· Capital One Bowl

Naadir Tharpe, a 6-foot point guard from Worcester (MA) Brewster Academy, has emerged on the Minnesota Gopher recruiting radar. Tharpe is playing for the New England Playaz in Las Vegas at the adidas Super 64 and Minnesota coaches Tubby Smith, Vince Taylor and Ron Jirsa were all in attendance to watch Tharpe both games. GopherHole.com caught up Brewster head coach Jason Smith and Tharpe to learn the latest on his recruitment. (Read More)

There has never been a boring moment during Royce White’s basketball career. He began high school at De La Salle, got expelled and ended up winning at Minnesota state championship with Hopkins High School. As a 5-star recruit, he had just about every top school to choose from, and he picked his hometown school, the University of Minnesota, during his junior year. White actually blogged about his entire senior year on GopherHole: http://www.gopherhole.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=805. During freshman year with the Gophers, he did not play one minute in the maroon and gold because of off the court issues. As a frustrated young man, he left the Gopher basketball team over the winter. He made it very clear that he had nothing but love and respect for Tubby Smith and the U of M. However, on Monday, White announced he would attend Iowa State University and play for former Minnesota Timberwolves player and executive Fred Hoiberg. (Read More)

Chaska’s Ross Travis is considered one of the top players in the state of Minnesota for the class of 2011. GopherHole.com initially spoke with him in January about his game and recruitment, and Nadine Babu recently spoke with him again for an update on his summer AAU and camp calendar and an update on his recruitment.
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When Tubby Smith signed his much heralded recruiting class two years ago, one of the centerpieces of the class was Trevor Mbakwe, an intimidating PF with loads of athleticism and potential. At a chiseled 6-8, 240lbs, Mbakwe looks to be in mid-season form and Gopher fans hope to see him in maroon and gold cleaning the glass and swatting shots into the student section. Unfortunately an unresolved court case kept Mbakwe in street clothes this past year, but despite his upcoming trial, Mbakwe has remained focused on what matters to him most: his family, his academics and his basketball career. (Read More)

Great defenses are anchored by great linebackers and that is exactly what Coach Tim Brewster hopes he just added with the transfer of Brendan Beal, a 6-foot-3.5, 253-pound middle linebacker from Bangor, Pa. He chose the Gophers for a variety of reasons, including the coaching staff, facilities, academics and a love for the Big Ten style of play. (Read More)

The recent Sabes Invitational gave Gopher fans an opportunity to watchquite a few players that they are targeting for the 2011 recruitingc lass, including Christian Kirk, a 6-foot-7, 205-pound juniorpower forward from St. Charles (MO) West. Kirk comes from a basketball family as a sister and brother both played at Missouri State and both parents played college basketball in the state of Georgia. GopherHole caught up with Kirk to learn the latest about his recruitment, his interest in Minnesota and more about his style of play. (Read More)

Big men that can shoot the ball can create many a mismatch for opposing defenses and that is exactly what Coach Tubby Smith hopes he has in Gopher signee Oto Osenieks (Ocean-icks). The 6-8 forward from Brehm Prep in Carbondale, Illinois is a native of Riga, Latvia and joins the Gophers after averaging 16 points and 6 rebounds per game this past year. The Latvian WF always dreamt of playing college basketball in America and will join the Gophers after turning down scholarship offers from Iowa State and Providence amongst others. GopherHole recently caught up with Oto to learn more about his background, how he became interested in college basketball in the U.S. and what he hopes to bring to the Gophers next season.

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A year from now Blake Hoffarber will have finished his Gopher basketball career, a career that will likely leave few if any shooting records unbroken. The loss of Hoffarber will leave the Gophers with a big void to fill and Coach Tubby Smith with a great need for a dead-eye outside threat. Such a threat lives in the Badger state as the Gophers find themselves in a recruiting battle for Paul Jesperson, a 6-7 SF with a great outside shot and a developing all-around game that has high-major D1 coaches calling at an increasing rate. Jeperson has been on the Gopher radar for some time as he has already made unofficial visits for both a Gopher football and basketball game, and he recently was back in the state playing in the Sabes Invitational AAU Tournament where his performance added to his growing hype. He just received an offer from Tubby Smith and the University of Minnesota today. (Read More)

The University of Minnesota football team wrapped up its spring practice season on Saturday afternoon at TCF Bank Stadium, with the defense taking advantage of a modified scoring system to outscore the offense 49-26 in the annual spring game. The offense started out quick, scoring on a one-yard run by DeLeon Eskridge on the first drive of the game. That possession was keyed by an Adam Weber-to-Troy Stoudermire connection for 56 yards down to the 15-yard line. Eskridge then carried four straight times to pound it into the end zone. Five minutes later, the offense got a 20-yard field goal from Eric Ellestad. The offense led 10-6 after one quarter. (Read More)

There is a saying that “Everyone Loves a Canadian” and nowhere is that more evident than at Minnesota where Coach Tubby Smith hopes to have a trio of Canadians on his roster next season. With Devoe Joseph emerging as the Gophers top scoring threat, Minnesota hopes to add his brother Cory, as well as the Joseph’s good friend and Canadian big man Maurice Walker. Walker attended Brewster Academy in New Hampshire this past season and is now the recipient of recruiting battle. Walker reportedly has offers from Minnesota, Kansas, Marquette, Pittsburgh and many others.

Walker is taking his official visit to Minnesota this weekend and spoke with GopherHole.com’s Nadine Babu prior to his visit. (Read More)