All Things JP Macura Thread UPDATED 7/11: GOPHERS offer JP!

Lakeville North Junior SG JP Macura's Performance Rises as Does Gophers Interest in Him
Macura blew up for 39 points and 12 rebounds vs Apple Valley on Tuesday night.
By Chris Monter

http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/228199?referrer_id=331171


Minnesota Gopher basketball fans have seen their favorite squad struggle mightily against zone defenses recently. Junior shooter J.P. Macura of Lakeville North could be a possible recruit who could give Minnesota a needed outside threat and scorer. Gopher Hole.com caught up with Macura after a 39-point effort in the Panthers’ loss to #1 Apple Valley.

Macura is averaging 25.0 points per game and has 10 games of 30 or more points.

Gopher Hole: How many offers are you up to right now?

J.P. Macura: I am up to 11 right now. North Dakota, North Dakota State, South Dakota, South Dakota State, Milwaukee, Toledo, Vermont, Northern Colorado, Wyoming, St. Louis, Utah State and New Mexico State.

Gopher Hole: You are obviously having a great offensive season. How pleased are you with how well you have been playing this season?

J.P. Macura: Pretty pleased, especially in the games that we are winning and when I am getting the whole team involved. Like tonight, I was disappointed that we lost. Sometimes, you have to score less in these situations to win. I was just disappointed that we lost tonight.

Gopher Hole: Obviously you were feeling it in the beginning of the game. Does that make the basket look little bit bigger to you sometimes?

J.P. Macura: Definitely. It looked a little bigger to me. In the second half, I got a little bit colder in the beginning and I picked it up a little bit.

Gopher Hole: You were playing against one of the top teams in the state and were able to hang with them. Does that give you some confidence that you can play with anyone if you are playing your best as a team?

J.P. Macura: Definitely. Playing the best team in the state helps our team out. It tells us that we can play with anybody in the state and that we are going to go into our next game and we are going to think that we can beat anybody or come close to beating a lot of teams.

Gopher Hole: You recently visited Utah State, right?

J.P. Macura: I went there this past weekend. It was fun. I love the coaches there. The game they played against New Mexico State, they won and it was a great atmosphere. I had a great time.

Gopher Hole: I think that you have recently started hearing from some bigger schools. Wisconsin was at one of your games (versus Burnsville) and Coach (Ron) Jirsa recently watched you, right?

J.P. Macura: Coach Jirsa came to one game this year and came to a practice earlier this year.

Gopher Hole: What are you hearing from the Gophers? What are they saying to you?

J.P. Macura: They mainly said “keep doing what I am doing in scoring and keep winning.”

Gopher Hole: Have you been to many college basketball games this season?

J.P. Macura: I have gone to one. I went to the Gopher game versus Iowa.

Gopher Hole: What was that like?

J.P. Macura: It was great. I liked how I could be right by the bench around the players and hear how they talk and stuff like that. I liked that.

Gopher Hole: When you pick a school, are you looking to play at the highest level? What will be the main thing?

J.P. Macura: I don’t want to sit for one or two years. I want to possibly play my first year or redshirt and get stronger and more physical. The main thing that I am at college is being able to get along with the coaches and players and have a family relationship with them.

Gopher Hole: Do you want to play close to home or far away? Does that matter much?

J.P. Macura: It doesn’t really matter. My mom is actually a flight attendant, so I can go wherever.

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

J.P. Macura: Basically, just my ballhandling, my pull-up jump shot and my defense. Just being able to stand in a stance longer. Fundamental defense.

Gopher Hole: What things are you going to try to do this summer? Are you going to try to go to some college camps or have you thought that far yet?

J.P. Macura: I haven’t thought that far yet.

Go Gophers!!

Go Gophers!!

Go Gophers!!

WCCO: Beyond Bounds: 9 Things To Know About Division-I Prospect JP Macura

http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2013/...-to-know-about-division-i-prospect-jp-macura/

7 – Who do you have full-rides from?
North Dakota State, North Dakota, University of South Dakota, Wyoming, Northern Colorado, Vermont, Milwaukee, Utah State, and Toledo. But I really want to get some Big Ten offers. That’s what I really hope for. I’m just going see if I have a good AAU season. I want to commit before my senior year of basketball, to get that out of the way.

Go Gophers!!

a team can never have enough shooters.

Backup plans already starting. Talk this guy up enough and no one will worry about not getting the 3-5 guys the Gophs need to get.

gopherbadgerman said:

Backup plans already starting. Talk this guy up enough and no one will worry about not getting the 3-5 guys the Gophs need to get.

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You would have reason to worry if the Gopher staff had offered that would mean we are losing on Vaughn. So far it appears to be just THE SCOUT! offering. However, it is nice to have backup plans in the works.

PiPress: State boys basketball: JP Macura became scoring machine after attitude adjustment

"JP is a special player, there's no question about that," Lakeville North coach John Oxton said. "I haven't seen a kid with that type of scoring ability in a long time. He has made plays in some crazy situations that just make you shake your head."

Said Macura: "Now, I feel like I'm a leader. I take accountability. I take blame. I encourage, and when I take bad shots, I apologize. I share the ball so much better. I want the best for my teammates. This way of playing and acting feels so much better."

http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_22824438/state-boys-basketball-jp-macura-became-scoring-machine

Go Gophers!!

Gophs need to keep close tabs on him. If Vaughn cools on Gophs or is willing to play the 3 JP is the guy to sign. Projected by THE SCOUT! to be equal to or better than Hoffarbar was in college

The Gophers need shooters, not athletic wings whose game consists of transition baskets. I keep this guy on speed dial and if he blows it up at EYBL and AAU I am offering.

gopherMD said:

The Gophers need shooters, not athletic wings whose game consists of transition baskets. I keep this guy on speed dial and if he blows it up at EYBL and AAU I am offering.

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Not that it really matters, but he won't be playing in the EYBL. I agree they need to keep tabs on him though.

gopherMD said:

The Gophers need shooters, not athletic wings whose game consists of transition baskets. I keep this guy on speed dial and if he blows it up at EYBL and AAU I am offering.

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+1

Agreed, we need players who can flat out shoot the basketball and create shots for themselves (know how to get open), especially against zones. That doesn't always mean one-on-one stuff, but moving on the court and knowing how to get the ball in a position to score. Maybe we could use a few guys with an "attitude" as long as it's channeled in the right direction.

Macura

big10guy said:

Agreed, we need players who can flat out shoot the basketball and create shots for themselves (know how to get open), especially against zones. That doesn't always mean one-on-one stuff, but moving on the court and knowing how to get the ball in a position to score. Maybe we could use a few guys with an "attitude" as long as it's channeled in the right direction.

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I think any really good tourney team needs a few highly skilled guys who may not be athletes to compliment the athletic players. I believe he is 6'5" which also helps. Someone barely above 6' like Mav and Welch, being slow, cannot get shots with someone in their face. A 6'5" shooter can still get a shot off if a guard hasn't closed in. Diebler from Ohio St. was 6'6", and he wasn't super slow, and he killed teams. Of course I would prefer athlete who are also skilled but those mcdonalds all american types don't come to Mn to often. Let's hope Tyus, Jones, Ellenson, and Illikanen do.

PiPress: Lakeville North junior JP Macura hoping to hear from U

per Marcus:

But Macura said, "Hopefully, I do hear from him soon."

"I never really had a good relationship with Tubby (Smith)," Macura said. "I think it would be great to meet the new coaching staff. I like the new coach's style of play. I think Pitino will do good things with the Gophers."

http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci...tball-lakeville-north-junior-jp-macura-hoping

Go Gophers!!

I don't know much about him, but after watching a highlight video I can see why Tubby didn't like him too much, he's not very athletic. With that being said though, I would definitely like to have him on the team because he looks like he has a great shot, both mid-range and 3 pt range. We could use more shooters, even if he isn't able to create for himself.

I guess on this team I'd rather toss in a shooter who may not be all that athletic to replace some of the athletic guys we have who can't shoot a 10 foot jumper. If you get a point guard who can penetrate, draw the defense, and kick it to a shooter they don't need to create their own shot that often by dribbling the ball to death. We need some guys who can catch & shoot like a Hoffarber.

Very quick release! Not sure how well he will fit Coach P's system. He plays wing like Vaughn. I'm guessing we may have more pressing needs. Must have a PG and C in the class of 2014.

big10guy said:

I guess on this team I'd rather toss in a shooter who may not be all that athletic to replace some of the athletic guys we have who can't shoot a 10 foot jumper. If you get a point guard who can penetrate, draw the defense, and kick it to a shooter they don't need to create their own shot that often by dribbling the ball to death. We need some guys who can catch & shoot like a Hoffarber.

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+1

MadtownGopher said:

I don't know much about him, but after watching a highlight video I can see why Tubby didn't like him too much, he's not very athletic. With that being said though, I would definitely like to have him on the team because he looks like he has a great shot, both mid-range and 3 pt range. We could use more shooters, even if he isn't able to create for himself.

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Hancock from Louisville?

I have seen so many bad shooters in maroon and gold in recent years that it would be a pleasure to see a guy who could knock it down once in a while. Having another shooter could free it up for Andre a bit, too.

If this kid doesn't commit to the Gophers can we have a moratorium on any future Macura threads?

Or just bump all the Wolters' threads and just change the name?

westcoastgopher11 said:

If this kid doesn't commit to the Gophers can we have a moratorium on any future Macura threads?

Or just bump all the Wolters' threads and just change the name?

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Exactly.

Can he play defense? No one seems to consider that.

MadtownGopher said:

I don't know much about him, but after watching a highlight video I can see why Tubby didn't like him too much, he's not very athletic. With that being said though, I would definitely like to have him on the team because he looks like he has a great shot, both mid-range and 3 pt range. We could use more shooters, even if he isn't able to create for himself.

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So Pitino wants a quick athletic team that can run and create points off the defense...but you want to add a guy thats not very athletic.

station19 said:

Can he play defense? No one seems to consider that.

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+1

If you can run the court and defend other D1 players, then sign him up. If all he can do is shoot open 3s, then we can pass. A guy who played PG from my high school shot 90% free throws and better than 50% from three. He went D2, and D1 teams never gave him a sniff. Why? He couldn't create his own shot, he wasn't athletic at all (can't touch the rim kind of hops), and was slow laterally. You can find shooters. The key is finding shooters with more than a modicum of athleticism.

Watched video of him on the playing Tyus' team. JP was equally comfortable dribbling and making lay-ups/reverse lay-ups with either hand. Made a ton of 2's & 3's all contested. Granted he is not an above the rim player, nor particularly swift of foot laterally like Tyus, but he's very capable of making shots off the dribble and nice passing. Someone to keep an eye on and see how he develops next season.

Parski1 said:

So Pitino wants a quick athletic team that can run and create points off the defense...but you want to add a guy thats not very athletic.

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I don't know enough about this kid to say I want to offer him or not, but this isn't that unusual. A lot of these kinds of super athletic/fast paced teams have a knock down shooter (not athletic) on their team.
Hancock - Louisville
Jeff Shepard - Kentucky (back in the day)
Lee Humphry - Florida teams

Hancock is a good example of a kid not rated well at all coming out of high school and had few scholarship offers yet eventually saw great success. Wolters would be another one. But the ratings are there for a reason and these type of kids are the exception not the rule.

I was going to say last night that I'd much rather give a scholarship to this kid than Foster but I guess that debate doesn't hold water any more.