Over the weekend something happened that many fans in the state of Minnesota were expecting.
Treyton Thompson got a Gopher offer.
The 6-foot-11, 190 pound rising junior from Alexandria is ranked No. 70 in the Class of 2021 by Rivals, and he already had a Texas Tech offer. When college coaches could reach out to players in his class for the first time on June 15, he heard from staffs from the Gophers, Red Raiders, Purdue, Wisconsin, Marquette, and Creighton just to name a few.
After his offer form Minnesota, Rivals National Analyst, Corey Evans, gave us his scouting report on the four-star talent.
"Treyton Thompson is a mobile and active power forward or center with a really good feel for the game. He plays his best when facing the basket. He is also a pick an pop threat on the perimeter and he has a good basketball IQ. He needs to get stronger, but he has made the right strides in recent months."
The Gopher Report spoke with Thompson on Tuesday night and he went in depth about his game, recruitment, and the history of his relationship with the Minnesota coaches and he subsequent offer.
Q; Describe yourself to us as a player.
Thompson: "I would say I am an all-around player. I'm not really specifically a post player or specifically an outside player. I like to do a little bit of both so then I'm really what they like to call a mismatch nightmare. But it's really hard to guard me and things like that."
Q: What do you think your strengths are?
Thompson: "My strengths would probably be facing up to the basket down in the post, shooting to the arc, attacking the basket sometimes, pushing the ball after I get a rebound. My creativity I would say would be a really big one. I can make things happen out of nothing."
Q: Defensively, you're a pretty good rim protector also aren't you?
Thompson: "Oh yes, for sure."
Q: Do you think positionless basketball is kind of in your wheelhouse?
Thompson: "For sure. It's always nice, I mean like the guards compliment me all of the time like 'Thanks for getting my back.' If they have a quick offensive player on them and they get by them once in a while I can be there to help them out."
Q: Part of that type of ball now is being able to guard multiple poisons and switch out on guards on ball-screens. Is that something you're comfortable with?
Thompson: "Yeah, I feel really comfortable with doing that, but I need to get a little bit faster. So I've been working on my footwork and things like that to get my speed up."
Q: You're a 2021 and have two more years in high school. Do you feel like that gives you time to make the physical improvements you need to make before you get to the next level?
Thompson: "Oh yeah. I know for sure that I have a lot of time left, but that's not going to stop me from getting the work done the next day."
Q: How did the spring go for you with Howard Pulley?
Thompson: "It's a lot different basketball playing on the EYBL. You're playing against the best of the best, and I really like that. I took a big step playing agains those really high level players, and you just can't get that anywhere else. I like that."
Q: What has June looked like for you as far as camps go?
Thompson: "I did a UNI camp, a team camp with Howard Pulley, and then I just got done with a Wisconsin team camp."
Q: Let's talk about Minnesota. Tell us about the relationship with them going up to the offer.
Thompson: "So around four months ago or maybe even more, I could call them but they couldn't call me. So that talked to my coaches, and they wanted me to call them. So we basically started communication like that. Now that I can call them and they can call me that's when they decided to offer."
Q: On June 15, when they could begin to contact you was that when the offer came about?
Thompson: "Yes, and nine o'clock in the morning."
Q: Tell us who that conversation went and what was going through your mind when you got it.
Thompson: "Basically, (Richard) Pitino asked me how I was doing, and then he basically just put it out there. 'Hey we want to offer you. We're really excited about it.'
I really didn't understand it at the time because that was the first time a coach offered directly to me. So I really didn't know what was going on, and it took me about thirty minutes. The assistant coach (Kyle Lindsted) said, 'Congratulations."
I said, "for what?" I didn''t know what was going on. I called them, and he said, 'Yeah, Pitino just offered you.'
Q: Have they said what they like about your game?
Thompson: "They like that I am a rim protector and I can still shoot the ball. They like that I can dribble the ball up the court without having to pass to guards. They overall just really like my game."
Q: Is getting an offer from your in-state school special to you?
Thompson: "Yeah, feel like that's really important. It will be one of the main schools that I'll look at to go to. I talk to Jarvis Omersa with the Gophers right now. He says there's nothing like playing at home. I kind of take that to heart. I just kind of realize maybe that's what I should do, but I'm still not one-hundred percent sure."
Q: There are several guys who played in the Howard Pulley program that play with Minnesota now. Is that something that makes a little bit of a difference to you?
Thompson: "Yeah. I can kind of relate to them because they went through it. It kind of makes it a little special."
Q: What is your opinion and other high school players in the state about the Minnesota Basketball program?
Thompson: "My opinion is really high. They beat a lot of good schools, and obviously, Ptiino is a really good coach. They have a lot of good talent, and I just think that if I did go there Daniel Oturu, Jarvis (Omersa), Gabe (Kalscheur), it would be a really hard team to beat."
Q: How many times have you been on the Minnesota campus or been to games?
Thompson: "I did one unofficial visit. Then I been to probably close to ten games or something like that. They would let me go in for free and watch the games, and I would get to bring my dad and maybe one other person. So that was kind of cool. So I went to quite a few games."
Q: A lot of schools called you on June 15. Is it too early to say who is recruiting you the hardest?
Thompson: "There are a lot of schools getting involved. One of the other main schools that probably talks to me everyday would probably be Purdue."
Q: Texas Tech offers you then goes to the National Championship game. Tell us about them a little bit.
Thompson: "I really like how they practice. I went down and watched one of their practices. it was like everyone could go in and watch for free at the Final Four. I watched them practice and I really liked how they had fun while they were practicing, but they still got work done and everyone was working hard. I really liked that about them. I know if I go there they are going to push me really hard for me to be where I want to be, and I like that.
Q: Does going to a National Championship Game put them in a different light now?
Thompson: "Yeah, for sure. Its really hard to get there. So many other teams wish they could get there, but they were the one that actually did."
Q: Were you surprised that they got there?
Thompson: "No, I knew that they had a really good program, and I knew they had a legitimate shot at going there."
Q: You said Purdue is one of the schools recruiting you the hardest. Are there schools that you feel will give you an offer soon or on down the road?
Thompson: "There are a couple of them, but I'm still not too sure on how all of this recruiting stuff works."
Q: June and August are busy months for unofficial visits. As a junior you can also take five officials. Are you planning on taking any?
Thompson: "I thought a little about about it, but I haven't planned out any of it yet."
Q: What does the July schedule with Howard Pulley 16U look like?
Thompson: "I think the main tournaments we have will be at the Hardwood Classic down in Kansas. I think there are two down in Kansas. We didn't make the Peach Jam, but there is an alternate and it is right next to it.
Treyton Thompson got a Gopher offer.
The 6-foot-11, 190 pound rising junior from Alexandria is ranked No. 70 in the Class of 2021 by Rivals, and he already had a Texas Tech offer. When college coaches could reach out to players in his class for the first time on June 15, he heard from staffs from the Gophers, Red Raiders, Purdue, Wisconsin, Marquette, and Creighton just to name a few.
After his offer form Minnesota, Rivals National Analyst, Corey Evans, gave us his scouting report on the four-star talent.
"Treyton Thompson is a mobile and active power forward or center with a really good feel for the game. He plays his best when facing the basket. He is also a pick an pop threat on the perimeter and he has a good basketball IQ. He needs to get stronger, but he has made the right strides in recent months."
The Gopher Report spoke with Thompson on Tuesday night and he went in depth about his game, recruitment, and the history of his relationship with the Minnesota coaches and he subsequent offer.
Q; Describe yourself to us as a player.
Thompson: "I would say I am an all-around player. I'm not really specifically a post player or specifically an outside player. I like to do a little bit of both so then I'm really what they like to call a mismatch nightmare. But it's really hard to guard me and things like that."
Q: What do you think your strengths are?
Thompson: "My strengths would probably be facing up to the basket down in the post, shooting to the arc, attacking the basket sometimes, pushing the ball after I get a rebound. My creativity I would say would be a really big one. I can make things happen out of nothing."
Q: Defensively, you're a pretty good rim protector also aren't you?
Thompson: "Oh yes, for sure."
Q: Do you think positionless basketball is kind of in your wheelhouse?
Thompson: "For sure. It's always nice, I mean like the guards compliment me all of the time like 'Thanks for getting my back.' If they have a quick offensive player on them and they get by them once in a while I can be there to help them out."
Q: Part of that type of ball now is being able to guard multiple poisons and switch out on guards on ball-screens. Is that something you're comfortable with?
Thompson: "Yeah, I feel really comfortable with doing that, but I need to get a little bit faster. So I've been working on my footwork and things like that to get my speed up."
Q: You're a 2021 and have two more years in high school. Do you feel like that gives you time to make the physical improvements you need to make before you get to the next level?
Thompson: "Oh yeah. I know for sure that I have a lot of time left, but that's not going to stop me from getting the work done the next day."
Q: How did the spring go for you with Howard Pulley?
Thompson: "It's a lot different basketball playing on the EYBL. You're playing against the best of the best, and I really like that. I took a big step playing agains those really high level players, and you just can't get that anywhere else. I like that."
Q: What has June looked like for you as far as camps go?
Thompson: "I did a UNI camp, a team camp with Howard Pulley, and then I just got done with a Wisconsin team camp."
Q: Let's talk about Minnesota. Tell us about the relationship with them going up to the offer.
Thompson: "So around four months ago or maybe even more, I could call them but they couldn't call me. So that talked to my coaches, and they wanted me to call them. So we basically started communication like that. Now that I can call them and they can call me that's when they decided to offer."
Q: On June 15, when they could begin to contact you was that when the offer came about?
Thompson: "Yes, and nine o'clock in the morning."
Q: Tell us who that conversation went and what was going through your mind when you got it.
Thompson: "Basically, (Richard) Pitino asked me how I was doing, and then he basically just put it out there. 'Hey we want to offer you. We're really excited about it.'
I really didn't understand it at the time because that was the first time a coach offered directly to me. So I really didn't know what was going on, and it took me about thirty minutes. The assistant coach (Kyle Lindsted) said, 'Congratulations."
I said, "for what?" I didn''t know what was going on. I called them, and he said, 'Yeah, Pitino just offered you.'
Q: Have they said what they like about your game?
Thompson: "They like that I am a rim protector and I can still shoot the ball. They like that I can dribble the ball up the court without having to pass to guards. They overall just really like my game."
Q: Is getting an offer from your in-state school special to you?
Thompson: "Yeah, feel like that's really important. It will be one of the main schools that I'll look at to go to. I talk to Jarvis Omersa with the Gophers right now. He says there's nothing like playing at home. I kind of take that to heart. I just kind of realize maybe that's what I should do, but I'm still not one-hundred percent sure."
Q: There are several guys who played in the Howard Pulley program that play with Minnesota now. Is that something that makes a little bit of a difference to you?
Thompson: "Yeah. I can kind of relate to them because they went through it. It kind of makes it a little special."
Q: What is your opinion and other high school players in the state about the Minnesota Basketball program?
Thompson: "My opinion is really high. They beat a lot of good schools, and obviously, Ptiino is a really good coach. They have a lot of good talent, and I just think that if I did go there Daniel Oturu, Jarvis (Omersa), Gabe (Kalscheur), it would be a really hard team to beat."
Q: How many times have you been on the Minnesota campus or been to games?
Thompson: "I did one unofficial visit. Then I been to probably close to ten games or something like that. They would let me go in for free and watch the games, and I would get to bring my dad and maybe one other person. So that was kind of cool. So I went to quite a few games."
Q: A lot of schools called you on June 15. Is it too early to say who is recruiting you the hardest?
Thompson: "There are a lot of schools getting involved. One of the other main schools that probably talks to me everyday would probably be Purdue."
Q: Texas Tech offers you then goes to the National Championship game. Tell us about them a little bit.
Thompson: "I really like how they practice. I went down and watched one of their practices. it was like everyone could go in and watch for free at the Final Four. I watched them practice and I really liked how they had fun while they were practicing, but they still got work done and everyone was working hard. I really liked that about them. I know if I go there they are going to push me really hard for me to be where I want to be, and I like that.
Q: Does going to a National Championship Game put them in a different light now?
Thompson: "Yeah, for sure. Its really hard to get there. So many other teams wish they could get there, but they were the one that actually did."
Q: Were you surprised that they got there?
Thompson: "No, I knew that they had a really good program, and I knew they had a legitimate shot at going there."
Q: You said Purdue is one of the schools recruiting you the hardest. Are there schools that you feel will give you an offer soon or on down the road?
Thompson: "There are a couple of them, but I'm still not too sure on how all of this recruiting stuff works."
Q: June and August are busy months for unofficial visits. As a junior you can also take five officials. Are you planning on taking any?
Thompson: "I thought a little about about it, but I haven't planned out any of it yet."
Q: What does the July schedule with Howard Pulley 16U look like?
Thompson: "I think the main tournaments we have will be at the Hardwood Classic down in Kansas. I think there are two down in Kansas. We didn't make the Peach Jam, but there is an alternate and it is right next to it.
