- Joined
- Nov 3, 2008
- Messages
- 5,106
- Reaction score
- 1,259
- Points
- 113
Q&A: JUCO Big Man Cullen Russo Talks Recruiting With Upcoming Visits to Wichita St and Hometown Gophers
By Chris Monter
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/503857?referrer_id=388419
Cullen Russo, a 6-foot-9, 210-pound sophomore forward from New Mexico (NM) JC, is a top junior college prospect with Minnesota ties.
Russo played for the Minnesota Pump N Run 17-and-under team and transferred to Charlotte (NC) Southern Tech Prep Academy after playing at Quakerdale Prep in Iowa. He spent his freshman year at College of Southern Idaho, where he averaged 8.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.3 blocked shots per game as the Golden Eagles finished 27-5.
Russo has led New Mexico to a 23-9 mark, losing to South Plains 76-58 in the Region V playoffs. Russo averaged 12.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.8 steals and 0.9 blocked shots per game.
Gopher Hole caught up with Russo Monday evening to learn the latest on his recruitment
Gopher Hole: You texted me that you are going to visit Wichita State this weekend and possibly Minnesota the following weekend. Is that, right?
Cullen Russo: Yes.
Gopher Hole: What schools are you looking at besides those two?
Cullen Russo: I am also looking at Fresno State, Nevada and UNLV.
Gopher Hole: Have you pretty much narrowed it down to those five?
Cullen Russo: I'm still listening to new people coming in, but those are the five that have been talking to me.
Gopher Hole: Have any of those schools offered you a scholarship yet?
Cullen Russo: Yes. Fresno State has and I will find out on my visit at Wichita State, if they have.
Gopher Hole: Wichita State is a school that has had great success the last few years. When did you start hearing from them and what do you know about their program?
Cullen Russo: I started hearing from them about midway through the year and of course, everybody knows who they are and what they have done the last five years, so I know
quite a bit about their program and some of their players.
Gopher Hole: What about Minnesota? What have they been saying to you recently?
Cullen Russo: Just trying to keep in touch and get me down for a visit. We are trying to set up those dates. I am talking to my coach right now and seeing after the Wichita visit when I'll be going to Minnesota. They are just trying to get me out on a visit and talking to me about where they see me helping the program and fitting in.
Gopher Hole: Have they talked to you about a scholarship offer yet or has that come up yet?
Cullen Russo: No, it hasn't. Not yet.
Gopher Hole: Are you definitely going to visit those other schools that you mentioned?
Cullen Russo: I know that I will probably visit Fresno State and as far as UNLV, I don't know if I am supposed to say this. I believe that they are waiting to see what (potential
NBA draft entry) Christian Wood does. If he stays, they obviously wouldn't have a need for me.
Gopher Hole: Is that a little bit tough that some schools are looking to see if a player turns pro or transfers, while you are waiting on schools before you make your decision?
Cullen Russo: It is not so much tough for guys that they are waiting to see who is leaving. I understand that is one of their main guys that they have. I understand that is what coaches have to do. They have to wait and see what their guys are doing. Once they figure out what they are doing, then they can assess what they need and what they don't need. It doesn't really affect me.
Gopher Hole: Do you have a time frame when you hope to have a decision made?
Cullen Russo: I want to have the decision made before I leave school to go home this summer. That is the plan.
Gopher Hole: When are you finishing up?
Cullen Russo: I believe our last day is May 8th.
Gopher Hole: So you guys are done pretty early compared to other schools then.
Cullen Russo: Yes. We started early, so we get done a little bit early.
Gopher Hole: How about your season? I know that we talked a couple of months ago and you were hoping to get the NJCAA Tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas, which you didn't make, but how pleased were you with your season?
Cullen Russo: We had a great season. Everybody wishes that they can make it to Hutch, but I think looking back at the season, we were really happy with how things went and how our guys clicked together at the end of the season.
Gopher Hole: We have talked in the past about the fact that you have been to a lot of place. You were at Quakerdale Prep and then went to a prep school in North Carolina before going to CSI for a year and now a season at New Mexico CC. Is it going to be nice to finally be at the Division I level next season?
Cullen Russo: Yes, definitely. I have been looking forward to that for awhile now, so it will be nice to actually get there and settle down for two years and enjoy that.
Gopher Hole: Is that going to make it even more special because you have to go such a long route to get to that Division I level?
Cullen Russo: Yes, definitely. It makes me appreciate it a lot more because I had to go through such a long road and a tough way to get there, so I'll definitely appreciate that a lot more than if I had gone straight out of high school.
Gopher Hole: When you finally pick your school, what is going to be the main factors that make you pick School A over School B or C?
Cullen Russo: The main thing I'll be looking for is the way that I fit in with the program. Who is there? Who is going to offer me the best help to grow on and off the court and will help me get better every day in the class room and on the basketball court?
Gopher Hole: Have many of your teammates decided on their schools yet?
Cullen Russo: Yes. We have actually had three guys so far commit.
Gopher Hole: Where are they going?
Cullen Russo: Malik Trent is going to TCU. Kimani Jackson is going to Colorado State and Nick Billingsley is going to Texas San Antonio.
Gopher Hole: Is that nice that you are all going through the same thing. Does that help that you have other people that you can talk about recruiting with and make it a little bit easier?
Cullen Russo: Yes, definitely. Now that those guys have committed, I get to talk to them and ask them why they chose that school and what made them decide that was the school for them, so that definitely helps.
By Chris Monter
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/503857?referrer_id=388419
Cullen Russo, a 6-foot-9, 210-pound sophomore forward from New Mexico (NM) JC, is a top junior college prospect with Minnesota ties.
Russo played for the Minnesota Pump N Run 17-and-under team and transferred to Charlotte (NC) Southern Tech Prep Academy after playing at Quakerdale Prep in Iowa. He spent his freshman year at College of Southern Idaho, where he averaged 8.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.3 blocked shots per game as the Golden Eagles finished 27-5.
Russo has led New Mexico to a 23-9 mark, losing to South Plains 76-58 in the Region V playoffs. Russo averaged 12.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.8 steals and 0.9 blocked shots per game.
Gopher Hole caught up with Russo Monday evening to learn the latest on his recruitment
Gopher Hole: You texted me that you are going to visit Wichita State this weekend and possibly Minnesota the following weekend. Is that, right?
Cullen Russo: Yes.
Gopher Hole: What schools are you looking at besides those two?
Cullen Russo: I am also looking at Fresno State, Nevada and UNLV.
Gopher Hole: Have you pretty much narrowed it down to those five?
Cullen Russo: I'm still listening to new people coming in, but those are the five that have been talking to me.
Gopher Hole: Have any of those schools offered you a scholarship yet?
Cullen Russo: Yes. Fresno State has and I will find out on my visit at Wichita State, if they have.
Gopher Hole: Wichita State is a school that has had great success the last few years. When did you start hearing from them and what do you know about their program?
Cullen Russo: I started hearing from them about midway through the year and of course, everybody knows who they are and what they have done the last five years, so I know
quite a bit about their program and some of their players.
Gopher Hole: What about Minnesota? What have they been saying to you recently?
Cullen Russo: Just trying to keep in touch and get me down for a visit. We are trying to set up those dates. I am talking to my coach right now and seeing after the Wichita visit when I'll be going to Minnesota. They are just trying to get me out on a visit and talking to me about where they see me helping the program and fitting in.
Gopher Hole: Have they talked to you about a scholarship offer yet or has that come up yet?
Cullen Russo: No, it hasn't. Not yet.
Gopher Hole: Are you definitely going to visit those other schools that you mentioned?
Cullen Russo: I know that I will probably visit Fresno State and as far as UNLV, I don't know if I am supposed to say this. I believe that they are waiting to see what (potential
NBA draft entry) Christian Wood does. If he stays, they obviously wouldn't have a need for me.
Gopher Hole: Is that a little bit tough that some schools are looking to see if a player turns pro or transfers, while you are waiting on schools before you make your decision?
Cullen Russo: It is not so much tough for guys that they are waiting to see who is leaving. I understand that is one of their main guys that they have. I understand that is what coaches have to do. They have to wait and see what their guys are doing. Once they figure out what they are doing, then they can assess what they need and what they don't need. It doesn't really affect me.
Gopher Hole: Do you have a time frame when you hope to have a decision made?
Cullen Russo: I want to have the decision made before I leave school to go home this summer. That is the plan.
Gopher Hole: When are you finishing up?
Cullen Russo: I believe our last day is May 8th.
Gopher Hole: So you guys are done pretty early compared to other schools then.
Cullen Russo: Yes. We started early, so we get done a little bit early.
Gopher Hole: How about your season? I know that we talked a couple of months ago and you were hoping to get the NJCAA Tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas, which you didn't make, but how pleased were you with your season?
Cullen Russo: We had a great season. Everybody wishes that they can make it to Hutch, but I think looking back at the season, we were really happy with how things went and how our guys clicked together at the end of the season.
Gopher Hole: We have talked in the past about the fact that you have been to a lot of place. You were at Quakerdale Prep and then went to a prep school in North Carolina before going to CSI for a year and now a season at New Mexico CC. Is it going to be nice to finally be at the Division I level next season?
Cullen Russo: Yes, definitely. I have been looking forward to that for awhile now, so it will be nice to actually get there and settle down for two years and enjoy that.
Gopher Hole: Is that going to make it even more special because you have to go such a long route to get to that Division I level?
Cullen Russo: Yes, definitely. It makes me appreciate it a lot more because I had to go through such a long road and a tough way to get there, so I'll definitely appreciate that a lot more than if I had gone straight out of high school.
Gopher Hole: When you finally pick your school, what is going to be the main factors that make you pick School A over School B or C?
Cullen Russo: The main thing I'll be looking for is the way that I fit in with the program. Who is there? Who is going to offer me the best help to grow on and off the court and will help me get better every day in the class room and on the basketball court?
Gopher Hole: Have many of your teammates decided on their schools yet?
Cullen Russo: Yes. We have actually had three guys so far commit.
Gopher Hole: Where are they going?
Cullen Russo: Malik Trent is going to TCU. Kimani Jackson is going to Colorado State and Nick Billingsley is going to Texas San Antonio.
Gopher Hole: Is that nice that you are all going through the same thing. Does that help that you have other people that you can talk about recruiting with and make it a little bit easier?
Cullen Russo: Yes, definitely. Now that those guys have committed, I get to talk to them and ask them why they chose that school and what made them decide that was the school for them, so that definitely helps.
