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Q&A: Matthew Hurt Putting Up Monster Numbers Early in Junior Season, Talks Recruiting
Q&A: Matthew Hurt Putting Up Monster Numbers Early in Junior Season, Talks Recruiting and More
By Chris Monter
http://main.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/866500?referrer_id=
Matthew Hurt, a 6-foot-9, 205-pound junior forward from Rochester (MN) John Marshall, is considered Minnesota’s top player in the Class of 2019 and is ranked fifth by ESPN, Scout and Rivals nationally.
Hurt comes from a basketball family. His older brother, Michael, is a current sophomore at Minnesota and was ranked as the number two senior in the state in 2017.
Matthew Hurt had 46, 17 rebounds and four blocked shots Saturday versus Lakeville South in a 75-72 win. He had 38 points and 13 caroms Friday against crosstown rival Rochester Mayo.
Gopher Hole caught up with Hurt at Hopkins for the Breakdown Tip-Off Classic Center after their win over Lakeville South to learn about the latest on his junior season and recruitment.
Gopher Hole: Two big games to start out the year. You had 38 points last night and 46 today. How pleased are you with how well you are playing so far this year?
Matthew Hurt: I am pretty pleased with how I am playing so far, but I can’t give all the credit to myself. I give it all to my teammates and my coaches, because they put me in the right position to score. They are really helping me out in practice and walk-throughs. I am really proud of my team.
Gopher Hole: How about this year’s team? I know that you lost Isaiah Walden (who is at Winona State) and Dedoch Chan (Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College). How has your role changed from last year to this year?
Matthew Hurt: I just have to be more aggressive than I was last year. You have to take some tough shots to win a game. I tried to take some tough shots today and they fell. Personally, as a group, I think that we are a lot tougher than we were last year, because last year, I don’t think that we would have got this win. A great game by Lakeville South. I think that we really competed well.
Gopher Hole: You played a couple of good teams so far this year. You played Rochester Mayo that has two incoming brothers and Lakeville South, you played with Shae Mitchell (Milwaukee signee) on your AAU team. Was that kind of nice to play some tough games early in the year to get you ready for a big season?
Matthew Hurt: Most definitely, but we are just trying to get better every day. Playing those two tough games is really good for us. A really good check point of where we are and how we can get better because the goal is to just get better every day.
Gopher Hole: You fouled out with about 50 seconds left. Was it hard to watch the rest of the game because I know that you wanted to be out there?
Matthew Hurt: Yes, yes. For sure. I didn’t know that I had four fouls. Someone could have told me, but I am just proud of my team that we got the win at the end of the game. Big shots. A couple of my teammates, I give credit to them for closing it out.
Gopher Hole: I know that you have been to a couple of Gopher games. What has been your feeling been about the team? I know that Michael has had some nice plays and has played well in his minutes. What is your impressions of the Gophers so far this season?
Matthew Hurt: They are really talented. They really compete well. They have an All-Big 10 player. They have a couple of them, so they are just a really good team. They can finish. They can shoot. They can defend, so I think that they are very fun to watch. My brother is playing well right now, but he has to keep working every day.
Gopher Hole: Obviously, you are still a ways from making your decision, but what are going to be the main factors that are going to make you pick School A over School B and C?
Matthew Hurt: How I fit and their style. Campus. All that. A lot of factors come into that. Playing style. The right way to fit my playing style. I am just trying to find the right fit.
Gopher Hole: I know that it is tough to go to too many places, because of your busy schedule. Have you thought about trying to go to some games the rest of the year yet?
Matthew Hurt: I am. I am going to try to find some Sunday games or 8 o’clock games. Sneak out of practice early or something like that. I haven’t planned on it. I did most of that in the fall. I’m still open for anything right now.
Gopher Hole: Where all did you get a chance to go this fall then?
Matthew Hurt: I got to go to Duke, North Carolina, Minnesota and I went to Kansas lately.
Gopher Hole: What do you learn from those experiences of visiting those campuses?
Matthew Hurt: How they do it day to day. What the players get treated like. Their practice. All that. I am just getting a better fit with their program.
Gopher Hole: I know that it is getting a little bit closer to that decision now. Is it different now looking at it, then you did two, three years ago?
Matthew Hurt: No. I just try to take it one day at a time mostly. I am just trying to make the right fit for me. The best choice for me. I have no idea where I am going to go yet, but I’m going to try to cut it down by next year sometime.
Gopher Hole: You still like the recruiting process or is it a little draining on you at times?
Matthew Hurt: It is good right now because most coaches are in their season right now, so they haven’t been contacting me lately. There has been a couple of days, but it is fine right now.
Gopher Hole: What is it going to mean to you to put on your jersey and walk onto your court as a college freshman?
Matthew Hurt: It is going to be pretty sweet because I have been dreaming about that. I’ve always watched college basketball and I just think that true freshmen are really cool. The atmosphere is crazy. The first time in hostile environment, I think, that is going to be one of the best games that you are ever going to play.
Q&A: Matthew Hurt Putting Up Monster Numbers Early in Junior Season, Talks Recruiting and More
By Chris Monter
http://main.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/866500?referrer_id=
Matthew Hurt, a 6-foot-9, 205-pound junior forward from Rochester (MN) John Marshall, is considered Minnesota’s top player in the Class of 2019 and is ranked fifth by ESPN, Scout and Rivals nationally.
Hurt comes from a basketball family. His older brother, Michael, is a current sophomore at Minnesota and was ranked as the number two senior in the state in 2017.
Matthew Hurt had 46, 17 rebounds and four blocked shots Saturday versus Lakeville South in a 75-72 win. He had 38 points and 13 caroms Friday against crosstown rival Rochester Mayo.
Gopher Hole caught up with Hurt at Hopkins for the Breakdown Tip-Off Classic Center after their win over Lakeville South to learn about the latest on his junior season and recruitment.
Gopher Hole: Two big games to start out the year. You had 38 points last night and 46 today. How pleased are you with how well you are playing so far this year?
Matthew Hurt: I am pretty pleased with how I am playing so far, but I can’t give all the credit to myself. I give it all to my teammates and my coaches, because they put me in the right position to score. They are really helping me out in practice and walk-throughs. I am really proud of my team.
Gopher Hole: How about this year’s team? I know that you lost Isaiah Walden (who is at Winona State) and Dedoch Chan (Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College). How has your role changed from last year to this year?
Matthew Hurt: I just have to be more aggressive than I was last year. You have to take some tough shots to win a game. I tried to take some tough shots today and they fell. Personally, as a group, I think that we are a lot tougher than we were last year, because last year, I don’t think that we would have got this win. A great game by Lakeville South. I think that we really competed well.
Gopher Hole: You played a couple of good teams so far this year. You played Rochester Mayo that has two incoming brothers and Lakeville South, you played with Shae Mitchell (Milwaukee signee) on your AAU team. Was that kind of nice to play some tough games early in the year to get you ready for a big season?
Matthew Hurt: Most definitely, but we are just trying to get better every day. Playing those two tough games is really good for us. A really good check point of where we are and how we can get better because the goal is to just get better every day.
Gopher Hole: You fouled out with about 50 seconds left. Was it hard to watch the rest of the game because I know that you wanted to be out there?
Matthew Hurt: Yes, yes. For sure. I didn’t know that I had four fouls. Someone could have told me, but I am just proud of my team that we got the win at the end of the game. Big shots. A couple of my teammates, I give credit to them for closing it out.
Gopher Hole: I know that you have been to a couple of Gopher games. What has been your feeling been about the team? I know that Michael has had some nice plays and has played well in his minutes. What is your impressions of the Gophers so far this season?
Matthew Hurt: They are really talented. They really compete well. They have an All-Big 10 player. They have a couple of them, so they are just a really good team. They can finish. They can shoot. They can defend, so I think that they are very fun to watch. My brother is playing well right now, but he has to keep working every day.
Gopher Hole: Obviously, you are still a ways from making your decision, but what are going to be the main factors that are going to make you pick School A over School B and C?
Matthew Hurt: How I fit and their style. Campus. All that. A lot of factors come into that. Playing style. The right way to fit my playing style. I am just trying to find the right fit.
Gopher Hole: I know that it is tough to go to too many places, because of your busy schedule. Have you thought about trying to go to some games the rest of the year yet?
Matthew Hurt: I am. I am going to try to find some Sunday games or 8 o’clock games. Sneak out of practice early or something like that. I haven’t planned on it. I did most of that in the fall. I’m still open for anything right now.
Gopher Hole: Where all did you get a chance to go this fall then?
Matthew Hurt: I got to go to Duke, North Carolina, Minnesota and I went to Kansas lately.
Gopher Hole: What do you learn from those experiences of visiting those campuses?
Matthew Hurt: How they do it day to day. What the players get treated like. Their practice. All that. I am just getting a better fit with their program.
Gopher Hole: I know that it is getting a little bit closer to that decision now. Is it different now looking at it, then you did two, three years ago?
Matthew Hurt: No. I just try to take it one day at a time mostly. I am just trying to make the right fit for me. The best choice for me. I have no idea where I am going to go yet, but I’m going to try to cut it down by next year sometime.
Gopher Hole: You still like the recruiting process or is it a little draining on you at times?
Matthew Hurt: It is good right now because most coaches are in their season right now, so they haven’t been contacting me lately. There has been a couple of days, but it is fine right now.
Gopher Hole: What is it going to mean to you to put on your jersey and walk onto your court as a college freshman?
Matthew Hurt: It is going to be pretty sweet because I have been dreaming about that. I’ve always watched college basketball and I just think that true freshmen are really cool. The atmosphere is crazy. The first time in hostile environment, I think, that is going to be one of the best games that you are ever going to play.