It's never too early to get started recruiting. Especially when there is a young in-state talent that might have greatness stamped all over him.
Camden Heide recently became the second member of the 2022 Class to get a Minnesota offer despite only being a high school freshman at the time. The other belongs to
Prince Aligbe. Both also hail from Minnesota. Heide is from Wayzata, while Aligbe attends Minnehaha Academy in Minneapolis.
Heide turned heads with his stellar play at Wayzata High School and D1 Minnesota on the Adidas Gauntlet. He picked up offers from Wisconsin and Minnesota during the first week in May. After seeing him at the Team USA 16U tryouts in Fort Lauderdale, Iowa gave his third overall and Big Ten offer on Sunday. Three offers from that league before starting a sophomore year in high school is an impressive accomplishment, and for good measure he is also hearing heavily from Purdue.
Eric Bossi saw him at the tryouts and likened him to an NBA lottery pick who will also be spending his time in South Florida.
"Heide looked an awful lot like a baby Tyler Herro with his shooting and ability to get to spots with the dribble."
The Gopher Report spoke with the 6-foot-6, 185 pound rising sophomore on Monday night, and we got to know perhaps one of the next big things out of the state.
Q: You're a young player and there is not a lot of information out there on you yet, and a lot of people in Minnesota may not have watched you either. Describe your game to them.
Heide: "A big part of my game is my offensive ability to score, and pass, and facilitate on offense. Defensively, on the ball defense is one area I need to improve on. But my game offensively and in transition is a big part of my game."
Q: Eric Bossi saw you for the first time at the Team USA 16U tryouts and he compared you to a young Tyler Herro. Have you heard that before and do you think it is accurate?
Heide: "For sure. I actually have heard that from a couple of people. Just coaches and stuff. And actually, my favorite player just like Tyler Herro is Devin Booker. I kind of look up to him. I've watched a lot of his games, so I would sure compare myself to him."
Q: In what ways would you compare yourself to those guys?
Heide: "I think their offensive ability and just their knowledge of the game, what you do in what situations on offense. Both of them are great shooters. I would say that is one thing that all three of us would have in common."
Q: You recently went to the Team USA U16 trials. How do you think you did and how do you think it will help you in the future?
Heide: "The experience was great, just being able to play against the best competition in the country. They are a lot of guys you see all over the internet. They're just as good as how they are advertised. They are very good. Its a lot different than playing high school. That's for sure, and AAU. Everyone there is a top level competitor and athlete, and they all know how to play. So it was a great experience."
Q: Did you have an idea on how good they would be? Did you feel going in that you could play with those guys and after you left, how do you feel like you compared to them?
Heide: "I honestly had no clue how it would be before I went in there because I had never been to a Team USA Camp or in an environment like that. But after I left, I felt like every time I step on the floor I just want to compete as hard as I can. I think I did a good job with that, and afterwards the same thing when I left. I think I just did a good job competing and doing my best."
Q: What does it feel like to be a player as young as you are in the Big Ten area and already getting offers from three teams you probably have watched your whole life?
Heide: "It's super cool when it happens. But it's one of those things where it just keeps motivating me to work harder for each offer I get. I can celebrate it for a little bit, but I can't take my foot off the gas and I just have to get better."
Q: How did the relationship build with Minnesota up to the offer?
Heide: "They came to a workout, and then afterwards they offered me. They have just wanted to build a great relationship with me and my family. We've talked quite a bit over the phone. They just keep wanting to stay in touch."
Q: What do they tell you?
Heide: "All the coaches just say it would be a great fit for me. Obviously, I will have other options. I do have other options right now. But home would be the place to be. Its super nice there. They tell me I would fit into their program great."
Q: How did the offer come about? How did it happen?
Heide: "So I was offered by Wisconsin on a Tuesday, and then two days later Minnesota came. And Coach (Richard) Pitino said pretty much just like 'We've seen you play. We love how you play. I just want to offer you a scholarship."
Q: You spoke about the in-state school. Is it special to you to get an offer from the state university?
Heide: "My mom grew up actually in the same house we live in right now. She went to Minnesota, so it's huge to get an offer from the hometown school, and that would be a great hometown opportunity. I still have a while to go."
Q: I was going to ask you if you had family ties or friends with the university.
Heide: "My dad actually went to Purdue.
Q: A house divided.
Heide: "Yep, a house divided by the Big Ten."
Q: Have you been to any Minnesota games or on campus?
Heide: "I've been to quite a few games, but obviously I can't go on visits until this summer. But last year I went to a couple of games. We just had the Gopher Team Camp two weekends ago, and I saw the practice facility and stuff. It's awesome there."
Q: You got to play in front of the coaches at the team camp. How do you feel like you performed?
Heide: "I feel like I performed pretty good. One of our point guards is hurt so we were kind of set back with injuries, but I feel like I performed pretty good for the coaches."
Q: Some of the best guys in the state of Minnesota were there, if not all of the in-state players that have Gopher offers. How do you feel about high school basketball in the state right now? It's getting a lot of notoriety.
Heide: "For sure. I think it just keeps rising. It's one of the best states for basketball, honestly. I mean Zeke Nnaji is going to Arizona. Matthew Hurt is at Duke. That 2019 Class was stacked and all of them are great players. I think the young talent in my class, 2022, is stacked. 2021 has good players, and 2020 has great players as well. I think the state for basketball is very good."
Q: The Gophers had a good season last year. What is your feelings about the program right now?
Heide: "It's just what you said. They're kind of on the come up right now. Last year they had a great year and they struggled in the tournament with a couple fo injuries. When I think of Minnesota, for me it's obviously home, but I think it's an up and coming program and I think it will be a good option for a lot of Minnesota players.
Q: When you watch Minnesota play and you see in-state players like Amir, Coffey and the three freshmen last year, is that something you pay attention to?
Heide: "I really don't pay attention to that. I think it's super cool, so obviously I play a little bit of attention to it, because I played varsity as an eighth grader. So I played against Gabe Kalscheur, Jarvis Thomas (Omersa), and Daniel Oturu. So it was super cool to see those guys play as freshmen."
Camden Heide recently became the second member of the 2022 Class to get a Minnesota offer despite only being a high school freshman at the time. The other belongs to
Prince Aligbe. Both also hail from Minnesota. Heide is from Wayzata, while Aligbe attends Minnehaha Academy in Minneapolis.
Heide turned heads with his stellar play at Wayzata High School and D1 Minnesota on the Adidas Gauntlet. He picked up offers from Wisconsin and Minnesota during the first week in May. After seeing him at the Team USA 16U tryouts in Fort Lauderdale, Iowa gave his third overall and Big Ten offer on Sunday. Three offers from that league before starting a sophomore year in high school is an impressive accomplishment, and for good measure he is also hearing heavily from Purdue.
Eric Bossi saw him at the tryouts and likened him to an NBA lottery pick who will also be spending his time in South Florida.
"Heide looked an awful lot like a baby Tyler Herro with his shooting and ability to get to spots with the dribble."
The Gopher Report spoke with the 6-foot-6, 185 pound rising sophomore on Monday night, and we got to know perhaps one of the next big things out of the state.
Q: You're a young player and there is not a lot of information out there on you yet, and a lot of people in Minnesota may not have watched you either. Describe your game to them.
Heide: "A big part of my game is my offensive ability to score, and pass, and facilitate on offense. Defensively, on the ball defense is one area I need to improve on. But my game offensively and in transition is a big part of my game."
Q: Eric Bossi saw you for the first time at the Team USA 16U tryouts and he compared you to a young Tyler Herro. Have you heard that before and do you think it is accurate?
Heide: "For sure. I actually have heard that from a couple of people. Just coaches and stuff. And actually, my favorite player just like Tyler Herro is Devin Booker. I kind of look up to him. I've watched a lot of his games, so I would sure compare myself to him."
Q: In what ways would you compare yourself to those guys?
Heide: "I think their offensive ability and just their knowledge of the game, what you do in what situations on offense. Both of them are great shooters. I would say that is one thing that all three of us would have in common."
Q: You recently went to the Team USA U16 trials. How do you think you did and how do you think it will help you in the future?
Heide: "The experience was great, just being able to play against the best competition in the country. They are a lot of guys you see all over the internet. They're just as good as how they are advertised. They are very good. Its a lot different than playing high school. That's for sure, and AAU. Everyone there is a top level competitor and athlete, and they all know how to play. So it was a great experience."
Q: Did you have an idea on how good they would be? Did you feel going in that you could play with those guys and after you left, how do you feel like you compared to them?
Heide: "I honestly had no clue how it would be before I went in there because I had never been to a Team USA Camp or in an environment like that. But after I left, I felt like every time I step on the floor I just want to compete as hard as I can. I think I did a good job with that, and afterwards the same thing when I left. I think I just did a good job competing and doing my best."
Q: What does it feel like to be a player as young as you are in the Big Ten area and already getting offers from three teams you probably have watched your whole life?
Heide: "It's super cool when it happens. But it's one of those things where it just keeps motivating me to work harder for each offer I get. I can celebrate it for a little bit, but I can't take my foot off the gas and I just have to get better."
Q: How did the relationship build with Minnesota up to the offer?
Heide: "They came to a workout, and then afterwards they offered me. They have just wanted to build a great relationship with me and my family. We've talked quite a bit over the phone. They just keep wanting to stay in touch."
Q: What do they tell you?
Heide: "All the coaches just say it would be a great fit for me. Obviously, I will have other options. I do have other options right now. But home would be the place to be. Its super nice there. They tell me I would fit into their program great."
Q: How did the offer come about? How did it happen?
Heide: "So I was offered by Wisconsin on a Tuesday, and then two days later Minnesota came. And Coach (Richard) Pitino said pretty much just like 'We've seen you play. We love how you play. I just want to offer you a scholarship."
Q: You spoke about the in-state school. Is it special to you to get an offer from the state university?
Heide: "My mom grew up actually in the same house we live in right now. She went to Minnesota, so it's huge to get an offer from the hometown school, and that would be a great hometown opportunity. I still have a while to go."
Q: I was going to ask you if you had family ties or friends with the university.
Heide: "My dad actually went to Purdue.
Q: A house divided.
Heide: "Yep, a house divided by the Big Ten."
Q: Have you been to any Minnesota games or on campus?
Heide: "I've been to quite a few games, but obviously I can't go on visits until this summer. But last year I went to a couple of games. We just had the Gopher Team Camp two weekends ago, and I saw the practice facility and stuff. It's awesome there."
Q: You got to play in front of the coaches at the team camp. How do you feel like you performed?
Heide: "I feel like I performed pretty good. One of our point guards is hurt so we were kind of set back with injuries, but I feel like I performed pretty good for the coaches."
Q: Some of the best guys in the state of Minnesota were there, if not all of the in-state players that have Gopher offers. How do you feel about high school basketball in the state right now? It's getting a lot of notoriety.
Heide: "For sure. I think it just keeps rising. It's one of the best states for basketball, honestly. I mean Zeke Nnaji is going to Arizona. Matthew Hurt is at Duke. That 2019 Class was stacked and all of them are great players. I think the young talent in my class, 2022, is stacked. 2021 has good players, and 2020 has great players as well. I think the state for basketball is very good."
Q: The Gophers had a good season last year. What is your feelings about the program right now?
Heide: "It's just what you said. They're kind of on the come up right now. Last year they had a great year and they struggled in the tournament with a couple fo injuries. When I think of Minnesota, for me it's obviously home, but I think it's an up and coming program and I think it will be a good option for a lot of Minnesota players.
Q: When you watch Minnesota play and you see in-state players like Amir, Coffey and the three freshmen last year, is that something you pay attention to?
Heide: "I really don't pay attention to that. I think it's super cool, so obviously I play a little bit of attention to it, because I played varsity as an eighth grader. So I played against Gabe Kalscheur, Jarvis Thomas (Omersa), and Daniel Oturu. So it was super cool to see those guys play as freshmen."
