I like our chances, but if he hypothetically chose Gonzaga, I don't think he would lock himself in a room and hide from society on the 4th. He would be with friends/family regardless.
His announcement couldn't come soon enough.
I get the basketball community is tight, and that everyone knows each other, but if his go-to friend group to hang out with (let's face it, on the 4th you hang out with your best group of friends) is Dupree and Jarvis and Nate, I would think that Minnesota would have a huge advantage, to the point that Xavier or Gonzaga would have to blow Geno away for him to commit....
I know it's one photo, and for all we know maybe Geno was with other people and happened to come across Dupree and friends, but if Geno is that close with those guys, to the point he considers them good friends, I'd think he would want to come here. It's not like our basketball is in a different tier than Xavier or Gonzaga. If anything, we will be a sure-fire top 25 team if Geno commits.
By my calculus, friends+top25=commit
And another thing: Geno is from Minneapolis. He probably knows hundreds of people who still live in the city. If he chose to spend it with those guys, I would think that is good news for us...
Counterargument to this whole post: Buggs is also in the picture, so obviously Dupree and Jarvis and Nate are cool with guys who don't play for the Gophers. So maybe you're right, basketball allegiance might not be a priority