Tray Jackson is 110% committed to being a Gopher!!!

He said he was interested in those schools, they didn’t offer so he moved on. I don’t get how that’s a story
 

FWIW, in his latest Scoops Podcast, Doogie tempered excitement a little bit on Jackson. He said Xavier recently dropped out of their recruitment of Jackson, Doogie said he found it interesting that some media outlets reported Tray's comment that he considered Michigan State, Purdue, Oregon, etc., but Doogie went on to say that Michigan State and Oregon did not offer him. He also said Oklahoma's interest in Jackson "cooled" after they tried to get him. Doogie said: "bottom line from what I have been told is there is some potential there. This is a good start, not a great start for the Gophers 2019 recruiting class."

http://www.1500espn.com/tag/the-scoop/

Go Gophers!!

I trust scouting services' opinions of him a lot more than Doogie's opinion of him. A top 100 player is a very good start to a class, and is especially exciting when there didn't seem to be a ton of traction with other top players.
 

It's weird, as the media in this town has (by and large) warmed to Fleck, they've really started taking more subliminal shots at Pitino.
 

Probably just means he was leaning Minnesota the whole time and these schools "cooled" on him after they realized he wasn't coming there. Similar to how the Gophers "cool" on recruits from time to time. Impressive highlight tape none the less, tough to tell what kind of quickness he actually has but looks pretty skilled for his size! good start to the class!

Correct, it sounds more like Doogie is just trying to find a negative spin! You could say the exact same things about every recruit at any school in the country.


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Correct, it sounds more like Doogie is just trying to find a negative spin! You could say the exact same things about every recruit at any school in the country.

Right, I'm sure anyone would believe that their school cooled on Zion Williamson or RJ Barrett. Get real.
 





I'm not the one who said "every recruit at any school in the country." Why aren't you lecturing him about being extreme?

If you're not a contract lawyer, you really should be one. You'd crush it just tearing apart the fine print.
 



It's weird, as the media in this town has (by and large) warmed to Fleck, they've really started taking more subliminal shots at Pitino.

I don't really see anyone in the media taking shots at Pitino, but if there is that perception I think it would be due to many things:

1. Fleck is really open with the media, and they give him good press because he is making their jobs easier. Not saying Pitino is super closed off to the media, but he's not on the same level as Fleck in that category.

2. It kinda goes with the territory when you've made one NCAA tournament in five years. If Fleck only makes one bowl game in his first five years (or whatever comparison you want to make between football and basketball postseasons) I'm sure he'll get some heat from the media as well, if he still has a job after all that.

3. Honeymoon period might be over for PJ, but he's still the new kid on the block.

I'd also add that Pitino doesn't have anyone who appears to have it out for him as much as Reusse has it out for Fleck. Ol' Pat can't stand PJ, and makes no secret of it.
 

Correct, it sounds more like Doogie is just trying to find a negative spin! You could say the exact same things about every recruit at any school in the country.


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My guess is the Xavier stuff comes from Ben Johnson etc. I like Doogie generally but he seems willing to parrot whatever his sources tell him.
 

Right, I'm sure anyone would believe that their school cooled on Zion Williamson or RJ Barrett. Get real.

Ok, so Xavier has filled their slots so a comment saying they “dropped out” could come from every school that doesn’t have room for any other recruit. Oklahoma didn’t get him to commit when they wanted him, so they moved on, every school does that to every recruit that doesn’t show enough interest. And just because a school has not offered a scholarship doesn’t mean that the player hasn’t been talking to that school or may be interested in playing for them. So again, Doogie was just spouting generic comments that most likely were out of context to get a dig into Pitino.


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I don't really see anyone in the media taking shots at Pitino, but if there is that perception I think it would be due to many things:

1. Fleck is really open with the media, and they give him good press because he is making their jobs easier. Not saying Pitino is super closed off to the media, but he's not on the same level as Fleck in that category.

2. It kinda goes with the territory when you've made one NCAA tournament in five years. If Fleck only makes one bowl game in his first five years (or whatever comparison you want to make between football and basketball postseasons) I'm sure he'll get some heat from the media as well, if he still has a job after all that.

3. Honeymoon period might be over for PJ, but he's still the new kid on the block.

I'd also add that Pitino doesn't have anyone who appears to have it out for him as much as Reusse has it out for Fleck. Ol' Pat can't stand PJ, and makes no secret of it.

I would disagree with 1). Pitino has been very open with the media, he may not pursue it as much as PJ, but he is great with the media.

I think some animosity still lingers from them thinking that Pitino was given the job too early in his career. A feeling that he didn’t deserve it yet, which I think also exists for some of the fan base. It will continue until he “proves” himself by regular tournament appearances.


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I really don't like how Doogie reports. Makes a lot of broad, sweeping claims toad doesn't do much to back them up. Lots of "big news coming, can't say what, and it might not happen, but if it does, you heard it here first" type of reporting, at least on Twitter.

As for Jackson, I like it. A lot. Athletic wing, big, has a solid stroke. I don't care about his offer list.

Saw he was up to like 83 in the country on 247 composite. THAT IS REALLY HIGH
 

I would disagree with 1). Pitino has been very open with the media, he may not pursue it as much as PJ, but he is great with the media.

I think some animosity still lingers from them thinking that Pitino was given the job too early in his career. A feeling that he didn’t deserve it yet, which I think also exists for some of the fan base. It will continue until he “proves” himself by regular tournament appearances.


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You give Patrick too much credit.
 

I really don't like how Doogie reports. Makes a lot of broad, sweeping claims toad doesn't do much to back them up. Lots of "big news coming, can't say what, and it might not happen, but if it does, you heard it here first" type of reporting, at least on Twitter.

As for Jackson, I like it. A lot. Athletic wing, big, has a solid stroke. I don't care about his offer list.

Saw he was up to like 83 in the country on 247 composite. THAT IS REALLY HIGH

This. Where was Murphy ranked when he came here? I think he was pretty far out of the top 100. Super excited for Mr. Jackson to be here.
 

I really don't like how Doogie reports. Makes a lot of broad, sweeping claims toad doesn't do much to back them up. Lots of "big news coming, can't say what, and it might not happen, but if it does, you heard it here first" type of reporting, at least on Twitter.

As for Jackson, I like it. A lot. Athletic wing, big, has a solid stroke. I don't care about his offer list.

Saw he was up to like 83 in the country on 247 composite. THAT IS REALLY HIGH

I'm guessing Doogie just repeats what he has been told, I wouldn't put to much into his player evaluation comments.
 

STrib: Gophers recruit Tray Jackson hopes to see big gains from fifth prep year

When the fall semester began for students and athletes at universities across the country earlier this month, Tray Jackson could’ve been starting his college career in the Big East.

Instead, the 6-foot-8 forward and newest Gophers recruit decided working on his strength and honing his skills another year would serve him better. After reclassifying from the 2018 to 2019 class, Jackson will be a fifth-year prep at Sunrise Christian Academy on the postgraduate team.

Why didn’t he jump at the chance to play major Division I college basketball this year?

“It will help me develop more leadership and give me a little time to learn the game more,” Jackson said. “Focus on the stuff I want to get better with when I get to Minnesota.”

It was a decision Jackson made before he had a breakout AAU season with Chicago-based Meanstreets and attracted attention from a number of Power Five schools, including those wanting him to start his freshman year in 2018-19.

“He’s really gifted and talented,” Jackson’s AAU coach Tyrone Slaughter said. “There were many schools who recruited Tray and several of them were interested in him making that leap from high school to college this year. One of the things Tray said to me when I talked to him, and I believed as a coach, was that it was something he was capable of doing.”

Creighton, Xavier and DePaul were the main schools recruiting Jackson for 2018. The Gophers beat out Oklahoma, Seton Hall and Missouri on Monday for him to be the first member of their 2019 class.

Still 18 years old, Jackson wanted to play AAU ball again this year. Jackson was an explosive athlete with the ball skills to play both wing and power forward, but surprisingly he only had scholarship offers from mid-major programs after his senior season at Detroit Western International.

His list changed drastically after joining Meanstreets in the spring. Jackson was one of the breakout players early in Nike EYBL play, picking up offers from Xavier and Oklahoma before the summer. Minnesota offered him in June right before he took his first official visit to the Sooners.

Slaughter remembers the conversation with Jackson about whether reclassifying was the right choice.

“He wanted to get better,” Slaughter said. “He wanted to get better at different things in his game. Most importantly he talked about his desire to get stronger. He wanted to become more engrossed into the nuances of the game. When you think about a kid who is that talented and athletic, but has a willingness and foresight to stop the clock and get after it with physical growth and mental development, that says volumes about him and his insight to where he’s trying to go.”

http://www.startribune.com/gophers-...see-big-gains-from-fifth-prep-year/493160111/

Go Gophers!!
 

Jackson will be a fifth-year prep at Sunrise Christian Academy on the postgraduate team.

he had a breakout AAU season with Chicago-based Meanstreets and attracted attention from a number of Power Five schools

he only had scholarship offers from mid-major programs after his senior season at Detroit Western International.

Just like Charles Buggs.
 


Unbelievably, something is going on with Jackson. He removed his Minnesota commit from his bio sometime in the last 24 hours. I don't want to jump the gun here as the potential parting might be mutual/initiated by the Gophers, but if it's not...WOW.
 

Unbelievably, something is going on with Jackson. He removed his Minnesota commit from his bio sometime in the last 24 hours. I don't want to jump the gun here as the potential parting might be mutual/initiated by the Gophers, but if it's not...WOW.

sounds like hes decommitting for mizzou
 

Unbelievably, something is going on with Jackson. He removed his Minnesota commit from his bio sometime in the last 24 hours. I don't want to jump the gun here as the potential parting might be mutual/initiated by the Gophers, but if it's not...WOW.

My buddy said Ryan James is reporting that Mizzou never stopped. Maybe they're paying him. Idk.
 

Well shoot. Something’s not right here.


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Bummer but makes sense. Closer to home and quicker path to playing time with Porter probably going pro after this season. Just sucks losing a versatile big like him. Fit like a glove in Pitino’s system.
 

This is devastating news. We have four open scholarships and no one looking to commit to us for 2019. This looks/feels really bad. Gophers can't catch a break.
 

Bummer but makes sense. Closer to home and quicker path to playing time with Porter probably going pro after this season. Just sucks losing a versatile big like him. Fit like a glove in Pitino’s system.

He's from Detroit. Nothing about it makes sense except if you assume he's getting paid, which given the school, conference, coach, and context of what we've been hearing in the FBI trial the last 3 weeks, actually seems quite likely here.
 

per Marcus:

Sunrise Christian Academy (Kan.) four-star 2019 forward Tray Jackson reneged on his commitment to the Gophers on Friday, he announced on his Twitter account.

Jackson, a consensus top-100 prospect, committed to Minnesota on Sept. 10 following his official visit to the U’s campus. He also considered Seton Hall, Oklahoma, Oregon, Missouri and Purdue.

<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

http://www.startribune.com/four-sta...-longer-committed-to-gophers-hoops/498078841/

Go Gophers!!
 

This is devastating news. We have four open scholarships and no one looking to commit to us for 2019. This looks/feels really bad. Gophers can't catch a break.

No one looking to commit because it’s 50/50 whether Pitino will be here or not in 2019.


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He's from Detroit. Nothing about it makes sense except if you assume he's getting paid, which given the school, conference, coach, and context of what we've been hearing in the FBI trial the last 3 weeks, actually seems quite likely here.

If he was always about getting paid then why would he pick Minnesota in the first place? None of us are going to suggest Richard threw money at him when he’s in a desperate situation are we? Until proven otherwise I’m going to assume he views Mizzou a better spot for basketball reasons.
 




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