I am certainly not throwing away this season as I think we have talent to get to the tournament.. Not having Reggie will present a big challenge for us, from here on out...Our bigs are going to have to scrap to win games and I think our wins wont be real pretty to watch.
But I am thinking about the future of Gopher basketball... I think Richard Pitino has done very well in state with the 2018 recruiting class. I think Richard knows we need length, activity, and intelligence on the floor with each recruiting class from here on.
I like the idea of Oturu and Omersa having length, being very active, and multi-dimensional upfront... Those are imperative in today's game... We need a taller guard that can shoot and it sounds like Kalscheur fits that bill.. My hope is that we are very strategic in who we offer in the future to accompany those guys.
Obviously, good basketball means good guard play.. A point guard does not need to be as quick as a jet or jump out of the gym, athletically.. But he does need to be a consistently good decision maker that will make plays. I will always argue decision making and good ballhandling over athleticism if it has to be one over the other. Size is not essential but is nice when we have it. Plus a hard nosed defender that hustles.
I would put on the board that we need at least 4 guys in that 6-5 to 6-7 range with the all-around game and with decent athleticism.. I would even be willing to go below the top 150 to get a ballplayer like that.. A guy that may head to the Missouri Valley or to a school like VCU.... Guys similar to Amir Coffey in length that offer a lot of position flexibility.. If you remember the '97 team, we had Sam Jacobson, Quincy Lewis, and Charles Thomas on the team at the same time.. All guys that could play inside or out. . I still feel we would do well to set a target goal in recruiting of getting athletic, long, and skilled guys in that 6-5 to 6-7 range that can either play inside or out. If you have injury or foul trouble as a team, it helps immensely to have guys that tall that you can plug into different spots. Of course, if we could get 3 other guys in that height range IN THE TOP 150, all the more power to the team...Springy, long armed guys that are smart and athletic don't grow on trees but there are enough of those guys in mid-major programs to tell me we could be getting that type if we prioritized that a bit more, maybe.
Oturu gives us great size and ability which is a great piece to have... I still think we could also get 1-2 other top kids on the inside. I think that the 2018 group can actually be the most foundational of any recruiting class given their in-state roots, playing ability, and type of player that we can get to remain competitive way into the future.
But I am thinking about the future of Gopher basketball... I think Richard Pitino has done very well in state with the 2018 recruiting class. I think Richard knows we need length, activity, and intelligence on the floor with each recruiting class from here on.
I like the idea of Oturu and Omersa having length, being very active, and multi-dimensional upfront... Those are imperative in today's game... We need a taller guard that can shoot and it sounds like Kalscheur fits that bill.. My hope is that we are very strategic in who we offer in the future to accompany those guys.
Obviously, good basketball means good guard play.. A point guard does not need to be as quick as a jet or jump out of the gym, athletically.. But he does need to be a consistently good decision maker that will make plays. I will always argue decision making and good ballhandling over athleticism if it has to be one over the other. Size is not essential but is nice when we have it. Plus a hard nosed defender that hustles.
I would put on the board that we need at least 4 guys in that 6-5 to 6-7 range with the all-around game and with decent athleticism.. I would even be willing to go below the top 150 to get a ballplayer like that.. A guy that may head to the Missouri Valley or to a school like VCU.... Guys similar to Amir Coffey in length that offer a lot of position flexibility.. If you remember the '97 team, we had Sam Jacobson, Quincy Lewis, and Charles Thomas on the team at the same time.. All guys that could play inside or out. . I still feel we would do well to set a target goal in recruiting of getting athletic, long, and skilled guys in that 6-5 to 6-7 range that can either play inside or out. If you have injury or foul trouble as a team, it helps immensely to have guys that tall that you can plug into different spots. Of course, if we could get 3 other guys in that height range IN THE TOP 150, all the more power to the team...Springy, long armed guys that are smart and athletic don't grow on trees but there are enough of those guys in mid-major programs to tell me we could be getting that type if we prioritized that a bit more, maybe.
Oturu gives us great size and ability which is a great piece to have... I still think we could also get 1-2 other top kids on the inside. I think that the 2018 group can actually be the most foundational of any recruiting class given their in-state roots, playing ability, and type of player that we can get to remain competitive way into the future.
