So I know it is football season and we are 2-0 and there is a little buzz out there right now for football. BUT I'm leading off with basketball...
We all know that Tyus Jones is the top rated, junior PG in the country. He is from Apple Valley and the entire state would love nothing more than to see him in a Gopher uniform. Many of you may not know who Jahlil Okafor is. He is a currently the #2 overall player in the class of 2014. Okafor is a Chicago native and good friends with Tyus Jones, there have been rumors that these two are going try and attend the same school. Well, Okafor is going to be writing a monthly blog post for the USA Today, his first entry mentions Tyus an awful lot.
I've got a long way to go before I get into all of that.I have been thinking about some visits here lately though. I don't have anything set in stone yet, but I talked with Coach K about possibly coming to Duke for their Midnight Madness so I may do that. Actually me and my boy Tyus Jones are trying to go there together for that. It's not official yet, but that's what we're trying to work out now. We want to go to a Michigan State football game together too.
Most of you guys know about Tyus. He's the top point guard in our class, and we are seriously planning to play together in college. I know a lot of people don't believe that because players say it all the time, but we click on the court so well, and we're really best friends off the court too.
This does not bode well for Tubby and the Gophers. I have felt all along that landing Jones was a long-shot, landing Jones and Okafor is going to be nearly impossible. There was a tweet or rumor or something a week or two ago about Jones trying to get Okafor up here for a Gopher football game, so the chances are not nill of landing them both. This would be a major coup if Tubby were to land two of the top 5 players in the class of 2014. Then we'll throw in Rashad Vaughn just for good measure to get the hat-trick of 5-star recruits.
- Sticking with hoops...Nigel Hayes visited this past weekend. I don't think we are going land him either as he is "looking for a school where he can win multiple championships." I like where we are going but I don't think we fall under that definition. But then again, neither does Wisconsin or Stanford in my opinion. His visit went well and we are certainly in the running for the power forward from Ohio but I think the smart money is on Ohio State.
- GopherSports.com goes under the helmet with Marcus Jones.
- Alcohol sales were significantly better than the University was anticipating. This is good news and I think the extra revenue is going directly towards better meals in the press box. Bravo U of M, bravo.
- I'm sure you heard that Louisiana-Monroe beat Arkansas last weekend. Apparently the ULM head coach is one of the few college football coaches who is gradually buying into the no punting on 4th down theory. He has picked the brain of Kevin Kelley, an Arkansas high school coach gaining fame for never (ever) punting. It should also be noted that Kelley is a Razorbacks fan.
- Gopher baseball has announced temporary staff changes while pitching coach Todd Oakes is battling his cancer. Coach Oakes's son, Tyler, will join the staff as a volunteer coach in his father's absence and Director of Operations, Lee Swenson, will officially become an assistant coach. Best of luck to coach Oakes as he fights this battle.
- This SBN exclusive is kind of awesome. Western Kentucky has granted exclusive, all-access access (?) to SBN's Steven Godfrey the week leading up to the Alabama game. Great stuff to read here.
- Some post, week-2 love for the Gophers. ESPN's Big Ten power rankings has us moving on up and MarQueis Gray received a helmet sticker for his four touchdown game. I don't think he can actually put that on his helmet.
- Western Michigan wants to force Gray to throw the ball. I dare them to dare us to do that.