Gophers women's basketball: Hopkins' Nia Hollie picks Michigan State over Minnesota

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BleedGopher

BleedGopher

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per the Pioneer Press:

Five-star Hopkins senior standout Nia Hollie announced Thursday she will play for Michigan State over the Gophers.

Hollie, a 6-foot-1 forward and ranked the 48th-best player in the 2016 class by ESPN.com, made her announcement on the KSTP Channel 5 sports newscast.

She picked the Spartans because she said their style of play fit her best.

Hollie said it was a difficult decision to say no to Minnesota coach Marlene Stollings, who built a relationship with her less than a year after taking over the program.

http://www.twincities.com/gophers/c...-basketball-hopkins-nia-hollie-picks-michigan

Go Gophers!!
 

It takes some balls to go on a live Twin Cities sportscast and pick a rival school in the same conference. But I guess it's all about them so it shouldn't surprise me anymore.
 

Too bad. I just wish she was not going to a B1G school.
 

BleedGopher said:
per the Pioneer Press:

Five-star Hopkins senior standout Nia Hollie announced Thursday she will play for Michigan State over the Gophers.

Hollie, a 6-foot-1 forward and ranked the 48th-best player in the 2016 class by ESPN.com, made her announcement on the KSTP Channel 5 sports newscast.

She picked the Spartans because she said their style of play fit her best.

Hollie said it was a difficult decision to say no to Minnesota coach Marlene Stollings, who built a relationship with her less than a year after taking over the program.

http://www.twincities.com/gophers/c...-basketball-hopkins-nia-hollie-picks-michigan

Go Gophers!!
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Local star keeps home state schools in finals, holds a press conference or goes on TV and then picks rival. Does this happen in other markets like it does here?
 

the poor girl can never work in the Twin Cities market now.

oh, wait-- Tyus might be changing that old saying
 


WindyCityGopher said:
It takes some balls to go on a live Twin Cities sportscast and pick a rival school in the same conference. But I guess it's all about them so it shouldn't surprise me anymore.
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But it is all about them. Who else would it be about?
 

I'm disappointed when a coveted kid from Minnesota goes elsewhere. It's damn near painful though when they go to another BIG school. You know you'll see them in Williams Arena and go, "Damn," all over again.

They're just kids, but we also could do without the public drama, the "style of play" reason, and the bullish*t about how hard a choice it was. Almost like they expect sympathy.
 

gopher7 said:
Local star keeps home state schools in finals, holds a press conference or goes on TV and then picks rival. Does this happen in other markets like it does here?
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Yes it does! Remember Cliff Alexander half picked up the Illinois hat before putting it down and picking up Kansas on TV? There are other examples but on the mens side I ran the numbers on the top 25 the last 4 years and only something like 28% of top 25 players stay in their home state for college. I had those numbers in a different thread. I didn't go as extensive to include the top 100 but I'd bet it's not too different extended outword.
 

Tim1406 said:
Yes it does! Remember Cliff Alexander half picked up the Illinois hat before putting it down and picking up Kansas on TV? There are other examples but on the mens side I ran the numbers on the top 25 the last 4 years and only something like 28% of top 25 players stay in their home state for college. I had those numbers in a different thread. I didn't go as extensive to include the top 100 but I'd bet it's not too different extended outword.
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I think the question wasn't just about top players not playing for a home state school, but about top players who keep the hometown school in it to the end, then hold a press conference or make some big announcement to the local media when they decide to go elsewhere, and presumably disappoint many of the people watching the announcement, like Cliff Alexander and Nia Hollie. I think Reid Travis did the same thing. Did Tyus Jones? I'm pretty sure he said he was considering us until the end, even though no one bought it.

Of course you can argue that the recruit making the announcement has no need to take the feelings of the local fan base into account, and that the decision truly is all about them.
 



Not really, the Wolves trying to market him doesn't alter my feelings about him one bit.
I don't care if I was rude and didn't cheer him at the Twins game.
If anything, I'd be less likely to catch a TW game.

I feel the same way about her now.
She's a nobody to me.

I don't fault her for making the decision she made, she's just a nobody, that's all.
She can take her game and her life to East Lansing.

I got no problem with it, up until she tries to sell me.

I will always patronize a former Gopher.
I will always support their sponsors.
It's the only way I can say thank you in the real world.

Call me an a****** or an imperialist if you want, it won't change a thing.

Minnesconsin fan said:
the poor girl can never work in the Twin Cities market now.

oh, wait-- Tyus might be changing that old saying
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Cayman said:
I think the question wasn't just about top players not playing for a home state school, but about top players who keep the hometown school in it to the end, then hold a press conference or make some big announcement to the local media when they decide to go elsewhere, and presumably disappoint many of the people watching the announcement, like Cliff Alexander and Nia Hollie. I think Reid Travis did the same thing. Did Tyus Jones? I'm pretty sure he said he was considering us until the end, even though no one bought it.

Of course you can argue that the recruit making the announcement has no need to take the feelings of the local fan base into account, and that the decision truly is all about them.
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Yes, this is exactly what I am referring to. I understand kids will always leave the state for college; this much doesn't bother me. It's when they "say" the U is "a finalist" -- strictly for the purpose of drawing more attention to themselves -- leading up their press conference/live TV decision that really gets to me. Because really, would anyone around here have tuned in if the finalists were Michigan State and Georgia Tech? This has happened enough times now where I'm not buying it. I don't like being used.
 

gopher7 said:
Yes, this is exactly what I am referring to. I understand kids will always leave the state for college; this much doesn't bother me. It's when they "say" the U is "a finalist" -- strictly for the purpose of drawing more attention to themselves -- leading up their press conference/live TV decision that really gets to me. Because really, would anyone around here have tuned in if the finalists were Michigan State and Georgia Tech? This has happened enough times now where I'm not buying it. I don't like being used.
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Agree with this 100%. There was never any chance of the Gophers being the choice. I can hardly wait until Gary Trent or some other top local recruit pulls the same crap.
 



Mulligan said:
I'm disappointed when a coveted kid from Minnesota goes elsewhere. It's damn near painful though when they go to another BIG school. You know you'll see them in Williams Arena and go, "Damn," all over again.

They're just kids, but we also could do without the public drama, the "style of play" reason, and the bullish*t about how hard a choice it was. Almost like they expect sympathy.
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+19

Curious if most/some/any of the recruits tell the involved coaches before their public grandstand performance.
 

dpodoll68 said:
But it is all about them. Who else would it be about?
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When you choose to make a college announcement in such a public manner on a Twin Cities TV station, to an audience that largely has direct or indirect ties to the University of Minnesota, you may think it's just about you, but you've opened it up to also being about the people you're communicating to, many of those who care about the school you just snubbed.
 

gopher7 said:
Yes, this is exactly what I am referring to. I understand kids will always leave the state for college; this much doesn't bother me. It's when they "say" the U is "a finalist" -- strictly for the purpose of drawing more attention to themselves -- leading up their press conference/live TV decision that really gets to me. Because really, would anyone around here have tuned in if the finalists were Michigan State and Georgia Tech? This has happened enough times now where I'm not buying it. I don't like being used.
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I understand what you're saying but I don't think you're in a position to say what the intentions of these high schoolers are(maybe you're close enough to a few of these players to know that, I don't know). It's completely possible that if Nia Hollie didn't go to Michigan State or wasn't offered by Michigan State, then she would have gone to MN. Just like with Tyus(less likely) and Ried it's entirely possible that Minnesota was truly their 2nd choice school and in that case, no matter how much it hurts, they are not keeping the home town school in it just to draw attention to themselves.

*I havn't been following Nia Hollie recruitment much I could be completely off base and she could have been like Tyus Jones all over again.
 

Tim1406 said:
I understand what you're saying but I don't think you're in a position to say what the intentions of these high schoolers are(maybe you're close enough to a few of these players to know that, I don't know). It's completely possible that if Nia Hollie didn't go to Michigan State or wasn't offered by Michigan State, then she would have gone to MN. Just like with Tyus(less likely) and Ried it's entirely possible that Minnesota was truly their 2nd choice school and in that case, no matter how much it hurts, they are not keeping the home town school in it just to draw attention to themselves.

*I havn't been following Nia Hollie recruitment much I could be completely off base and she could have been like Tyus Jones all over again.
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You seem to be missing the point. It's possible that Minnesota is their second choice. Just state where you're going without the spectacle and drama. It's not like they're wavering while they're walking up to the cameras. People were calling her going to MS days ago. So gopher7 is right. It's about milking it for the attention.
 

I think TV commitment announcements are declassee, especially when you aren't choosing the home state school.
 

WindyCityGopher said:
When you choose to make a college announcement in such a public manner on a Twin Cities TV station, to an audience that largely has direct or indirect ties to the University of Minnesota, you may think it's just about you, but you've opened it up to also being about the people you're communicating to, many of those who care about the school you just snubbed.
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Of course other people will care about it, but the decision isn't about them. It's about her. She doesn't, and shouldn't, care at all about what random Gopher rubes think of her and her decision, regardless of how that decision was announced. It's cute that you think your disappointment matters.
 

Mulligan said:
You seem to be missing the point. It's possible that Minnesota is their second choice. Just state where you're going without the spectacle and drama. It's not like they're wavering while they're walking up to the cameras. People were calling her going to MS days ago. So gopher7 is right. It's about milking it for the attention.
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Nope, but for TV and or radio most of these kids and these kids families have agreements to announce their decision before they actually make a choice. Are the kids supposed to turn the cameras away just because they are going to choose a different school? Would you turn the cameras away if they were asking you to announce on TV or radio? (be honest with yourself in this day in age of social media and how most of these kids are idolized by their peers and even by some alumni twice their age in different states)
 

dpodoll68 said:
Of course other people will care about it, but the decision isn't about them. It's about her. She doesn't, and shouldn't, care at all about what random Gopher rubes think of her and her decision, regardless of how that decision was announced. It's cute that you think your disappointment matters.
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If Amir Coffey did this this board would explode
 


It's one thing to be at a national all-star game and pick up a cap. If it's not the home team I can live with that disappointment. If you schedule a press conference with the local media and invite the local public, it's a little more "shoved in your face" when they don't choose the local team. I'm surprised kids don't get booed by local fans more when that happens (not saying I would, or that it's right, but it wouldn't surprise me).
 

dpodoll68 said:
I would hope so. They shouldn't, however, labor under the impression that he owes them anything. Nia Hollie doesn't either.
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This so magnanimous coming from a guy who went apesh*t when a Gopher football recruit changed his verbal from the Gophers to another school a couple of years ago. Remember arguing with you but you were so bitter you weren't going to care about the kid anymore.
 

Mulligan said:
This so magnanimous coming from a guy who went apesh*t when a Gopher football recruit changed his verbal from the Gophers to another school a couple of years ago. Remember arguing with you but you were so bitter you weren't going to care about the kid anymore.
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BS. I have certainly been upset about players not choosing the Gophers, but have never once pretended that how I or any other Gophers fan felt about it should matter to the recruit. You're right, though, that I don't care about players who don't choose the Gophers.
 

dpodoll68 said:
BS. I have certainly been upset about players not choosing the Gophers, but have never once pretended that how I or any other Gophers fan felt about it should matter to the recruit. You're right, though, that I don't care about players who don't choose the Gophers.
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Please point out where I said Andre McDonald should be concerned about how you regarded him. Just find it hilarious comparing your over-reaction at that time to your haughtiness now about people who are pissed.
 

I think its funny how people think a high school kid should consider the "feelings" of complete strangers when they announce their college decision. Why isnt anyone critical of the TV station for broadcasting it? This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for these kids. People need to get over themselves.
 

My feeling continues to be this:

we (fans in general) are paying the price for treating these kids like stars from the time they are in Junior High. These kids grow up with adults fawning over them, treating them like royalty, and they grow to expect the attention. Plus, they see people like LeBron with "the decision," and they think that's what a "star" does. Add to that an AAU and recruiting culture that puts the emphasis on individuals, not team play, and you wind up with a generation of teenagers that see a televised press conference as routine.

I just don't think that a lot of these kids have the maturity and self-awareness to consider the impact their actions have on other people. They think it's all about them - that everyone is hanging on their every word, and they "need" to have a press conference to announce what school they're attending.

If you presented most of these kids with the idea that MN fans would be upset with their decision, I bet they would be very surprised. They just expect that their "fans" will follow them wherever they go. (again - AAU mentality - it's not about the team, it's about the individual.)
 

Just people being addicted to attention and being special.
 


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