While Smith is restricted by the NCAA from offering his recruits even so much as a mattress topper for their thin and uncomfortable dorm beds, one of the things he can offer recruits is a chance to play for him; Smith is one of the top coaches in college basketball today, easily among the Top 10 active coaches today.
When Smith first took the Gophers job, he immediately went on a charm offensive, meeting with nearly every single Minnesota high school boys hoops coach to establish good relations and attempt to keep the cream of the Minnesota crop of basketball talent at him, rather than migrating to other Big 10 rivals or other national powerhouses. If successful, that’ll help.
The only criticism of Smith so far might be how well he recruits nationally; despite vowing to keep Minnesota talent in Minnesota, Smith’s first recruiting class has no Minnesota boys in it. While this might be tolerated for a year or two, if the trend continues, Smith may eventually face some critical comments here in Minnesota - instant coaching legend or not.
Tags: mattress topper, men's basketball, Minnesota Gophers, recruiting, Tubby Smith
