Gary Trent Jr. to Findlay Prep?

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Why? He hasn't done anything to hurt anybody by making this move, and has always been a great teammate and kind to media and supporters. Gary's an awesome, high character kid with intentions to go to the NBA in 2018, so this move makes sense for him to accelerate his career further and better prepare him for a high level of basketball. And his dad is still involved in helping Gopher hoops. No reason to hate on him for a strictly basketball/career related move.
 

I don't get why it's a Dbag move. It's probably his best path to the NBA. Get more exposure and play against the best competition. Hockey players leave to further their career all of the time. Kids go to schools that would help them accelerate their careers all of the time.
 

1) So sick of MN best talent leaving the state and the program remains a ****storm.
2) Going to Findlay will do nothing to help him get to NBA; everyone already knows what type of player he is and he should stay with his friends and enjoy being a high school senior (see T. Jones)
3) If you knew Sr. (which I do) you would know this is decision made 100% by him.
 

Good for him. Should be a great opportunity.
 


If his goal is to get to the NBA in a hurry via a top tier power conference school, this is a good move. He will get better coaching, will play better opponents, and have better teammates. Things have much improved, but the Twin Cities still lags well behind other metro areas of similar size and scope when it comes to turning out top conference D-1 players. Facing the Oak Hill Academy type schools will do more for Trent than facing Eden Prairie and Rosemount. The sad thing is this move unfortunately for us doesn't project him becoming a Gopher.
 

LesBolstad said:
1) So sick of MN best talent leaving the state and the program remains a ****storm.
2) Going to Findlay will do nothing to help him get to NBA; everyone already knows what type of player he is and he should stay with his friends and enjoy being a high school senior (see T. Jones)
3) If you knew Sr. (which I do) you would know this is decision made 100% by him.
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1) no
2) no but it is good that you know what is best for a 1st round NBA pick
3) maybe...but who cares
 

Findlay didn't seem to help Rashad Vaughn much at all. Maybe Gary will have a better experience.


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It was pretty clear he wasn't coming to the U from the beginning so this has no affect on my opinion of him. Hope he makes the most of this experience.
 




AO54 said:
Findlay didn't seem to help Rashad Vaughn much at all. Maybe Gary will have a better experience. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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Yeah. Being a 1st round draft pick is a pretty terrible outcome. Going higher than the kid who stayed in MN and led Duke to a national title.

I'd say Findlay worked out just fine for Vaughn if the goal is to get to the NBA.
 


AO54 said:
Findlay didn't seem to help Rashad Vaughn much at all. Maybe Gary will have a better experience.


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Helped Rashad go one and done and get drafted before local goldenboy Tyus Jones. That had to be somewhat vindicating
 



bemidjigopher said:
Helped Rashad go one and done and get drafted before local goldenboy Tyus Jones. That had to be somewhat vindicating
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I blame the NBA for creating these types of situations, pay big bucks for completely unproven players, lots of incentive to do the prep thing and try to be a one and done, hard to tell if Vaughn is going to be successful or not but based on his first year stats I hope he has a backup plan, he's got 45 more years of working ahead of him.
 

LesBolstad said:
1) So sick of MN best talent leaving the state and the program remains a ****storm.
2) Going to Findlay will do nothing to help him get to NBA; everyone already knows what type of player he is and he should stay with his friends and enjoy being a high school senior (see T. Jones)
3) If you knew Sr. (which I do) you would know this is decision made 100% by him.
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So if 3 is true, why is Jr. a d-bag? Not that any of your reasons for saying d-bag alert made any sense anyway...
 

scher215 said:
Yeah. Being a 1st round draft pick is a pretty terrible outcome. Going higher than the kid who stayed in MN and led Duke to a national title.

I'd say Findlay worked out just fine for Vaughn if the goal is to get to the NBA.
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He was already a projected first round pick before he went to Findlay. It's more of a "couldn't hurt" move, rather than a move you need to make.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

jovs said:
I blame the NBA for creating these types of situations, pay big bucks for completely unproven players, lots of incentive to do the prep thing and try to be a one and done, hard to tell if Vaughn is going to be successful or not but based on his first year stats I hope he has a backup plan, he's got 45 more years of working ahead of him.
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Both the NBA and NCAA are to blame. It would be best for the game at both levels to install similar rules to MLB
 


Speaking of Apple Valley, is Bertram still in high school or did he graduate?
 

what this adds up to: there is no "I" in team.

Right or wrong, Trent is putting his personal goals first. no loyalty to his school, or to the players on his HS team.

Whether Trent plays his final year of HS in Apple Valley or Bumf*ck, Idaho, he's going to be one of the top recruits in the country, and barring injury or off-court issues, will likely be a 1-and-done in college.

I see this as a further negative side-effect of the AAU culture, where it's all about the individual. team doesn't matter, your home town or HS doesn't matter - it's all about pursuing personal goals.

And, in the long term, what Trent does really doesn't make a lot of difference. I just worry that less-talented players will think they can emulate Trent, and make a decision they wind up regretting.
 


short ornery norwegian said:
what this adds up to: there is no "I" in team.

Right or wrong, Trent is putting his personal goals first. no loyalty to his school, or to the players on his HS team.

Whether Trent plays his final year of HS in Apple Valley or Bumf*ck, Idaho, he's going to be one of the top recruits in the country, and barring injury or off-court issues, will likely be a 1-and-done in college.

I see this as a further negative side-effect of the AAU culture, where it's all about the individual. team doesn't matter, your home town or HS doesn't matter - it's all about pursuing personal goals.

And, in the long term, what Trent does really doesn't make a lot of difference. I just worry that less-talented players will think they can emulate Trent, and make a decision they wind up regretting.
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Eyebrows singed by this take.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
what this adds up to: there is no "I" in team.

Right or wrong, Trent is putting his personal goals first. no loyalty to his school, or to the players on his HS team.

Whether Trent plays his final year of HS in Apple Valley or Bumf*ck, Idaho, he's going to be one of the top recruits in the country, and barring injury or off-court issues, will likely be a 1-and-done in college.

I see this as a further negative side-effect of the AAU culture, where it's all about the individual. team doesn't matter, your home town or HS doesn't matter - it's all about pursuing personal goals.

And, in the long term, what Trent does really doesn't make a lot of difference. I just worry that less-talented players will think they can emulate Trent, and make a decision they wind up regretting.
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After a 30+ year in corporate America I have to believe that it has to be all about the individual, these kids don't live in a vacuum, they see the culture that has evolved, loyalty has become a misguided concept that only a fool strives for especially in the institutions that drive our society.
 

If Trent had committed to the Gophers in the process of announcing the move to Nevada for his senior HS season, would it change the opinion of anyone who's down on this decision?
 

short ornery norwegian said:
what this adds up to: there is no "I" in team.

Right or wrong, Trent is putting his personal goals first. no loyalty to his school, or to the players on his HS team.

Whether Trent plays his final year of HS in Apple Valley or Bumf*ck, Idaho, he's going to be one of the top recruits in the country, and barring injury or off-court issues, will likely be a 1-and-done in college.

I see this as a further negative side-effect of the AAU culture, where it's all about the individual. team doesn't matter, your home town or HS doesn't matter - it's all about pursuing personal goals.

And, in the long term, what Trent does really doesn't make a lot of difference. I just worry that less-talented players will think they can emulate Trent, and make a decision they wind up regretting.
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I think Trent should pursue his own personal goals. Not close enough to be 100% certain but my guess is Findlay plays a schedule that will make Trent a far better basketball player at the end of the season than if he was at Apple Valley. He will likely grow more as a person away from home and friends and become more confident as a person. Right now in his life, basketball is his opportunity.
This gives other kids at Apple Valley a chance to step up and lead. It gives others a chance for playing time.
Making decisions based on other people's feelings is ill-advised imo. Going to a college because your high school girl friend wants to go there...and then she breaks up with you at orientation. Playing at a school only because the coach wants you to, and then the coach leaves. And playing on your high school team for loyalty and many more reasons like this, all don't seem like good reasons to make a personal decision to me, especially for someone like Trent. Loyalty in sports in 2015 or 2016 lasts one season...finish the season, that's loyalty. I think everyone needs to do what's best for themselves after they fulfill their commitment which Trent did imo by finishing the 2015 season for Apple Valley.
 

Sports_Realist said:
If Trent had committed to the Gophers in the process of announcing the move to Nevada for his senior HS season, would it change the opinion of anyone who's down on this decision?
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I'm sure most of us wouldn't trust the commit to last through signing day.
 

I think they should make the NBA draft rights more like Hockey. Draft them and let them develop in college, prep school or the developmental league. Although I'd prefer college. This would put a lot more emphasis on front offices of the NBA.

As for where he goes to school, does it matter if he goes to Findlay as opposed to Oak Hill, DeMatha or Brewster academy? I'm sure they are all free to young Mr. Trent. If he feels that he gets better competition to improve himself he should go. I would think he has accomplished plenty in the MSHL. Seems a little wimpy to go to the top prep school and not go somewhere with a slight decrease in talent where he could elevate the program.
 

LesBolstad said:
1) So sick of MN best talent leaving the state and the program remains a ****storm.
2) Going to Findlay will do nothing to help him get to NBA; everyone already knows what type of player he is and he should stay with his friends and enjoy being a high school senior (see T. Jones)
3) If you knew Sr. (which I do) you would know this is decision made 100% by him.
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LOL...you sound so hurt man. Challenging himself against better talent can't possibly hurt his development either. How about praising the kid for leaving his comfort zone and desiring to better himself? What makes you think he won't enjoy his senior year at Findlay. He obviously loves the game, so if his year is spent playing against and with the best in the country while getting maximum exposure, I'd call that a great senior year. When you have a son as talented as he is, then you are well within your right to force him to mire in medocrity.
 

mnhoopboy said:
LOL...you sound so hurt man. Challenging himself against better talent can't possibly hurt his development either. How about praising the kid for leaving his comfort zone and desiring to better himself? What makes you think he won't enjoy his senior year at Findlay. He obviously loves the game, so if his year is spent playing against and with the best in the country while getting maximum exposure, I'd call that a great senior year. When you have a son as talented as he is, then you are well within your right to force him to mire in medocrity.
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I agree this is pretty common in hockey now, lots of top instate guys leave for Ann Arbor, the USHL, Canadian Juniors etc. In Soccer, professional teams all over the world have plucked kids as young as seven and thrown them into their development academies. Baseball, international prospects can leave home as early as 16.
 


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