All Things 2018 Gophers Basketball Recruiting Thread

Pitino was in Florida today to see G/F Keyontae Johnson of IMG Academy. Johnson is a top 100 kid on Rivals and is ranked 111 on 247. Probably a name to remember because I believe this might be Pitino's first out of state stop post NCAA tournament.

http://247sports.com/player/keyontae-johnson-94496
 

GopherHole Q&A: Gabe Kalscheur Talks Recruiting, Relationship with Gophers Coach Johnson and Pitino
By Chris Monter

http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/774061?referrer_id=

Gabe Kalscheur, a 6-foot-2, 189-pound junior guard from Minneapolis (MN) DeLaSalle, is considered one of the top players in the Minnesota Class of 2018. Kalscheur received a scholarship offer from Minnesota last summer.

Kalscheur scored 27 points to lead DeLaSalle to a 79-56 victory over Fergus Falls in the 3A title game last year to become the first boy's team in Minnesota history to win five straight state championships.

Kalscheur averaged a team-best 19.0 points per game as a sophomore for the Islanders, who finished 24-4. He has scored in double figures in all but three games, including a season-best 30 points versus Champlin Park.

Kalscheur averaged 6.3 points per game as a freshman with five double figure games, including two of the Islanders' three games in the Class AAA state tournament. He had ten points in their first round win over Albany and twelve versus Mankato East in the second round.

Kalscheur caught up with Gopher Hole Thursday after their semifinal win to talk about the latest on his recruitment and winning a sixth straight state title.

Gopher Hole: DeLaSalle is back in the state championship game for the sixth straight year. How pleased are you with how well the team is playing right now?

Gabe Kalscheur: I am very pleased. We play so well with each other. We all get along.

Gopher Hole: This is your third straight title game. How is this team different from the last two that you played on?

Gabe Kalscheur: I feel like we are more connected. Goanar (Mar), our senior, has been a good leader this year and same with me also along the other two seniors, who have been out there.

Gopher Hole: What would it mean to win another state title?

Gabe Kalscheur: It would be history This time, it will prove to be history.

Gopher Hole: Do you ever feel a little pressure because to be honest, a lot of other teams are probably sick of you guys winning every year?

Gabe Kalscheur: I don't think about trying to win another state championship. I just think winning a game because I personally love winning and I don't like losing and when the big lights come on, we just want to win.

Gopher Hole: How pleased are you with your own individual play this year?

Gabe Kalscheur: I feel good. I feel that I have been more of a role leader.

Gopher Hole: What is the latest on your recruitment right now? How many offers are you up to?

Gabe Kalscheur: Minnesota has offered me. UNI and North Dakota.

Gopher Hole: I know that it is so busy with your high school schedule, but did you get a chance to go to many college games this year?

Gabe Kalscheur: I have been to a lot of Minnesota games. I haven't been to a lot of out-of-state game. I have been just doing school and basketball.

Gopher Hole: Minnesota has a commitment from a player in your class, Daniel Oturu, who you play with on Howard Pulley. What does it mean to have another in-state player commit to Minnesota?

Gabe Kalscheur: He gives me some crap about going to Minnesota, so I am thinking about it. I am thinking about it, but I am just going to see how AAU season goes and we'll see from there.

Gopher Hole: Is he working on you a little though?

Gabe Kalscheur: A little bit. A little bit.

Gopher Hole: What is he saying to you?

Gabe Kalscheur: He just says that they need a player like me and I'm like "I agree with it." .

Gopher Hole: Gopher Hole: Minnesota was 8-23 last year, but were the most improved team in the country this season. Does that change how you look at them?

Gabe Kalscheur: It does. It does. Obviously, they have said that to me, too that they were wanting to improve and they did and that meant a lot to me of what he said.

Gopher Hole: I know that Ben Johnson was here to watch you and he was a DeLaSalle guy. What kind of relationship do you have with him?

Gabe Kalscheur: I have a close relationship with him since he is a DeLaSalle grad and also someone I text a lot and Coach Pitino. I have been texting him a lot.

Gopher Hole: What will it mean to play Division I basketball?

Gabe Kalscheur: It will mean a lot because I have worked a lot to be here and play with the best and compete with the best and I deserve it.

Gopher Hole: Gopher Hole: Do you watch the NCAA Tournament at all?

Gabe Kalscheur: Yes, I have. It's crazy.

Gopher Hole: Did you fill out a bracket?

Gabe Kalscheur: Yes, I did. It does not look good at all.

Gopher Hole: Who did you have winning it all?

Gabe Kalscheur: Kentucky and UCLA.

Gopher Hole: What would it mean to maybe have the opportunity to play in the NCAA Tournament?

Gabe Kalscheur: It would be good. It would be unthinkable. It would be crazy.

Gopher Hole: What about the opportunity to play for the homestate school? What would that mean for you?

Gabe Kalscheur: It would be great. My mom wouldn't have to go out and watch me and she could just stay here and I could play for her and she could watch me, too.

Gopher Hole: Howard Pulley had great success last year, making it to the Peach Jam. You lose a lot of key players, so you, Daniel and Tre (Jones) are going to be the leaders this year. Is that something that you are looking forward to?

Gabe Kalscheur: It will be a lot of fun, since Tre and Daniel are two of my closest friends. It will be fun. It will be a lot of fun to play with them again.
 

GopherHole Extensive Q&A: Tre Jones Talks Another State Title, Recruiting, Gophers and More
By Chris Monter

http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/774754?referrer_id=331171

Tre Jones, a 6-foot-2 junior point guard from Apple Valley (MN) High, is considered the top player in the state in the Class of 2018.

Jones helped lead the Eagles to Class AAAA state title Saturday win a 60-54 win over previously undefeated Champlin Park as he finished 24 points, 18 rebounds and five assists.

Jones averaged 23.5 points, 10.4 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game this season as the Eagles finished 30-2.

Jones, who is the younger brother of Minnesota Timberwolves second year player Tyus, picked up an offer from Minnesota last summer.

Gopher Hole caught up with Jones after the state championship game to learn the latest on his college recruitment and winning his second state title in his high school career.

Gopher Hole: It has been a couple of hours since you won the title. What is the feeling now?

Tre Jones: It is still surreal. We've been working all season for this and to have this at the end of the season and we have it now.

Gopher Hole: You obviously had to play some tough teams. You beat a very good Cretin team with Daniel Oturu, Maple Grove and then, of course, Champlin Park. Those two teams had beaten you during the regular season. You had a tough path to even get to the finals. How pleasing is to not only win the title, but to have to go through some teams, including two that had beaten you?

Tre Jones: I felt like we had the toughest road in state, by far. My teammates, they played really well. We played our best basketball those last three games and we were able to just find a way to win all those games.

Gopher Hole: You won the title in 2015 and beat Champlin Park. How does that one compare to this one?

Tre Jones: It is almost the same. They had a great season. Then and now. They beat us earlier in the year in both of those years and we were able to beat them in the championship in both of those years as well.

Gopher Hole: Your role has changed quite a bit over those two years. Does that make it a little sweeter since you weren't the featured guy two years ago. You had a lot of other players on that 2015 team? This year, it is kind of little bit more of your team.

Tre Jones: You could say so, but I don't really feel that. I feel that winning it in ninth grade year and winning it my junior year have been the same feeling. All the work I have put in and the work that my team has put in. Being about to bedown at the end of the year and come away with the win, there is no feeling that beats that.

Gopher Hole: What would it mean to win one as a senior?

Tre Jones: That is the new goal. To be able to go out of my high school career on top.

Gopher Hole: What are your plans for the summer? I know that you do a lot of AAU, but are you going to Colorado Springs for the U.S. National team?

Tre Jones: I'm not sure about Colorado Springs yet. I'll probably find out in the couple of week or so.

Gopher Hole: You are playing with Howard Pulley again. You lost a lot of key players (Brad Davison, Gary Trent, Isaac Johnson), but you have you, Daniel (Oturu) and Gabe (Kalscheur) back. What are the expectations for you guys this year?

Tre Jones: We are hoping to be as strong as we were last year. We may not have the same players, but we are hoping to have another great summer like we did last year.

Gopher Hole: Recruiting-wise, how many offers are you up right now? Do you still keep track?

Tre Jones: I think I have seven and Butler is recruiting me hard. Butler is the only school that I am hearing from that has not offered me.

Gopher Hole: I know that tried to visit some schools before the start of the season like UCLA. Where else did you go this year?

Tre Jones: I went down to Duke's "Countdown to Crazy" and I went to a UCLA game.

Gopher Hole: Which game was that?

Tre Jones: Versus Arizona.

Gopher Hole: Are you going to try to visit any schools this summer?

Tre Jones: I don't know about visiting this summer, but I am trying to figure out when I'm going to be taking my official. Probably soon. After AAU, I think I'll be taking all my officials.

Gopher Hole: Do you think that you will take all five?

Tre Jones: Probably.

Gopher Hole: I knew that you went to a few Gopher games. How many games were you able to make?

Tre Jones: I'm not really sure how many I made.

Gopher Hole: Do you remember which games you went to. Any stick out?

Tre Jones: I went to the St. John's game early on in the year. A lot of people still didn't think that Minnesota was going to be that good this year and I felt that really opened up people's eyes. They got a big win that night, so that was the main one.

Gopher Hole: Last year, they were 8-23 and had kind of a disappointing season. This year, they were the most improved team in the country this season. Does that change how you look at them?

Tre Jones: For sure. They are improving a lot. Coach Pitino is doing good stuff with them and sending them in the right direction, for sure.

Gopher Hole: They are kind of a guard-dominated team. Is that something that appeals to you about Minnesota?

Tre Jones: Yes. He gives their guard a lot of freedom. He lets them play their game, for sure. Lets them control the game. Nate Mason was an All-Big Ten guard. That just shows how Coach Pitino just lets him play.

Gopher Hole: Daniel Oturu is an AAU teammate of yours and a friend. He has committed to Minnesota. Does that make you looks at them a little differently as well?

Tre Jones: For sure. I know Dan. I played with him now for a summer and I will be playing with him this summer again. Just being comfortable with someone like that, that could help the decision as well.

Gopher Hole: Has he talked to you a little about joining him?

Tre Jones: A little bit, but I know I'll be hearing it a lot now with AAU starting.

Gopher Hole: What does he say to you?

Tre Jones: He says to come join him and how much fun it would be.

Gopher Hole: With Tyus begun here, does that make you look at Minnesota a little bit more, even though you never know about the NBA and trades or whatever, but does that make you think about staying here since he is here now?

Tre Jones: For sure. My family. There is nothing like the family that I have out there. They are all right here with me and it would be really cool to be able to stay here with them.

Gopher Hole: I know a lot of people thought that when Duke offered you since your brother was there, that would be a logical place. What do you think of Duke?

Tre Jones: Duke is a really cool place. They have a winning tradition. Coach K is arguably the best college coach of all-time. Every year, they seem to have a Top five team. I have been able to get to know their coaching staff more because Tyus went there, so I know a little bit more about them than other schools.

Gopher Hole: What things are you going to be working on during the AAU season ad summer to continue to improve yourself as a player?

Tre Jones: I am just going to try to work on everything in my game. I am going to try to be getting stronger, faster, more explosive. I am also going to be in the gym, working on my shot, my ballhandling, everything.

Gopher Hole: Obviously, basketball has always been part of your family. What will it mean to play Division I basketball?

Tre Jones: It would mean a lot to me. When I was younger, my mom told me that I didn't need to get a day job if I just worked hard and was able to get college paid for. It is just a blessing, going to college and that I'll be able to go to college for free.
 

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Go Gophers!!
 

Just curious, any chance of us getting sid wilson, the sf from ny? We got connections around there and part of his jelly fam is here in washington? Any chance he comes here? Are we even in the running still?
 


Just curious, any chance of us getting sid wilson, the sf from ny? We got connections around there and part of his jelly fam is here in washington? Any chance he comes here? Are we even in the running still?

Thought I read somewhere that there hasn't been any interest for awhile.
 


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Go Gophers!!

I would have assumed we offered a long time ago, apparently we never did which seems strange. Pitino tosses out all kinds of offers on improbable recruits, why not one where you have a teammate of his committed? We offer Moses Brown and not Sid ? Coaching staff knows a whole lot that I don't, just seems weird on the surface.

In response to Sid Wilson comment - clicked on wrong quote reply*
 

New 2018 Rivals top 150 out

Gopher targets

#6 Moses Brown
#27 Tre Jones
#52 Isaiah Mucius
#53 Jalen Carey
#58 Sid Wilson
#75 Daniel Oturu
#78 Eric Hunter
#93 AJ Green
#101 Montez Mathis
#105 Keyontae Johnson
#114 Brendan Adams
#117 Race Thompson

No Gabe Kalscheur or Jarvis Thomas-Omersa. Race Thompson is much lower on Rivals than 247 and Scout, which have him about 40 and 50 spots higher respectively.

https://n.rivals.com/prospect_rankings/rivals150/2018
 



Looking through Zagsblog, I saw a little tidbit from Moses Brown I found interesting. They were pressing him on Patrick Ewing being present for his first splash at recruiting.

“No, I didn’t see him,” Brown said. “I noticed a couple. I noticed coach Kimani [Young] of Minnesota, that’s about it.”

Apparently all the blue bloods had people there, but all he noticed was Kimani...


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Would love to get Jalen Carey as our PG next class. AJ Green would be nice as well.
 

Would love to get Jalen Carey as our PG next class. AJ Green would be nice as well.

Tre is our #1,#2,#3 and #4 target. Duke has offered multiple point guards ahead of him. I also doubt he wants to duplicate his brothers life. He has a chance to be his own story in Minnesota.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Tre is our #1,#2,#3 and #4 target. Duke has offered multiple point guards ahead of him. I also doubt he wants to duplicate his brothers life. He has a chance to be his own story in Minnesota.


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Pitino knows thats he's not coming here.
 



Pitino knows thats he's not coming here.
Don't agree with this at all. Until he commits somewhere else you keep recruiting him. People that assume he is just going to Duke are stupid. He very well may but it isn't just a forgone conclusion. Coach K may not even be coaching Duke by the time Tre would be there. Tre was absolutely outstanding today and you don't just give up on a player like him and assume he is going somewhere else. Yes beating out UCLA and Duke for him will be tough but his recruitment is not over and decided yet at all.
 

Huge turnout of head coaches in New York last night for Under Armour. Elite program head coaches heading to Hampton today.
 



Tre is our #1,#2,#3 and #4 target. Duke has offered multiple point guards ahead of him. I also doubt he wants to duplicate his brothers life. He has a chance to be his own story in Minnesota.


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Not entirely true

Duke has only offered only one other PG in the 2018 class, Darius Garland, who in all likelihood is a one and done and the composite #7 player in the country. If coach K wants a 3-4 year PG than Tre would definitely have a spot.

Duke has only offered 2 PG's in the 2017 class that are uncommitted right now, Trevon Duval and Tremont Waters. Waters either doesn't have a committable offer from Duke or just has no interest in them and is not expected to be apart of their class. Duval is a top 5 player in the country and is a one and done lock so he'll be gone before Tre even gets there.

The rest sounds a lot like wishful thinking on your part. I do know for a fact though that Pitino is not expecting Tre to be a gopher.
 

Don't agree with this at all. Until he commits somewhere else you keep recruiting him. People that assume he is just going to Duke are stupid. He very well may but it isn't just a forgone conclusion. Coach K may not even be coaching Duke by the time Tre would be there. Tre was absolutely outstanding today and you don't just give up on a player like him and assume he is going somewhere else. Yes beating out UCLA and Duke for him will be tough but his recruitment is not over and decided yet at all.

Trae Young is a great example of why you don't stop recruiting high end local talent even when the blue bloods come calling. Kruger at Oklahoma stayed on him and the blue bloods filled up with guards so he ended up staying home. You never know how things are going to shake out. Tre's getting a lot of national attention and is putting up big numbers (he had something like 30, 7 and 8 for Pulley today) will he sacrifice a year while Darius Garland runs the show at Duke his freshman year? The likelihood of him going there seems high but I wouldn't say it's a foregone conclusion like it was with Tyus.

Speaking of Young here's an interesting and at times funny article about the recuriting process for a 5 star: http://usatodayhss.com/2017/all-access-all-usa-trae-young-basketball-recruiting-roundtable
 


Race did have an impressive video for a big man. He can handle the ball very well! I don't usually put much stock in a video, but his showed a lot.
 


Race had 21 and 8 today

I guess sometimes uncommitted seniors play AAU as well and Mckinley Wright had 22 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists.
 




William Allen’s Martin to select prep school

With the weather getting nicer and the end of the school year just around the corner, “senioritis” runs rampant through the minds of high school seniors all across the country.

For Tyrese Martin, however, he doesn’t get to experience any bit of it.

The 6-foot-5, 180 pound guard already completed his senior season at William Allen (Pa.), a year that saw the Canaries finish with an impressive 26-3 record but a disappointing first round exit in the PIAA 6A state playoffs.

Instead of relaxing, Martin is competing as a member of WeR1’s AAU team, playing with every bit of intensity that rivals a freshman who still has much to prove. He plans on taking a year of prep school before starting college.

"Just discussing it with my mom and seeing how I finished up last summer and this year, I feel like I deserve more, and that I can play higher than what I’ve been recruited,” Martin said.

Against G3 Grind (Ind.), Martin was locked in from the opening tip, getting off to a fast start. He was aggressive, attacking the basket and slicing through the opposing defense with ease.

He demonstrated an ability to score from almost anywhere—finishing inside, pulling up from mid-range off the dribble, and by knocking down his shots from beyond the 3-point line.

This tenacity wasn’t only reserved for scoring, but also on the boards. Martin contributed a game-high 23 points and 11 rebounds in the 75-59 win over G3 Grind.

“A lot of prep schools came here to watch me this week,” said Martin, who is still unsure of where he will spend his prep year. “I don’t know yet, but I’ll probably make a decision this week."

Martin mentioned that he is deciding between Blair (N.J.), St. Thomas More (Conn.), Brewster (N.H.), and Putnam Science (Conn.), which is also where his fellow WeR1 teammate Eric Ayala goes to school.

“I just want to get stronger, develop my skills better,” he said. "If I can get away from my area, Pennsylvania--feel like I can be a really good player.”

When it comes to selecting a school, he plans on weighing each one carefully.

“The best opportunity I have there, and where I”ll be able to focus at, not a lot of distractions.”

http://www.cityofbasketballlove.com/news_article/show/784173?referrer_id=

Looks like Martin is planning on Prep School.
 

This staff is busy as can be building relationships with 2018. It was crazy in New York and especially in Hampton. I spent friday in NY and the weekend in Hampton Va. The 18 class is as deep as any i have seen and have never witnessed the onslaught of big time coaches going so aggressively into the 25-75 range. The non blue bloods that got in early, last year on the Keldon Johnsons, Quinerlys, Elijah Weavers have positioned themselves incredibly well. Archie Miller, with a new platform is now picking up tremendous traction . Turgeon is really knocking it out in the DC -maryland area which is always producing but this class is the deepest yet. More than ever it is about relationship building and the present staff has really stepped up that way.
 

per Marcus:

-- The Gophers coaches made a trip to New York to watch the Under Armour Association AAU circuit. Pitino reportedly offered a scholarship to 6-5 2018 guard Jaylen Sims from Charlotte United Christian in North Carolina. Sims, who can play point guard and shooting guard, plays AAU ball for Team Charlotte run by former Tar Heels standout Jeff McInnis. His body and game reminds me of current Gopher Dupree McBrayer.

http://www.startribune.com/apple-va...o-see-gophers-making-major-strides/420271933/

Go Gophers!!
 





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