419

[Studwell55]

Richard Coffey = bada$$.

[jmag21]

I'm hoping we see Coffey on this squad. I think he'd probably be helpful, and he sounds like a great kid.

[GophersOnTheRise]

Watching Amir play, he seems like a kid that Tubby would love. I know he's young, but I would hope Tubby has been showing interest.

[short ornery norwegian]

Both of the Coffey Girls leave MN for other schools. Is that a reflection on the U - or a reflection specifically on the Gopher Womens' program and Pam Borton? (I don't have a clue - is there someone out there who knows the Coffey family and can shed some light on the situation?)

[dpodoll68]

Both of the Coffey Girls leave MN for other schools. Is that a reflection on the U - or a reflection specifically on the Gopher Womens' program and Pam Borton? (I don't have a clue - is there someone out there who knows the Coffey family and can shed some light on the situation?)

For Sydney, I think it's a reflection of Pam Borton thinking she wasn't good enough to receive a Gopher offer. I'm pretty sure that no one has ever willingly chosen Marist over Minnesota in any sport, and certainly not a legacy in-state recruit. As for Nia, her final list of schools included Harvard, Stanford, Duke, and Princeton in addition to Northwestern. I think something other than basketball was at the center of her decision-making process, and Minnesota cannot compete academically with those schools.

[Ogee Oglethorpe]

Richard Coffey = bada$$.

Did you know he was a paratrooper?

If I had a nickel for every time an announcer reminded folks of that during Coffey's time with the Rodents... Right up there with repeatedly telling people Ernie Zig speaks like 6 different languages. Ernie didn't see as much floor time as Coffey. Coffey was an enforcer though, no doubt about it!!

[XMan]

Did you know he was a paratrooper?

If I had a nickel for every time an announcer reminded folks of that during Coffey's time with the Rodents... Right up there with repeatedly telling people Ernie Zig speaks like 6 different languages. Ernie didn't see as much floor time as Coffey. Coffey was an enforcer though, no doubt about it!!

Wow that's funny. You are right, they said that all the time when he played. He was just a beast, loved his play as a gopher. It would be great to see Amir here in a few years.

[sunnyday2]

I don't remember Richard as an enforcer per se, I remember him as hard-nosed, as a guy who out-worked everybody and got more out of his abilities than anybody else. He played hard and didn't back down, sure. But enforcer sounds too much like a hockey goon and that was not Richard Coffey. He was a ballplayer, he was a helluva ballplayer, whose primary contributions were other than scoring necessarily and included all the intangibles that don't show up in the box score. Enforcer doesn't do justice to all of that.

I hope Amir becomes a Gopher, but Nia's decision doesn't bode well, sorta like Isaiah and Rebekah, if you ask me. But while I have met Richard Coffey once or twice at Hopkins HS games, I do not have any inside insight of any kind on this point.

But, having seen Amir last night, I don't think he's going to be a Richard Coffey clone. He is much thinner, but of course he is just a freshman. When he says he wants to get stronger, well, yeah, and he will. Last night his offensive game consisted mostly of the 3-ball and that was not anything Richard ever looked to do. But if he adds a little bit of size and has a normal increase in strength, his inside game will come. Very athletic, very mobile, to be sure. A lefty like his dad.

[PavedWithGold]

Did you know he was a paratrooper?

If I had a nickel for every time an announcer reminded folks of that during Coffey's time with the Rodents... Right up there with repeatedly telling people Ernie Zig speaks like 6 different languages. Ernie didn't see as much floor time as Coffey. Coffey was an enforcer though, no doubt about it!!

Did you know that Lawrence Westbrook is Brian Westbrook's cousin? He looks like a running back doesn't he?