All Things 2018 Gophers Basketball Recruiting Thread


Yeah James thinks we have a realistic shot at getting Carr and Stull. I would be very happy with that as well
I like them both as well. Pitino is playing with fire with the PG position next year though. What if IW reverts back to early season IW next year? What happens if IW gets hurt?
 

So we have Marcus Carr on a visit right now and a potential visit from Stull next weekend!

I’m surprised we were able to get a visit from Carr after getting Willis.

Couple questions.

If Carr signs I would guess they view Willis as more 2 guard then point?

And is stull a good enough ball handler to be the primary back up to iw? Or maybe I should say a combination of stull/Dupree/Coffey

Totally guessing, but I would imagine Washington and Carr will take up virtually all the point guard minutes and Willis would fill in when someone is in foul trouble or hurt.

I personally don't see Stull as the backup point guard. Looks like he's a good passer, but his biggest asset for us is his shooting. Putting him at point guard negates that to a degree, plus he's not very quick. The idea of playing Stull at PG reminds me of when Hoffarber played there. I'd rather see McBrayer and/or Coffey take the backup PG minutes.
 

Not clear to me why you’d take two transfers that have to sit out a year when next year players with good gpas might be able to transfer without sitting a year. Limits the options plus these two players could choose to transfer out, gpas permitting
 

Not clear to me why you’d take two transfers that have to sit out a year when next year players with good gpas might be able to transfer without sitting a year. Limits the options plus these two players could choose to transfer out, gpas permitting

I guess it would have to be the quality differential between the guys that are interested in coming here that can play right away and the guys that have to sit out. If Pitino takes Stull and Carr then that tells us a number of things:

1. He thinks Carr is a darn good get- too good to pass on
2. He believes his job is secure
3. He is confident that he can get enough good point guard play from the guys he has- Washington, McBrayer, Stull and perhaps even Coffey might all get some run at the point. ( I don't love this scenario )

Recall that the Gophers had a pretty nice run without a point guard back in the days when Haskins converted shooting guard Mel Newbern into a PG.....
 


I was of the strong opinion that we must get a grad transfer PG for next year. However, at this point I think we take quality if we can get it, even if that means another wait-a-year transfer in Carr. I would be happy with Carr and Stull at this point, but I think we are all jumping the gun to think they are ours if we want them. Looks to me like we have plenty of competition. Assuming this actually happens, are we good with IW, McBrayer, Stull and Gabe manning the guard spots next year?


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I was of the strong opinion that we must get a grad transfer PG for next year. However, at this point I think we take quality if we can get it, even if that means another wait-a-year transfer in Carr. I would be happy with Carr and Stull at this point, but I think we are all jumping the gun to think they are ours if we want them. Looks to me like we have plenty of competition. Assuming this actually happens, are we good with IW, McBrayer, Stull and Gabe manning the guard spots next year?


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At least as far as Carr goes, Ryan James said on Twitter that it was primarily between us, Ohio State, Michigan, and Marquette, and that Marquette got someone else and Michigan might be prioritizing another player.
 

I was of the strong opinion that we must get a grad transfer PG for next year. However, at this point I think we take quality if we can get it, even if that means another wait-a-year transfer in Carr. I would be happy with Carr and Stull at this point, but I think we are all jumping the gun to think they are ours if we want them. Looks to me like we have plenty of competition. Assuming this actually happens, are we good with IW, McBrayer, Stull and Gabe manning the guard spots next year?


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As long as Washington stays healthy and doesn’t consistently get in foul trouble, I think we’ll be fine at point guard. We’ll see what happens, but I personally don’t see Gabe or Stull playing point guard. I think Coffey is more likely to than those two.
 

As long as Washington stays healthy and doesn’t consistently get in foul trouble, I think we’ll be fine at point guard. We’ll see what happens, but I personally don’t see Gabe or Stull playing point guard. I think Coffey is more likely to than those two.

My untrained eye sees McBrayer with better ball-handling skills than Coffey, though to be fair, Coffee hasn’t really been a chance. The backup PG minutes would be interesting, to say the least.


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My untrained eye sees McBrayer with better ball-handling skills than Coffey, though to be fair, Coffee hasn’t really been a chance. The backup PG minutes would be interesting, to say the least.


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I think it will probably be McBrayer too, just think Coffey is likely next in line. Coffey is a very good passer, so could see the offense being run through him a lot when Washington is out.
 

As long as Washington stays healthy and doesn’t consistently get in foul trouble, I think we’ll be fine at point guard. We’ll see what happens, but I personally don’t see Gabe or Stull playing point guard. I think Coffey is more likely to than those two.

We're getting a little too obsessed with the "point guard" position terminology. The way the Gophers run their motion offense, there isn't really a true point guard. There are several ball-handlers who pass it off in motion. Guards are like pitchers in baseball, you can never have enough of them. But Pitino relies on having at least 2, maybe three ball-handlers on the floor at all times. Not necessarily a true point guard.

That said, the depth does get a little thin if IW gets hurt or in foul trouble. Coffey, McBrayer with IW give you 3 guards who can handle it. We won't know about Kalscheur until he plays at the collegiate level if he's comfortable doing that.

I would prefer the 2 schollies left go to guys who are both eligible, but Stull and Carr are a good combo that might be too tough to pass on.
 

We're getting a little too obsessed with the "point guard" position terminology. The way the Gophers run their motion offense, there isn't really a true point guard. There are several ball-handlers who pass it off in motion. Guards are like pitchers in baseball, you can never have enough of them. But Pitino relies on having at least 2, maybe three ball-handlers on the floor at all times. Not necessarily a true point guard.

That said, the depth does get a little thin if IW gets hurt or in foul trouble. Coffey, McBrayer with IW give you 3 guards who can handle it. We won't know about Kalscheur until he plays at the collegiate level if he's comfortable doing that.

I would prefer the 2 schollies left go to guys who are both eligible, but Stull and Carr are a good combo that might be too tough to pass on.

Are we? I didn't mention anything about "true" point guards and we were simply talking about who might backup Washington. You might be the only one obsessing about what a true point guard is. Regardless of how we run our offense, I don't see either Stull or Kalscheur running the offense more than Coffey or McBrayer. Only point I was really trying to make.
 




I thought we might see a "Dancing Gopher" from Richard Pitino today/tonight. If Carr has left without committing, that's not a great sign IMO. I do think it's very interesting that Pitino is willing to take 2 guys that need to sit out (Willis is much closer to a SG than a PG btw, so he and Carr aren't in direct competition with each other) given his tenuous status. I take that as a sign he's pretty confident in the group he has coming back assuming they stay healthy. I would also add that those that theorized that we may have cancelled the Franco Miller visit may very well have been correct. If the staff already had visits lined up with Carr/Stull and and Miller wants to commit before Stull's visit, there was really no reason for him to visit unless the staff prioritized him over one of the other two (unlikely IMO). Carr seems like he would be a nice get, up and down season on a terrible team, but anybody that can go for 22 points and 5 assists at Chapel Hill as a Freshman is likely going to have a nice career.
 

A new article came out on Rivals today regarding Kevin McCullar, a 4 star 2019 guard who had us in his top 5. I say "had," because the article quotes him saying that he is announcing a top 5 later this month, even thought it seemed like he already had a top 5.

But probably the more interesting tidbit is that he says he's going to enroll in college for the Spring 2019 semester, meaning he would take up a 2018 basketball scholarship and he says that, "All of the schools that have offered me have committed to holding a 2018 scholarship for me." I figured we were planning on filling both remaining 2018 scholarships this spring, and I hope that doesn't take us out of the running for McCullar, because he's a fairly highly ranked player who is giving us consideration. He's from San Antonio and I believe I read awhile back that he knows Jordan Murphy.

But yeah, he claims that every school that has offered him is holding a 2018 scholarship for him, and I'd be curious as whether that's true.

https://basketballrecruiting.rivals...kevin-mccullar-to-enroll-early-names-top-nine
 

Major point regarding our style of play, emphasis of play. When Richard acquired Mo Walker...he was forgotten, had no game for Tubby, played a couple minutes a game. Under Richard by necessity he developed Mo into a force at the post position. I haven't felt that comfortable since with the ball going inside. Was it an assistant coach who brought those skills?
Well, now for example we have Jeter as an assistant. His emphasis I'm aware of was low post play. Do we blossom in this area? Does it become a Wisconsin like area of strength? Jeter has the following tape for instance:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6A6veK6GFA It's on developing post payers. Many years ago, I bought this to enhance my education on the subject.

We will eventually hire another assistant who has a sweet spot for something...it'll be a piece of the puzzle to next years team. What we emphasize...what our style of play is. It'll change, again.

Walker looked pretty good when he played as a freshman. Just couldn't stay healthy early in his career.
 


Yes, maybe not ideal for me but I could live with those 3 guys too. It would tell me, foolish or not, Richard either thinks he has job security or that the Gophers will be good next year. I'd prefer the Gophers were good of those two reasons. ha https://www.landof10.com/big-ten/marcus-carr-contact-ohio-state-minnesota-pitt-transfer-2018
And in that scenario Stull is pretty darn critical.

He's taken big risks with his recruiting as it relates to sit out transfers, if the team stays healthy it will be fine, an injury or two and it backfires and you have another dumpster fire. He's running out of chances I would think. I like Pitino, his roster management is just getting to be a drag.
 

"the team stays healthy it will be fine, an injury or two and it backfires and you have another dumpster fire"

that's every team in the big ten. this isn't the SWAC
 

"the team stays healthy it will be fine, an injury or two and it backfires and you have another dumpster fire"

that's every team in the big ten. this isn't the SWAC

I generally agree with you but if he goes with extra sit-out transfers, we are an injury or 2 away from being a 4-16 B10 team. If Purdue or Indiana has an injury or 2, maybe they’ll go 11-9 and sneak into the tournament.
 

Marcus Carr commits. Great get for Pitino. Now we need somebody that can play next year.


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When did Carr visit? Spring or during the 2 foot storm?


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I hate counting my chickens before they hatch, but I see a very bright future. I hear all those grumbling with roster depth and balance, I do, but I think it’s fixed entering 2019. Certainly work left for Pitino to shore up ball handling for this year... but beyond back up pg for the upcoming season, I really don’t think there’s much to be upset about.


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I believe just this past weekend.


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Thanks - maybe Pitino should just take late winter off and wait to bring guys around until May!


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I hate counting my chickens before they hatch, but I see a very bright future. I hear all those grumbling with roster depth and balance, I do, but I think it’s fixed entering 2019. Certainly work left for Pitino to shore up ball handling for this year... but beyond back up pg for the upcoming season, I really don’t think there’s much to be upset about.


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I’ve said the exact same thing for like 3 years, it’s ridiculous how consistently close we’ve been yet we always seem to manage a step back.
 

I’ve said the exact same thing for like 3 years, it’s ridiculous how consistently close we’ve been yet we always seem to manage a step back.

Sadly, you are right. I’ve had the same 2 years out mantra for a loooong time. Given the sad state of this board this morning (which I think was starved for news) I will stay positive and say that this signee raises the floor of this program considerably for the next few years.


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I like the thought of IW (Jr), Carr (So), Gabe (So), and Willis (Jr) at guard in 2019.


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I like the thought of IW (Jr), Carr (So), Gabe (So), and Willis (Jr) at guard in 2019.


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I think that's why pitino took carr. To even out the classes from a back court perspective
 




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