Recruiting News

Basketball - Good news keeps coming for the 2008 recruiting class, good news is very indirect for the 2007 class.

• Jai Lucas - no direct information, but the decision by Billy Donovan to stay in Florida is likely helpful. Speculation was that if Donovan were to become the UK coach then Nick Calathes would have jumped from Florida to Kentucky, Patrick Patterson would commit to UK and Lucas would then be inclined to join them at UK. That would have had the Wildcat fan's heads spinning. BUT Billy is staying at Florida and Kentucky will likely not land any of these recruits. Enter MN? I hope so.
• 2008 Recruit LIST - this list is starting to add a couple significant names as kids considering Tubby Smith and the University of Minnesota
• Draymond Green - PF, Saginaw, MI - Green was an early commit to UK and has now backed out of that committment and is considering the U accoring to Rivals.com.
• Lewis Jackson - PG, Decature, GA - considering Purdue, Indiana, Minnesota
• Angelo Johnson - PG, Encino, CA - considering Michigan, Cincinatti, Wisconsin, Georgetown and Minnesota
• Jordan Taylor - SG, Benilde St. Margarets - committed to Wisconsin but don't be surprised if he reconsiders.
• Jared Berggren - C, Princeton, MN - also committed to Wis but may reconsider
  

Football - Tim Brewster seems to be making an impact rather quickly on in state and out of state players. Brewster is living up to his committment to keeping MN players in state. He has received early committments from 5 MN kids already and seems to be on the right track with Michael Floyd and Willie Mobley at this point.

• Sam Maresh - ILB, Champlin Park - Maresh is considered to be the best defensive recruit and one of the 3 big names in this year's Jr. class. Maresh had received offers from Michigan, Miami, Wisconsin and Iowa. He visited MN during spring practice, was driving home, had his dad turn the car around and informed Coach Brewster that he wanted to be a Gopher. And as icing on the cake he wants to make it his mission to convince the other top in state recruites (WR-Michael Floyd and DE-Willie Mobley) to join him in returning the U to competitivness.
• Ryan Grant - QB, Eden Prairie - This is most notable because Ryan is the son of Mike Grant and grandson of Bud. He is the QB for Eden Prairie but likely will move to defense at the U. Name recognition within the state and if his experience is positive that can only help in attaining future recruits from Eden Prairie.
• Kevan Walker - WR, Arcadia, CA - This is the first out of state recruit that Brewster and staff have landed. I know very little about Walker, but Rivals.com is making this signing out to be a big deal. Walker is a talented WR and the U needs talented WRs to compliment their new spread offense.