What Gopher’s Commit David Mutaf Brings to Minnesota
Where Richard Pitino whiffs on in-state talent, he connects on international talent.
On Sunday morning, Turkish guard David Mutaf announced that he has committed to coming to Minnesota and playing for Pitino. Mutaf, a 6โ6โ guard, picked the Gophers over Arkansas, USC, Georgetown, and others.
Mutaf is a monster get for the Gophers. With 2020 Hopkins (MN) High School guard Kerwin Walton leaving the state to go play at UNC and Drew Peterson committing to USC after decommitting from the Gophers, Mutaf was a must-get for Pitino. Hereโs what he will bring to the table:
Shooting
When watching the video above, one thing sticks out above the rest: his shooting.
First, he does a pull-back between his legs, steps back, and knocks it down:
Then, he rolls off a screen, sets his feet, and bangs one home:
Lastly, he shows off his catch and shoot ability and puts it through the bucket:
These are just three of the countless threes he made in the video.
Although the Gophers finished the season ranked 6th in the Big Ten in 3-point percentage, 57th in the NCAA, the addition of Mutaf should push that percentage up towards the best in the country.
Can you imagine Gabe Kalscheur, who was number one in the Big Ten in 3-pointers made, and Mutaf on the wings together? Seems too good to be true for this Minnesota Sports Fan.
Passing
Another thing that sticks out when watching Mutaf? His passing ability. Letโs recap some of those passes.
First, he grabs the rebound, goes coast-to coast, gets the defense to commit to him, and throws a behind the back pass right to his teammate for a make:
Another time he spits the defense, drives the lane, and right when you think heโs stuck, kicks it out to the open man:
Finally, Mutaf grabs another rebound, goes coast-to-coast again, and then passes it to his teammate on the other side of the lane for a layup:
The passes Mutaf made above will allow Marcus Carr (if he returns to school) to play off the ball more often, making the defense decide who they want to take away. This will help the offense run more effectively.
IQ
Mutaf shows an incredible amount of IQ in this video also. Although weโre only watching the good highlights of Mutaf, it seems that heโs always making the right play. Hereโs a couple examples:
While Mutaf is running the point, he sees his teammate rolling off a pick and lobs a perfect pass for an easy lay-up:
Another example is when one of his teammates is driving the lane, Mutaf moves into the corner to allow for an easier passing angle. Although slight, it was a smart play:
From his passing and shooting ability, Mutaf resembles a young Amir Coffey; he can shoot the ball, pass with ease, and has an excellent feel for the game.
All these elements make him an excellent pick-up for Richard Pitino and company.
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