All Things Kendall Brown Recruitment Thread (Class of 2021: UPDATE - Gophers Offer)

Bill Self suggested he go to Sunrise so he can develop better and play at Kansas. Only way he doesn't go there is if they hit hard by sanctions.

Dad had big issues in Tesdahl too. ER wasn't necessarily sad to see him go because of the dad.
 

Off topic but the maintenance issue with the dad doesn't surprise me one bit. Seemed a bit helicopterish to me. And as I said before, I don't particularly like the way either of the brothers played two years ago - black holes on offense. Kendall was obviously only a sophomore, so hopefully those issues were ironed out at Sunrise - rather than exacerbated with success and further self entitlement.

Interesting though that Tesdahl also ended up leaving - will be interesting to see what happens both at East Ridge and Tonka. I tend to think Tesdahl is a really good coach but winning at Minnetonka has proven to be very difficult.
 

Brown has come a really long way. I wrote a pretty scathing pre scout on that ER team for how incredibly soft they were at that time, especially the way they backed down physically and emotionally from the challenge. Two of those guys changed all that since then.
 

Uh, one's still in high school. And the other is at UW-Milwaukee
Haha so he was more of a uw Milwaukee type of player? Hahahaha
Brown has come a really long way. I wrote a pretty scathing pre scout on that ER team for how incredibly soft they were at that time, especially the way they backed down physically and emotionally from the challenge. Two of those guys changed all that since then.
scathing reports about children
 

Off topic but the maintenance issue with the dad doesn't surprise me one bit. Seemed a bit helicopterish to me. And as I said before, I don't particularly like the way either of the brothers played two years ago - black holes on offense. Kendall was obviously only a sophomore, so hopefully those issues were ironed out at Sunrise - rather than exacerbated with success and further self entitlement.

Interesting though that Tesdahl also ended up leaving - will be interesting to see what happens both at East Ridge and Tonka. I tend to think Tesdahl is a really good coach but winning at Minnetonka has proven to be very difficult.

His dad is a raging asshole. Sat in front of him at few ER games and he almost got in fights multiple times.
 


I'm good with not taking a kid that has character issues or with huge headaches (dad) that are going to negatively affect the team. Doesn't matter how good they are. Find another kid and build him up.
 


The kids are nice kids.
Love to have 'em then. Still think there's kids that heavily listen to what their parents tell them at that age that can be a big problem if the parent is real negative. Parents telling kids they should be playing more, shooting more, talking down the coach(s) etc.
 

I'm good with not taking a kid that has character issues or with huge headaches (dad) that are going to negatively affect the team. Doesn't matter how good they are. Find another kid and build him up.
Lol. You're "good with not taking" a top recruit.

The implication that Pitino wouldnt take Brown is priceless.
 



Lol. You're "good with not taking" a top recruit.

The implication that Pitino wouldnt take Brown is priceless.
So you're taking any kid with talent no matter the personality/attitude/demeanor? I don't know if that's a recipe for winning. They might win you a couple games here and there but not sustainable. Throw all the 5 stars together you want but if they won't play together you won't win big. You'll win a lot of games on talent alone but when you play the really good teams in the NCAA tournament it won't happen. I guess I just wouldn't go that way. Sounds like the Brown kid is a good kid though it's just his dad that's a little bit of a problem.
 
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So you're taking any kid with talent no matter the personality/attitude/demeanor? I don't know if that's a recipe for winning. They might win you a couple games here and there but not sustainable. Throw all the 5 stars together you want but if they won't play together you won't win big. You'll win a lot of games on talent alone but when you play the really good teams in the NCAA tournament it won't happen. I guess I just wouldn't go that way. Sounds like the Brown kid is a good kid though it's just his dad that's a little bit of a problem.
We aren’t in a position to refuse Brown just because his dad might have some attitude problems.
 

We aren’t in a position to refuse Brown just because his dad might have some attitude problems.
Exactly! The positives with the kid definately outweigh the negatives of dad. Would dad even be an issue?
 

We aren’t in a position to refuse Brown just because his dad might have some attitude problems.
I agree. Sounds like Brown is a good kid. But Minnesota is a developmental school. Stole that from PJ. Ideally you're developing and building a culture. But really most coaches in college sports are looking to establish culture, not just PJ. Some just do it a lot better than others and those tend to be the better coaches. Pitino really hasn't focused much on culture or development, I view him as mainly just bringing in talented kids and hopes they can put it together, and hopefully that changes over time with him being more impactful in molding the team. It's probably tougher in basketball because there's so much change and turnover every year but still you try and stay true to who you are and what you're trying to establish as a program but that should be established by now after 7 years. It still could get better in time as Pitino is young and maybe develops more of an understanding of what he wants/is looking for. Implement your system and then recruit players based on that system. You can make minor adjustments based on big-time players that come in, but there should be a foundational system.
My point is I don't want kids that are coming here thinking they're the shit unless you can change that while they're here, but I don't think Pitino is that kind of coach to encourage that change.
I'm fully supporting Pitino and the U I'd just like to see decent kids come and play here or to help them become good kids. But you could have a bad boy culture too, and that's fine. Just have a culture and know what you want.
It's gotta be difficult every year with Pitino when you don't really know what you're gonna end up with or what you're looking for out of recruiting. I don't think it necessarily works to just look at the Top 200 kids just try and get the top ones you can when you're at Minnesota until you prove to be a big-time program. You'd like a culture fit.
With all that said, I do think the roster will be very talented again and hopefully they can just put it together somehow.
 
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Why do we chase down kids that we passed up 1 or two year ago. This is the sloppiest recruiting we have ever seen here. And Monson was awful.
 

Exactly! The positives with the kid definately outweigh the negatives of dad. Would dad even be an issue?
No idea. All I know is that his son can hoop and is from Minnesota. Looking at his offer list I doubt we have much of a shot of landing him anyways but we can hope.
 

Pretty confident the Gophers have no inclination to refuse brown if he would like to come here
Why do we chase down kids that we passed up 1 or two year ago. This is the sloppiest recruiting we have ever seen here. And Monson was awful.
Who are you referencing? We have never "passed up" Kendall Brown he is entering his senior year in high school.
 

Pretty confident the Gophers have no inclination to refuse brown if he would like to come here

Who are you referencing? We have never "passed up" Kendall Brown he is entering his senior year in high school.
he's not coming here, so it doesn't matter. of all the MN recruits that people have been hopeful about, this one is very obviously not going to pick the Gophers
 

Pretty confident the Gophers have no inclination to refuse brown if he would like to come here

Who are you referencing? We have never "passed up" Kendall Brown he is entering his senior year in high school.

I thought we were his first major offer too.
 


he's not coming here, so it doesn't matter. of all the MN recruits that people have been hopeful about, this one is very obviously not going to pick the Gophers
Who knows but the Browns have reached out to schools that were not even recruiting him as a way to find coaches and staffs they admire.
 

His dad is a raging asshole. Sat in front of him at few ER games and he almost got in fights multiple times.
Interesting. Have not seen that but you obviously have seen him much more than i have. There are coaches that will not take on difficult parent situations. They even go so far as telling parents that they will not engage parents who want to have discussions over basketball period.
 

Most kids who are interested in participating in d1 athletics reach out to universities. Thats why universities have the recruiting page on websites. It’s easily one of the top 3 reasons a kid gets contact.
 

Most kids who are interested in participating in d1 athletics reach out to universities. Thats why universities have the recruiting page on websites. It’s easily one of the top 3 reasons a kid gets contact.
Not in this case. He has two offers that were not on him until the Browns initiated contact. Also it is not how KU or the Gophers got started. They scouted him and then made contact. Very few power 6 basketball players initiate contact through the university recruiting page. What Gopher basketball player got his interest from the Gophers by initiated by the player ? I know it has happened in thousands and thousands of cases in other sports.
 

Not in this case. He has two offers that were not on him until the Browns initiated contact. Also it is not how KU or the Gophers got started. They scouted him and then made contact. Very few power 6 basketball players initiate contact through the university recruiting page. What Gopher basketball player got his interest from the Gophers by initiated by the player ? I know it has happened in thousands and thousands of cases in other sports.
If your good enough people will find you. Something every parent should know. That way the parents dont drive the coaches nuts lol
 

If your good enough people will find you. Something every parent should know. That way the parents dont drive the coaches nuts lol
Yes. Often they think they have no chance at a kid or no interest as as you get better they often make contact with coaches they become fans of.
 

Not in this case. He has two offers that were not on him until the Browns initiated contact. Also it is not how KU or the Gophers got started. They scouted him and then made contact. Very few power 6 basketball players initiate contact through the university recruiting page. What Gopher basketball player got his interest from the Gophers by initiated by the player ? I know it has happened in thousands and thousands of cases in other sports.
Nope. the recruiting page is used by the other 4,500 D1 ball players who fall out of the top 500 players in the nation. It's one of the greatest money savers out there for universities and everyone who is not a TOP 500 player is using it. Santa Clara cannot send scouts to everything but a kid reaches out to Santa Clara and boom.
 

Nope. the recruiting page is used by the other 4,500 D1 ball players who fall out of the top 500 players in the nation. It's one of the greatest money savers out there for universities and everyone who is not a TOP 500 player is using it. Santa Clara cannot send scouts to everything but a kid reaches out to Santa Clara and boom.
We are in agreement. Very few power 6 recruited athletes use it to make schools aware. Those schools have scouts and staffs working prolific hours to make contact.
 

STrib: Five-star homegrown hoops talent Kendall Brown on young athletes giving back: "We have to use the platform we have."

Kendall Brown continues to rise in the rankings as one of the top players in the Class of 2021.

With that status, the Cottage Grove, Minn. native and five-star guard at Sunrise Christian Academy (Kan.) feels strongly about being a role model as a prominent young black athlete. He wants to help support and uplift communities in the Twin Cities.


“We have to use the platform that we have,” Brown told the Star Tribune. “A lot of people look up to us. We have to use it in a positive way. We’re showing that if we give back everyone else could be giving back, too.”

Following the death of George Floyd while being detained by Minneapolis police, Brown was frustrated that the rioting took away from the peaceful protests and donation drives that people were involved with locally.

“There are other people just trying to bring us down," said Brown, who recently helped to collect food, clothing and supplies for families in St. Paul.

Brown narrowed his list to 10 schools last month: Arizona, Arkansas, Baylor, Illinois, Kansas, Marquette, Maryland, Minnesota, Ohio State and Virginia. Seeing college basketball coaches show support for the Black Lives Matter movement for justice and racial equality, Brown said, "that's huge to know they are standing with us for sure."


Richard Pitino and newly hired assistant Jeff Mailhot (a former Hopkins player and Iona assistant) stay in constant contact with Brown. The Gophers are selling Brown on being a similar player to former Hopkins and Gophers standout Amir Coffey, now with the Los Angeles Clippers.

“They told me I would be like a big guard who could initiate the offense for them,” Brown said. “Just use my passing ability as an advantage and everything. [Pitino] has been recruiting me a lot recently ... That means a lot being from here and the love they are showing me right now."


Go Gophers!!
 






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