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Q&A: Gophers Pitino & Johnson Make Recent Visits to Watch Lakeville's Nathan Reuvers
Q&A: Gophers Pitino and Johnson Make Recent Visits to Watch Lakeville North's Nathan Reuvers
By Chris Monter
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/559430?referrer_id=388419
Nathan Reuvers, a 6-foot-9 junior from Lakeville (MN) North, has emerged the past few months as one of the state's top prospects in the Class of 2017. Reuvers only averaged 6.5 points per game as a sophomore, but stepped up his play in the Class AAAA state tournament when senior Connor Flack was sidelined with an injury. He scored in double figures in two of the Panthers' three games and averaged 6.0 rebounds. Lakeville North finished 19-13 last season and 10-8 in the South Suburban Conference.
Reuvers has picked up 14 scholarship offers, including ten in the past month, and made a recent unofficial visit to Minnesota, attending the Gopher football game versus Kent State. Gophers Richard Pitino came to Lakeville North this week to watch Reuvers.
Reuvers currently has offers from Air Force, Boston University, Cornell, Creighton, DePaul, Duquesne, Green Bay, Pennsylvania, UNC Greensboro, North Dakota, San Diego, Santa Clara and South Dakota State.
Gopher Hole caught up with Reuvers at the Hardwood Elite League to learn the latest on his college recruitment.
Gopher Hole: I think that you are up to 14 offers right now. If I had told you that six or eight months ago that you would have 14 offers before your junior season what would you have thought?
Nathan Reuvers: No idea, really. Once I started getting those mid major offers, too, I didn't really know if I was going to get high major offers and eventually I have two right now from Creighton and DePaul, so it is kind of cool to get all these offers. I'm trying to get out to see them all and see which one fits me the best.
Gopher Hole: Have you had a chance to visit some schools? I know that you have been so busy with school and everything.
Nathan Reuvers: I have been visiting. In August, I visited a lot of places. I went to DePaul's Elite Camp. I went out to Boston University and then Harvard. I saw Penn when I was out there, too. I went out to Notre Dame once. I saw DePaul again, too when I went out to Notre Dame on the way back, since it was on the way.
Gopher Hole: Obviously when you get those offers, does that make you want to work even harder to keep hearing from even more schools?
Nathan Reuvers: Yes. The schools that I want, I still maybe don't have offers from a lot of them like some high academic schools like Stanford, Northwestern and Notre Dame. Those are the kind of schools that I am working hard for to get the offer from.
Gopher Hole: What things have you really been working on individually to continue to improve yourself as a player?
Nathan Reuvers: I work out. We have our open gyms twice a week. I do that. I run here Sunday nights right now and usually two times a week, I have a personal trainer, Mitch Ohnstad. He used to play for the Gophers and he is a really good trainer. He helps me get a lot better.
Gopher Hole: Do you feel that your game has improved a lot from last year?
Nathan Reuvers: Yes. It is just slowly getting better. I am just slowly trying to add on to it to get as good as I can this next year.
Gopher Hole: Your role changes a lot this year. Last year, you weren't really a starter, but you played a lot towards the end of the year, especially when Connor Flack got hurt in the playoffs. How do you feel that your role is going to be different this year?
Nathan Reuvers: Connor scored a lot. He took a lot of shots. Someone is going to have to take those shots this year and I feel like I'm going to step into that role as a starter and putting up a lot of shots.
Gopher Hole: You mentioned the open gyms and the coaches that attend those. Do you try not to pay attention to them when they are watching you?
Nathan Reuvers: It's nice because I have talked to them all on the phone, so it is nice to finally get to meet them and see what kind of guy they are.
Gopher Hole: Minnesota was at one of your recent open gyms. Who was out there, Ben Johnson? (this interview was before Pitino visited this week)
Nathan Reuvers: Yes, Ben Johnson.
Gopher Hole: What are you hearing from the Gophers?
Nathan Reuvers: They are trying to get Pitino out to come watch me in the open gyms. I'm not really sure. They keep trying to recruit me as much. It is kind of easy for them to get a look at me since I am from in-state.
Gopher Hole: Have you been to any college football games yet this year?
Nathan Reuvers: Yes. I went to that Kent State-Minnesota game.
Gopher Hole: What was that experience like?
Nathan Reuvers: It was really cool. I was actually really surprised with the football locker room and all that stuff. The facilities and then we got to watch the team practice too in the morning, which was kind of fun.
Gopher Hole: How excited are you going to be for the start of the season?
Nathan Reuvers: Very excited. I am counting down the weeks 'til it starts.
Gopher Hole: You got a chance to play against the Hurts (Michael and Matthew) of Rochester John Marshall in the early game of the Hardwood Elite League. That is a team that you are likely going to have to play against in the sections to get to state. You have beaten them the last couple of years.
Nathan Reuvers: Yes. The last four years.
Gopher Hole: Have you guys talked about that?
Nathan Reuvers: We're not really worried about it too much, but we're looking forward to it. We'll be watching the team. Seeing how they are playing and getting ready for it.
Gopher Hole: What do you think that you have to do and show to get some of the higher academic and some of those higher major Division I schools to offer you?
Nathan Reuvers: I'm not really sure. Rebounding. Cutting. Getting baskets. Shooting. Being consistent. I would say that would be the thing. Being consistent would help the most.
Q&A: Gophers Pitino and Johnson Make Recent Visits to Watch Lakeville North's Nathan Reuvers
By Chris Monter
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/559430?referrer_id=388419
Nathan Reuvers, a 6-foot-9 junior from Lakeville (MN) North, has emerged the past few months as one of the state's top prospects in the Class of 2017. Reuvers only averaged 6.5 points per game as a sophomore, but stepped up his play in the Class AAAA state tournament when senior Connor Flack was sidelined with an injury. He scored in double figures in two of the Panthers' three games and averaged 6.0 rebounds. Lakeville North finished 19-13 last season and 10-8 in the South Suburban Conference.
Reuvers has picked up 14 scholarship offers, including ten in the past month, and made a recent unofficial visit to Minnesota, attending the Gopher football game versus Kent State. Gophers Richard Pitino came to Lakeville North this week to watch Reuvers.
Reuvers currently has offers from Air Force, Boston University, Cornell, Creighton, DePaul, Duquesne, Green Bay, Pennsylvania, UNC Greensboro, North Dakota, San Diego, Santa Clara and South Dakota State.
Gopher Hole caught up with Reuvers at the Hardwood Elite League to learn the latest on his college recruitment.
Gopher Hole: I think that you are up to 14 offers right now. If I had told you that six or eight months ago that you would have 14 offers before your junior season what would you have thought?
Nathan Reuvers: No idea, really. Once I started getting those mid major offers, too, I didn't really know if I was going to get high major offers and eventually I have two right now from Creighton and DePaul, so it is kind of cool to get all these offers. I'm trying to get out to see them all and see which one fits me the best.
Gopher Hole: Have you had a chance to visit some schools? I know that you have been so busy with school and everything.
Nathan Reuvers: I have been visiting. In August, I visited a lot of places. I went to DePaul's Elite Camp. I went out to Boston University and then Harvard. I saw Penn when I was out there, too. I went out to Notre Dame once. I saw DePaul again, too when I went out to Notre Dame on the way back, since it was on the way.
Gopher Hole: Obviously when you get those offers, does that make you want to work even harder to keep hearing from even more schools?
Nathan Reuvers: Yes. The schools that I want, I still maybe don't have offers from a lot of them like some high academic schools like Stanford, Northwestern and Notre Dame. Those are the kind of schools that I am working hard for to get the offer from.
Gopher Hole: What things have you really been working on individually to continue to improve yourself as a player?
Nathan Reuvers: I work out. We have our open gyms twice a week. I do that. I run here Sunday nights right now and usually two times a week, I have a personal trainer, Mitch Ohnstad. He used to play for the Gophers and he is a really good trainer. He helps me get a lot better.
Gopher Hole: Do you feel that your game has improved a lot from last year?
Nathan Reuvers: Yes. It is just slowly getting better. I am just slowly trying to add on to it to get as good as I can this next year.
Gopher Hole: Your role changes a lot this year. Last year, you weren't really a starter, but you played a lot towards the end of the year, especially when Connor Flack got hurt in the playoffs. How do you feel that your role is going to be different this year?
Nathan Reuvers: Connor scored a lot. He took a lot of shots. Someone is going to have to take those shots this year and I feel like I'm going to step into that role as a starter and putting up a lot of shots.
Gopher Hole: You mentioned the open gyms and the coaches that attend those. Do you try not to pay attention to them when they are watching you?
Nathan Reuvers: It's nice because I have talked to them all on the phone, so it is nice to finally get to meet them and see what kind of guy they are.
Gopher Hole: Minnesota was at one of your recent open gyms. Who was out there, Ben Johnson? (this interview was before Pitino visited this week)
Nathan Reuvers: Yes, Ben Johnson.
Gopher Hole: What are you hearing from the Gophers?
Nathan Reuvers: They are trying to get Pitino out to come watch me in the open gyms. I'm not really sure. They keep trying to recruit me as much. It is kind of easy for them to get a look at me since I am from in-state.
Gopher Hole: Have you been to any college football games yet this year?
Nathan Reuvers: Yes. I went to that Kent State-Minnesota game.
Gopher Hole: What was that experience like?
Nathan Reuvers: It was really cool. I was actually really surprised with the football locker room and all that stuff. The facilities and then we got to watch the team practice too in the morning, which was kind of fun.
Gopher Hole: How excited are you going to be for the start of the season?
Nathan Reuvers: Very excited. I am counting down the weeks 'til it starts.
Gopher Hole: You got a chance to play against the Hurts (Michael and Matthew) of Rochester John Marshall in the early game of the Hardwood Elite League. That is a team that you are likely going to have to play against in the sections to get to state. You have beaten them the last couple of years.
Nathan Reuvers: Yes. The last four years.
Gopher Hole: Have you guys talked about that?
Nathan Reuvers: We're not really worried about it too much, but we're looking forward to it. We'll be watching the team. Seeing how they are playing and getting ready for it.
Gopher Hole: What do you think that you have to do and show to get some of the higher academic and some of those higher major Division I schools to offer you?
Nathan Reuvers: I'm not really sure. Rebounding. Cutting. Getting baskets. Shooting. Being consistent. I would say that would be the thing. Being consistent would help the most.