I still think you're over selling it.
If you asked McCutcheon "does Minnesota producea few high level players every year", the answer would be yes. But that's not what you're making it out to be, in my reading of your opinions. To me, it reads like you're saying Minnesota players are starting on every top 15 roster in the nation. Which isn't anywhere close to true.
Even look at our own roster. Our starting eight (including DS) will likely only have two Minnesota players, in McGraw and Kilkelly.
The setter on Wisconsin is a great player. None on Penn St, none on Nebraska. Florida, Texas, or top PAC teams. I probably missed one or two, but it's not a plethora.
Now you're moving the goalposts. And I agree with you that there has been a recent downturn in the talent produced by the state. Whether that remains the case has yet to be determined.
However, this entire conversation started because you made the assertion that Minnesota wasn't a particularly good volleyball state.
I'll invite you to go back and look at the 2015 and 2016 Gopher Final Four teams, which were absolutely loaded with Minnesota players. In fact, the bulk of those rosters and key players were almost exclusively Minnesota players. Same for Hebert's teams in 2003, 2004 and 2009.
One of the very reasons McCutcheon came here to coach was because of the strong volleyball culture and talent the state produces. And he smartly built up his program using Minnesota players. The rosters prove it.
It's only in the past few years McCutcheon has recruited heavily outside of Minnesota, so trust me, he fully understands the level of talent Minnesota has regularly produced.
Do they recruit Minnesota exclusively? No, but no coach is going to stick all their eggs in one basket, that's why the schools you mention typically also recruit nationally.
Are there five star recruits flying out of the woodwork? No, but to suggest Minnesota has been and is somehow devoid of talent is just flat wrong.
Do Texas and California produce more? Obviously. California has a population of 40 million people and Texas has a population of 29 million. Simple numbers tell you there is going to be more talent there.
Minnesota has a population of about 5.6 million and still produces players who become All-Americans, head to Final Fours and regularly make the national team pool. Those are just facts.