David Mutaf became Minnesota's fifth addition to the 2020 recruiting class with a commitment late Sunday morning. Mutaf joins high school seniors Jamal Mashburn Jr. a 6-foot-1 guard,, and 6-foot-10 forward Martice Mitchell, as well as Liam Robbins, a seven-foot rising junior who transferred from Drake, and 6-foot-8 graduate transfer, Brandon Johnson.
Mutaf has gained the reputation as one of the top players in Europe among his age group and perhaps the best shooter. He has been a steady contributor to the Fenerbahce Beko Junior Team of the EuroLeague.
In his most recent campaign, Mutaf averaged 22 points per game. He shot an impressive 59.3% from the field, and 43.9% from three-point territory. Mutaf also stuffed the stat sheets with 6.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game.
Shortly after pledging to the Gophers, Mutaf went to Twitter and paid tribute to those who helped him get to his big day. He began with the Minnesota coaching staff.
From there, he went on to acknowledge his family plus the Fererbahce organization.
"I would like to thank my parents and brother for the incredible support they’ve shown me in everything I’ve done, they are the inspiration for my passion for the game. Most importantly, I’d like to thank Fenerbahçe, the force behind my development.
I am really thankful for Fenerbahçe organization ,my coaches and my teammates for all they ‘ve done to further my career.I’ll be always be Fenerbahce fan at heart. I am excited to join The University of Minnesota, and be a part of Gophers Nation."
Mutaf texted us early Monday morning which would have been around noon for him considering he is eight hours ahead in Turkey of the Central Time Zone.
On how Minnesota got involved with you and how they went about recruiting you?
Mutaf: "We've been talking for about one month, and we've been having Zoom meetings and video calls. We always had good communication with Coach Pitino and his staff. It went pretty well."
Q: What convinced you to choose Minnesota?
Mutaf: "I believe they are the right fit for me: the program, the organization, the team, and the conference."
Q: What did you learn about the Minnesota program and the school throughout the process?
Mutaf: "I watched a lot of games and videos about the program. They have great facilities and great fans. It's a great school academically as well. I am excited to be there."
Q: Describe yourself as a player.
Mutaf: "I am a 6-foot-6 guard with a long distance shot and the ability to create positions for my teammates. I also have good court vision, and I am a competitive guy who never gives up on the court, and I am a hard worker."
Q: How do you see yourself fitting into Richard Pitino’s system?
Mutaf: "Coach Pitino's system is one of the main reasons I chose Minnesota. I believe that his system is the best fit and the right place to show and improve my ability."
Q: How familiar are you with the roster and what do you think about next year’s team?
Mutaf: "I watched games from last year and talked to Alihan Demir who played for the Gophers last year. We have good and talented players. I think we have a big opportunity to have good results next season."
Q: How well do you know Alihan Demir and did his experience at Minnesota play into your decision?
Mutaf: "I didn't know him before the recruiting process, but during that process he helped me a lot and he shared his experiences with me."
Mutaf has gained the reputation as one of the top players in Europe among his age group and perhaps the best shooter. He has been a steady contributor to the Fenerbahce Beko Junior Team of the EuroLeague.
In his most recent campaign, Mutaf averaged 22 points per game. He shot an impressive 59.3% from the field, and 43.9% from three-point territory. Mutaf also stuffed the stat sheets with 6.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game.
Shortly after pledging to the Gophers, Mutaf went to Twitter and paid tribute to those who helped him get to his big day. He began with the Minnesota coaching staff.
From there, he went on to acknowledge his family plus the Fererbahce organization.
"I would like to thank my parents and brother for the incredible support they’ve shown me in everything I’ve done, they are the inspiration for my passion for the game. Most importantly, I’d like to thank Fenerbahçe, the force behind my development.
I am really thankful for Fenerbahçe organization ,my coaches and my teammates for all they ‘ve done to further my career.I’ll be always be Fenerbahce fan at heart. I am excited to join The University of Minnesota, and be a part of Gophers Nation."
Mutaf texted us early Monday morning which would have been around noon for him considering he is eight hours ahead in Turkey of the Central Time Zone.
On how Minnesota got involved with you and how they went about recruiting you?
Mutaf: "We've been talking for about one month, and we've been having Zoom meetings and video calls. We always had good communication with Coach Pitino and his staff. It went pretty well."
Q: What convinced you to choose Minnesota?
Mutaf: "I believe they are the right fit for me: the program, the organization, the team, and the conference."
Q: What did you learn about the Minnesota program and the school throughout the process?
Mutaf: "I watched a lot of games and videos about the program. They have great facilities and great fans. It's a great school academically as well. I am excited to be there."
Q: Describe yourself as a player.
Mutaf: "I am a 6-foot-6 guard with a long distance shot and the ability to create positions for my teammates. I also have good court vision, and I am a competitive guy who never gives up on the court, and I am a hard worker."
Q: How do you see yourself fitting into Richard Pitino’s system?
Mutaf: "Coach Pitino's system is one of the main reasons I chose Minnesota. I believe that his system is the best fit and the right place to show and improve my ability."
Q: How familiar are you with the roster and what do you think about next year’s team?
Mutaf: "I watched games from last year and talked to Alihan Demir who played for the Gophers last year. We have good and talented players. I think we have a big opportunity to have good results next season."
Q: How well do you know Alihan Demir and did his experience at Minnesota play into your decision?
Mutaf: "I didn't know him before the recruiting process, but during that process he helped me a lot and he shared his experiences with me."
