One of the cornerstones of Coach Tubby Smith’s much heralded inaugural recruiting class is Devon Bostick, an aggressive scoring 2/3 that the Gophers expect to make an immediate contribution in Dinkytown.

Bostick played at Southwestern Illinois College and was named the Division I National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Player of the Year in 2008 after leading his team with 18.2 points per game while also contributing 4.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists per contest. He helped keep the Blue Storm in the Top 20 of the NJCAA Division I Basketball Poll throughout the entire season, including a No. 4 ranking during two weeks of the season, marking the highest ranking in program history.

Bostick now brings his game to Minnesota as part of one of the top recruiting classes in the nation. As he prepares for his first season in the Big Ten, he is playing in the Howard Pulley basketball league, working out with his new teammates and getting acclimated to the Twin Cities. Bostick recently chatted with GopherHole.com after a recent Howard Pulley game.


GH: What made you decide to go to attend the “U?”
DB: I just liked it. I like the campus, liked the coaches, it’s a nice place. Plus, my brother lives around here, so I have family to help me out around here; just in case I need it. My other brother is thinking about moving down here, I have two brothers. I’m the youngest.

GH: Speaking of your brother, we are lucky to have him as an informed poster on GopherHole. Can you tell me a little bit about him?
DB: He’s a musician, he plays piano. He should be able to be able to make it to every home game.

GH: What does Coach (Tubby) Smith expect of you, coming into next year?
DB: He basically wants me to be a scorer and penetrator, and do the stuff that I usually do.

GH: How has junior college prepared you for the Big Ten? Do you think you’ve developed a lot since high school?
DB: Yes, I think I’ve developed a whole lot since high school, going to junior college helped me out a lot. My ball handling has improved, and also getting in shape, and staying in the gym.

GH: How are you getting acclimated to Minneapolis, what kind of things have you been doing?
DB: I’ve just been weight lifting and going to class, and going over the gym. I’m taking Intro to Sports Management and Literature. I’m planning on majoring in Sports Management.

GH: Have you gotten to take in any of the Minneapolis attractions?
DB: I went to the Mall of America on Saturday, and I’ve been downtown a lot.

GH: What is your daily routine?
DB: We lift weight everyday, Monday thru Friday, either in the morning, or around 2 pm. Then I have class, and then I have open gym later in the day, around 7 or 8 pm. All of the guys play at open gym, unless they have class.

GH: Have you been learning any of the offensive or defensive schematics from your teammates?
DB: Yes, I’ve learned a couple of the defenses, but not any of the offensives yet. We’ve been working on man to man stuff, and guarding people.

GH: Who is your roommate?
DB: Jonathan Williams. They though he’d be the best fit for me. He likes the same things that I do, the same music, he’s real cool.

GH: Out of all the Gophers, who has surprised you the most?
DB: Damian (Johnson) surprised me the most. He’s a better hooper than I thought he was (laughing). His overall game is just nice.

GH: How has the Howard Pulley Summer League been preparing you for the season?
DB: These guys play tough, like the Big Ten, there’s a lot of contact, defense, and running up and down.

GH: Being from Wisconsin (the fine city of Racine), what do you think of the Badger–Gophers rivalry?
DB: Oh, I can’t wait (smiling)! I can’t wait to prove to Wisconsin that I’m good enough to play in the Big Ten. They said I wasn’t good enough to play.

GH: Were you a Badger or Marquette fan growing up?
DB: I was kind of into the Badgers, but there were other teams that I liked as well.

GH: Do you know of any players/friends that Minnesota has showed interest in recruiting?
DB: They were trying to recruit Josh Harrison, but he ended up going to Kentucky. I’m not aware of anyone else.

GH: What are your expectations that you’ve set for yourself for next season?
DB: I want to help the team, be an all-around player on and off the court, keep my academics up, and set an example.


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