If you're anything like me, you can't get enough news and notes about future Golden Gophers basketball players. With that in mind, I reached out to Minnesota commit Andre Hollins and asked him if he'd do a Q&A with us. Andre was kind enough to share some of his why he committed to Minnesota, his role on his high school team and what position he wants to play when he suits up in maroon and gold next season.
Many thanks to Andre for helping us get to know him a bit better.
Q: Andre, Minnesota fans are obviously excited about you becoming a Golden Gopher. How closely are you following the Gophers this year and the Big Ten in general?
A: Let me tell you first that I am as excited as anyone to play for Minnesota! I'm following them really close. I'm watching them play Indiana right now. I've seen pretty much every game that's been televised.
Q: What have been some of the highlights of your senior year at White Station? What can you tell us about your role on that team that we can't discern from box scores?
A: A highlight so far was when our team spent the weekend together and bonded at a camp lock-in at Second Presbyterian Church. My role on my team is the leader, on and off the court. Just leading by example, and trying to teach the younger guys the lessons I have learned from my coaches and those players before me.
Q: Many Minnesota fans are wondering where you'll fit into the team. Do you prefer playing point guard or shooting guard? Do you consider yourself more of a distributor or scorer? There's been talk about you potentially playing point guard for the Gophers. Is that where you want to play?
A: I like playing both positions. As of now I would say I'm more of a scorer because I need to be for my team, but I can distribute the ball and create for my teammates. Yes, I do want to play point guard next year.
Q: No matter what position you play, any guard will be lucky to play with Minnesota's great front-line of Trevor Mbakwe, Ralph Sampson III, Colton Iverson and Mo Walker. Have you gotten to know those guys at all? What do you think you can do with such a solid front-court?
A: When I took my official visit there I met the guys and got to know them a little bit but other than that, not really. I think that will help me a ton because they have great hands and are very skilled big men.
Q: Tell us about your recruiting process. Which coaches were actively recruiting you from Minnesota? What made you choose Minnesota?
A: Coach Jirsa, Coach T. Smith, and Coach Taylor. I choose Minnesota because it felt right. The opportunity to play in one of the best, if not the best, conference in college bball and for one of the great coaches was just to great to pass up.
Q: What aspects of your game are you working on? What are you trying to get better at?
A: I'm trying to get better at analyzing the game and making crunch time decisions. I'm trying to become more of a coach on the floor. I'm also trying to become a superior ball handler, my handles are ok right now.
Q: Is there any guard in the college or pro ranks that you might be compared to? Which player's game do you think yours is most like?
A: lol, I honestly don't know who I would compare my game to. One of our assistant coach's said I remind him of Jimmer Fredette from BYU and Kemba Walker from UConn.
Q: Finally, what are your goals for your college career on the court and off? What are your academic goals and interests? What would you like to accomplish as a Golden Gopher on the court?
A: On the court, I want to carry my success from high school to college by playing the last game of the year, which would be the NCAA Championship game