Gophers get S/I front court!
The Tubby Smith-coached Minnesota Golden Gophers just earned an S/I-worth front court!
Of course, I’m not talking about Sports Illustrated… yet. I’m talking about the outstanding recruiting job done by first-year Gophers mens basketball head coach Tubby Smith. Yes, THAT Tubby Smith. The Kentucky coaching legend the Wildcats decided last spring wasn’t a good enough recruiter for them anymore, and who heckled him as “Ten-Loss Tubby.”
Who’s laughing now? Coach Smith on Thursday received an oral commit from Ralph Sampson III, son of the legendary NBA center Ralph Sampson Jr. While Jr. stood 7’4″, his son, a high school senior, already stands 6’11″ and is still growing. The other two schools Sampson III had on his “Final Three” list? Georgia Tech and … Kentucky.
How’s that new head coach working out for you now, Wildcats fans?
With the addition of Sampson III, Smith, who has also landed Colton Iverson, a native of South Dakota, as well as junior college prospects Paul Carter and Devron Bostick with one and perhaps two more spots to fill for the 2008 recruiting class, has virtually guaranteed the Gophers a spot in the Top 10 recruiting classes of the year, as well as robbed Kentucky of a kid they probably would have had on their squad had they kept Tubby around.
Smith is obviously the best hire Minnesota could have made. With Dan Monson still in place, they wouldn’t even be shaking hands with Sampson while passing in the airport; now, they’re getting ready to suit him up in maroon and gold next season.
