Isaiah Washington committed to GOPHERS!!!

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St Raymond's point guards have been good for the Gophers.


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Cayman said:
Lynch, Konate, and Gaston will all be seniors in John's hypothetical freshman year. I don't know how big a deal early playing time is to him. I feel like most coaches would try to avoid giving freshman big men a lot of minutes though, so I'm not sure we're at a disadvantage because of that. Plus, as mentioned, he could probably start for 3 years.
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I think Pitino is going to try not to play Diedhiou and if Bakary doesn't develop and Lynch isn't as hyped and/or has shoulder issues, John could get a Jordan Murphy like opportunity as a freshman.
 

Would been satisfied with Wright or Bede, but I'm REALLY excited about Washington. Looks like a major difference maker!
 

station19 said:
Wow, a whole 17 years.:rolleyes:

Great pick-up. Bout time we start getting some good news around here.
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Yeah, and the past 17 years haven't exactly been the golden era of Gopher basketball. Hopefully, we're on new trajectory.

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Great job by Pitino and staff!
 




Reggie Lynch chimes in:

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Go Gophers!!
 

@Jellyfam_Dimes

New favorite Twitter handle...
 

Ryan Livingston chimes in:

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Go Gophers!!
 

November 9th can't come soon enough. Hopefully Quade Green commits to Syracuse in the near future as well.
 



Gopher great John Thomas chimes in:

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Go Gophers!!
 


Good job recruiting here. Now the staff has to land a good recruit to play in the paint. We could have 2 very good recruiting classes in a row.
 

Gopherguy0723 said:
Good job recruiting here. Now the staff has to land a good recruit to play in the paint. We could have 2 very good recruiting classes in a row.
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I think we will have very good recruiting classes from now on.


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Days like today are what encourage me, about Pitino. Its only a matter of time before the on court product catches up to the recruiting. As long as next year isn't a disaster like last season or Monson last year it would be foolish to give up on pitino
 

Many on here are probably not old enough to remember this far back but there was one recruiting class that merits mention and that is the 1978 class. Everyone is talking about the signing of Washington and how he might be the highest rated player in gopher history. Well, that might be true in the Rivals era, and everyone should be excited about it, but if you go back before that to that 1978 class it was rated number one in the nation and Darryl Mitchell was considered by many to be the number one player in the country. That class included Darryl Mitchell, Trent Tucker, Cookie Holmes, Mark Hall, Leo Rautins and Kevin Stallings. Stallings later asked out of his commitment because of the inclusion of Tucker and he felt that they were similar players.

I've pasted an article below from the Gopher Hole archives that was published back in 2007 that celebrated the 25th anniversary of Minnesota's last "official" Big Ten Championship as well as some of it's great players leading up to that time period. Hope you enjoy going back to what I still consider the glory years of Golden Gopher basketball.

Where Are They Now?

On Sunday, February 18, the Minnesota Golden Gopher basketball program will celebrate the 25 Year Anniversary of the 1982 Big Ten Championship "“ a feat that Dinkytown has not "œofficially"￾ experienced since. Minnesota fans will have the opportunity to applaud some legendary Gopher names: Randy Breuer, Trent Tucker, Darryl Mitchell, Gary Holmes and Zebedee Howell, as well as former assistant coach, Flip Saunders. Additionally, former Gopher coach, Jim Dutcher, the patriarch of the '82 team and one of the most decorated coaches in Gopher history, will come back to The Barn "“ a place that two and a half decades ago witnessed the Big Ten's and one of the nation's best teams.

Dutcher came to The U in August of 1975 after Coach Bill Musselman bolted for San Diego Sails of the ABA, and inherited a program clouded in controversy. After six years as a head coach at Eastern Michigan and three seasons as the lead assistant under Johnny Orr at Michigan, Dutcher took over the Gopher program that was on the verge of a multiple post-season ban and loss of half the scholarships due to probation under Musselman.

With only six scholarship players and six walk-ons on the roster, Dutcher guided the 1975-76 Gophers to a 16-10 record overall, including a thrilling 77-73 win over #2 ranked Marquette at The Barn.

But it was Dutcher's second season that most Gopher fans will never forget. Led by a loaded starting line-up that included the nation's best player, Mychal Thompson, future NBA hall of famer Kevin McHale, future New York Knick captain Ray Williams, future Harlem Globetrotter Osborne Lockhart and future NBA coach Flip Saunders, the Gophers finished an amazing 24-3, including a seven point win at Marquette, who later went on to win the national championship. Due to the sanctions put on the program under the Musselman regime, the Gophers were prohibited from postseason play.

As the Gophers came off of probation and received their full allotment of scholarships, Dutcher and his staff went out and recruited the nations number one recruiting class which included Tucker, Leo Rautins, Mitchell, Brian Pederson and Mark Hall. By the time these guys were seniors, Dutcher had built one of the Big Ten's best teams heading into the 1981-82 season.

Although Iowa was the preseason favorite to win the conference, the Gophers had a very solid team with great senior leadership and the conferences best center in Breuer. This Gopher team finished 23-6 and 14-4 in Big Ten play, giving Minnesota its first Big Ten title since 1972, and was highlighted with a thrilling 3OT win at Iowa and a conference clinching win over Ohio State in the last regular season game of the year.

Dutcher left the Gopher program (and coaching all together) in the middle of the 1985-86 season amid a scandal involving three Gopher players in an off the court incident. But Dutcher's legacy is firmly in place in Minneapolis "“ he finished with 190 career wins as a Gopher, was named Big Ten Coach of the Year and coached some of the programs all time greats and NBA players including: Thompson, McHale, Breuer, Tucker, Williams, Lockhart, Saunders and Jim Petersen.

Following his coaching career, Dutcher kept his residence in Minnesota and became senior vice president at Dain Rauscher and remained affiliated with Gopher basketball as a color analyst for television broadcasts, a duty he still maintains today.

Dutcher recently spent time with GopherHole discussing what attracted him to the Gopher job, coaching legends such as Thompson, McHale and Tucker, winning the 1982 Big Ten Championship and his excitement about the upcoming reunion.

GH.com: What initially interested you in the Minnesota job?

Coach Dutcher: Coaching at Eastern Michigan and certainly as an assistant at Michigan, I was obviously very familiar with the Gopher program. They were always known for having great facilities and incredible fan support and when Paul Giel offered the opportunity to coach the program, I jumped at it.

GH.com: When you took over the program there were some lingering NCAA penalties "“ how did you and the coaching staff deal with that?

Coach Dutcher: We knew it wasn't going to be easy, but we also knew that the only way to truly get over the sanctions was to work that much harder. And that meant working that much harder in every facet of the program "“ recruiting, game preparation, practicing harder and so on. We had to create a mindset within the program that didn't focus on the penalties. But we inherited a program that was ultimately stripped of half of the scholarships that most teams had and multiple postseason ban. The big thing was the scholarships as the first year at Minnesota we had only six scholarship players and six walk-on players.

GH.com: Many Gopher fans consider the 1976-77 season as the best Gopher team of all time. What do you remember about that year?

Coach Dutcher: That team was fantastic. We had a lot of talent and a very hard working group. We were obviously led by Mychal Thompson who did everything for us. We beat Marquette that year who later went on to win the national championship, and many analysts and coaches believed that we would have had a very good shot to win it all had we not been on probation.

GH.com: Once the sanctions were over you recruited the nation's best class. What was so intriguing for in-coming high school recruits?

Coach Dutcher: The one thing we had to offer was playing time. Since we had so few scholarship players, by the time we had our full allotment, there was an opportunity for high school kids to get a lot of quality minutes early in their career. We also offered a great university and incredible fan base that was so loud. And Jimmy Williams was a great recruiter. He really did a nice job. An interesting note about that class that was rated number one in the nation was that we originally signed Kevin Stallings who is the head coach at Vanderbilt. He signed with us, but when we added guys like Trent Tucker and Darryl Mitchell, Kevin came to me and asked to be released of his letter of intent and eventually played at Purdue.

GH.com: Looking back over your Gopher career, what wins stick out more than others?

Coach Dutcher: There are quite a few memorable victories. The first one was in my first year at Minnesota, we beat a Marquette team at home by four points. They were ranked #2 in the country at the time and it was a game that proved to the fans and players that our program was on the right track. That was an important win for us. Then the following year was the game where we beat Marquette in Milwaukee and they later went on to win the national championship.

Then of course the 3OT win at Iowa in 1982. The great thing about that game was that was the last game ever at Iowa's old facility and they had the crowd in a frenzy. Before the game they handed out pom-poms and all of this memorabilia to the fans to commemorate the last game, and we went in there and snuck out a win. Well, the next season was their first year in Carver Hawkeye Arena and they had their official dedication of the new arena game against us as well. They were again all fired up and wanted revenge and we once again beat them by two points.

GH.com: Looking back at the 1981-82 season, did you know that the Gophers could win the Big Ten?

Coach Dutcher: Iowa was the preseason favorite that season, but we knew we had a very talented senior class and the Big Ten's best center in Randy Breuer. That senior class was very special as they worked so hard for four years and were really dedicated on and off the court. As the season got underway I think we all realized that it had the potential to be something special.

GH.com: What are you looking forward to for the 25 Year Reunion?

Coach Dutcher: I have never been the type of guy that looks back a lot or lives in the glory years of sports, but it is nice to take a weekend like this and relive some old memories and enjoy seeing all of the coaches and players. But what I am most looking forward to is celebrating what wonderful men these guys have developed in to. We have guys on this team that have become lawyers, community leaders, basketball coaches at various levels, business leaders and great family men. As a coach, that is what makes me the happiest, and that is what I look forward to celebrating.

GH.com: Who was the best player you ever coached?

Coach Dutcher: The best player I ever coached was George Gervin at Eastern Michigan. But the best Gopher player I coached was Mychal Thompson. He had it all.

GH.com: How would Trent Tucker had done in college if there was a three-point line when he played?

Coach Dutcher: Oh gosh, he would have set records that probably would have never been broken. Trent was such a natural shooter and worked so hard to improve on a shot that was already one of the best in the nation. Trent had a nice NBA career, but it has been even more fun watching him give back to the community like he does with his charitable work.

GH.com: When you had Flip as a player and then again as an assistant coach, did you ever envision that Flip would have the type of coaching career that he is having?

Coach Dutcher: It was obvious from day one that Flip wanted to coach and would be a great coach. He has so many intangibles that a good coach needs and he is truly a student of the game. It has been fun to watch his career develop.

GH.com: What former Gopher players or coaches do you most keep in contact with?

Coach Dutcher: I talk to quite a few guys who played for me or coached with me, but the guys I talk with most frequently are Trent Tucker, Randy Breuer, Flip Saunders, Jessie Evans who is the head coach at San Francisco and Stu Starner who was the head coach Montana State and now works for the Texas A&M athletic department.

GH.com: Have you talked with Mitch Lee, Kevin Smith or George Williams through the years?

Coach Dutcher: Yes I have. I talked to George not too long ago and I run in to Kevin at some games around the area. It's been a few years since I talked to Mitch, but I try to keep in touch with most of my former players.

GH.com: When you left The U, did you ever want to get back in to coaching?

Coach Dutcher: When I finished at Minnesota I was ready to be done and start a new career. I ended up having a very fulfilling second career with Dain Rauscher and I was fortunate to have that and spend time with my family.

GH.com: Speaking of your family, your son Brian, has followed your footsteps into coaching. Was thins something he always wanted to do?

Coach Dutcher: Oh yes, Brian loved basketball from such an early age and always hung around the gym when I was coaching during practice. He has had a very nice career first at Michigan and now at San Diego State.

GH.com: Does he express interest in ever coaching in Minnesota?

Coach Dutcher: I think under the right circumstances that is something he would be very interested in, but right now he enjoys coaching and learning from Steve Fischer and they are doing great things in San Diego. But Minnesota is home to him, it is his alma mater and we have a lot of family here.

GH.com: How have you enjoyed the transition to working as a game analyst for the Gophers?

Coach Dutcher: It's fun, but to be honest, it was more fun the first few years when the conference had a number of coaches who I coached against. But it certainly adds a whole new side of the game that I didn't come in direct contact with as a coach. It's a different type of challenge.

GH.com: What will it take for the Gophers to turn around the program so we can match what the 1982 team did?

Coach Dutcher: It's all about recruiting. The nice thing with basketball is that one good recruiting class can turn the entire program around. We need guys who are committed to the Gopher program and who can compete athletically at the Big Ten level. We also need to fill The Barn again and make it the type of atmosphere that teams fear. But it all goes back to recruiting.

GH.com: What does it mean to you to be such an important part of Gopher basketball history?

Coach Dutcher: I don't know if I can claim that sort of praise, but I will say this: the University of Minnesota is such a great institution. From an academic and athletic stand point, it offers so much. I always say that no player or coach is bigger than the institution. Coaches and players come and go but the school and program will always be here. I am honored to be a small part of that.
 

Sparlimb said:
I bet Voshon was that high. Didn't have rankings at the time to know though.
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Pretty sure the Trent Tucker and Darryl Mitchell recruiting class was ranked #1 in the nation at the time and Mitchell might have been top 3. Jimmy Williams finest body of work, though given later events with him I'm not too sure we want to examine his methods too closely.

I see from previous post I was just scooped. :eek:
 

Nice! Been driving all day so just saw this. Great weekend for the Gophers!
 

Very pleased about the commitment. If he is 65, that probably has him in the top 10-12 point guards, which is great. As far as the Eric Harris comparisons, don't forget that Eric's first two years were not that memorable. Clem used to say it took 50 games for a point guard to "get it" and that's about what it took for Eric to hit his peak and become the player we remember. Eric was definitely a top 100 player, but I don't think top 50. The game is a lot different now and players are more ready to contribute than 20 years ago.

As a Minnesotan, I need to ask if anyone has the dossier on him regarding character, grades, etc. I don't want to be panicking in May wondering if he is going to get admitted to school. Please tell me there is nothing on his Twitter account that suggest any outside activities that might embarrass him. I have to believe the staff did it's research on this, but it would be nice to get confirmed.
 

Mulligan said:
Pretty sure the Trent Tucker and Darryl Mitchell recruiting class was ranked #1 in the nation at the time and Mitchell might have been top 3. Jimmy Williams finest body of work, though given later events with him I'm not too sure we want to examine his methods too closely.

I see from previous post I was just scooped. :eek:
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Definitely was a great class that brought a lot of excitement to the U. I had forgotten that Brian Pederson was in that group. It did take them a while to jell, though. Leo Rautins left after his freshman year after saying that he could not be effective without 25 shots a game. That wasn't happening with that line-up. He did have an excellent career at Syracuse, though. It is another indicator that the most effective recruiting tool is playing time.

I do think there are quite a few of us old farts on this board for which that group is a lived memory and not just a history lesson.
 

I'm normally a cockeyed optimist but something has been bugging me all day. If Cuse was to come late and offer Washington would he be gone? Then Wright would be at Dayton, Bede likely would be elsewhere and we'd be left out in the cold. Is any of this plausible or am I worrying for nothing?
 

dtrain19 said:
I'm normally a cockeyed optimist but something has been bugging me all day. If Cuse was to come late and offer Washington would he be gone? Then Wright would be at Dayton, Bede likely would be elsewhere and we'd be left out in the cold. Is any of this plausible or am I worrying for nothing?
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I see where you are coming from and with our history, there is always cause for concern. However, backing out of commitments this close to signing day is pretty rare in basketball, unlike football where they sit on pins and needles until the paper is in hand. My guess is that the writing was on the wall at 'Cuse and he took the opportunity to be here. My only intrigue question is whether his commitment sent Wright in another direction and/or they gave both of them the "we'll take whoever commits first" line. We'll never know. Just glad to have an outstanding guard who can make half court shots effortlessly in the fold, and maybe open up the NYC pipeline for the future.
 

Holy Man said:
I see where you are coming from and with our history, there is always cause for concern. However, backing out of commitments this close to signing day is pretty rare in basketball, unlike football where they sit on pins and needles until the paper is in hand. My guess is that the writing was on the wall at 'Cuse and he took the opportunity to be here. My only intrigue question is whether his commitment sent Wright in another direction and/or they gave both of them the "we'll take whoever commits first" line. We'll never know. Just glad to have an outstanding guard who can make half court shots effortlessly in the fold, and maybe open up the NYC pipeline for the future.
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All good points. Will take the great news at face value and enjoy.
 

Lakers612 said:
must watch video of Washington. Dude is an NYC hooper for sure. Awesome get. Shows reach of recruiting

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Nice addition. He looks like he'll be fun to watch. He has, as the kids like to say, nice handles.
 

Washington and Coffey are going to make for a great back court in a couple of years.
 

MadtownGopher said:
Washington and Coffey are going to make for a great back court in a couple of years.
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Giddy Up! Lets get this show going. Totally psyched to see these guys running the show for the foreseeable future. Way to go Kimani!
 

Awesome news. It always makes me wonder though with a kid rated this highly, was he not recruited by St. John's or Villanova or any of the other top schools out east?
 

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