@TiptonEdits pic.twitter.com/Rxbpu6hAss

— Kerwin Walton (@K_Walton24) April 27, 2020

After a drawn-out and drama-filled recruitment, local Hopkins star Kerwin Walton committed to the University of North Carolina this weekend. Though his leaving surprises nobody, staying home and playing for the maroon and gold really did seem like a legitimate option until the very end. Had his dad not omitted the Gophers from a final list a few weeks ago, when he spoke with 247Sports.com (Kerwin announced his own list, that included the Gophers, the next day), you might have convinced me he’d dawn a Gophers jersey next season.

Minnesota had 5 high school seniors this year, that 247 Sports ranked as 4-star recruits (or better), and Richard landed 0 of them. He’s now 0 for his last 8, after going 0 for 3 in that same category, for 2019. In 2018. he landed Oturu, Kalscheur and Omersa.

While Richard Pitino may be one of the worst in-state recruiters in the country, his transfer market game is one of the best and this spring cycle has been his best. That’s why I wrote about how a rule change for NCAA transfers would benefit him more than others.

Pitino started his spring by locking down Liam Robbins of Drake, who many experts had as the best transfer to hit the market all offseason. He isn’t currently eligible to play next year, but between waivers for COVID-19 and rules changing, I expect most (if not all) transfers to be eligible for next year one way or another.

Liam Robbins is only one of three transfers to join the Gophers this Spring. Pitino has also added Brandon Johnson, a 6-8 big man from Western Michigan. Both of those guys could contribute in big ways next season, especially with Oturu leaving and Eric Curry’s status still uncertain, given his injury history.

It was clear that Pitino had a backup plan ready to roll when Walton committed to North Carolina. It was Drew Peterson, who played his Sophomore season last year at Rice. If you’re still in the dumps over Kerwin’s departure, Peterson’s highlight tape will make you feel better.

He’s a 6-8 wing who looks smooth with his handles, his shot, and just ultra-confident in his game, as a whole. I love his shiftiness for his size, and quick first step. If he can put some weight on, and Pitino can carral him in a more-structured system, the sky is the limit.

On the season, Peterson averaged a rangy boxscore that really got me excited. If he can bring anything close to 11 PTS, 6 REB and 3 AST while playing in the Big Ten, he’d be a huge addition. I think he can, too.

Watching back his film, I feel like the unstructured isolation-style offense that Rice plays, hindered Drew’s game. Once dropped in Pitino’s system, where he will be forced to take better shots and play more controlled, he seems like someone who’s analytics will improve, especially his shooting percentages and turnovers.

Like Liam Robbins, Peterson isn’t eligible to play currently. He would have to sit a year, due to current transfer rules. Also like Liam Robbins, however, I don’t expect that to be a problem. Pitino must be banking on that too because he’s in big trouble without those two eligible for 2020.

He would go from a team that finally has legitimate depth at all positions… back to a talented group front line group that will prove to lack the depth necessary to win consistently in the Big Ten.

With all of this talk about transfers, though. Let’s not forget about the biggest newcomer for Richard Pitino… and that’s (PG) Jamal Mashburn Jr, who will backup Marcus Carr for a year (as long as he doesn’t go pro) before being handed the keys, full-time.

You should be very excited about Mashburn Jr.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

“The schools that stand out right now are Arizona, North Carolina, Vanderbilt, Georgetown and Creighton, “ Kerwin Walton Sr. said. “With Arizona there is a level of comfort because of how they have recruited Kerwin and when you see how they recruited and told Zeke how he would play and that all came to fruition. Now, Kerwin plays a different position but that certainly bodes well for Arizona.

Arizona was at the very front for awhile but now competition has certainly emerged from North Carolina and Creighton then you have some other schools like Georgetown and Vanderbilt that are in the mix.”

Kerwin Walton Sr. Via 247Sports.com (Michael Luke)

These comments were made by Kerwin Walton Sr., on Friday, in an interview with 247Sports.com. He is the father of Kerwin Walton, who is graduating from Hopkins High School, and happens to be one of the best basketball players in the country (see below). The quotes are absolutely mind-blowing, if you are paying any attention to what is happening behind the scenes of NCAA Basketball right now.

In fact, if you have an HBO subscription tomorrow night, you’ll be able to see just how incredibly oblivious Kerwin Walton’s dad is. A bomb could be dropped on Sean Miller (Arizona Head Coach) and all of college basketball…

Ok, ok, I have plenty more on “The Scheme” shortly. Much more… For those of you who aren’t familiar with Kerwin Walton, let me give you a quick refresher course:

As stated earlier, Walton was a senior guard at Hopkins High School here in the Twin Cities, this last season (before we entered this alternate reality), and he’s really really really good. He’s blossomed into a stud… and holy F (censored for the kids)… can he shoot the fucking basketball.

He visited for about ten different free games at The Barn and had a lot of Minnesotans excited about the possibility of staying home… but if you are still holding your breath for that, hopefully you’re closing your eyes while reading this.

Alright, now that the noobs (did I do that right?) are caught up on Kerwin Walton, let’s get back to his dad’s comments that opened this blog. Walton Sr. made these comments on 3/27 (Friday).

“With Arizona there is a level of comfort because of how they have recruited Kerwin and when you see how they recruited and told Zeke how he would play and that all came to fruition.”

That quote from Walton’s dad will haunt my dreams at night. Anybody who goes to Arizona, the only level of comfort they are looking for, is comfort that pads their pocket book. The craziest part… it’s not even a question anymore. Quotes from this HBO documentary have already leaked. All you a have to do is “Google it”.

This doc centers around a man named Christian Dawkins, who was a “runner” for some NBA Agent. There are never-before-heard Federal wire taps that are in this documentary and a story out of ESPN, written on March 17, has the transcript of one between Dawkins and former Arizona assistant, Emanuel “Book” Richardson.

In one of the calls, former Arizona assistant Emanuel “Book” Richardson and Dawkins discuss trying to recruit former Wildcats center Deandre Ayton as a client for Dawkins’ management company. Portions of the call were played to the jury during Dawkins’ second criminal trial, in which he was accused of bribing Richardson and two other coaches.

“Book was loyal to Sean,” Dawkins said in the film. “Arizona was definitely more open to getting some s— done.”

“But see, your boy [Miller] promised that he was gonna let [us] work on that deal,” Dawkins told Richardson during the call. “So we’ll see how Sean plays it out. You know what I’m saying? We’ll see if he’s a man of his word. ‘Cause he brought it up to me.”

“Yeah, ’cause he need help,” Richardson responded. “You know what he doing per month? I told you. Ten.”

“Yeah, that’s what I’m saying,” Dawkins said. “He’s putting up some real money for them [players]. He told me he’s getting killed.”

When Kondelis asked Dawkins about his conversation with Richardson, Dawkins said, “I’m being told that Sean is the one financing the Deandre Ayton situation.”

ESPN.com – Mark Schlabach

We have no idea what goes on behind closed doors of high-level college recruiting in football and basketball. I have a feeling many would be absolutely embarrassed, if we did.

It’s been the worst-kept secret for a long time because it’s just easier to ignore things that are going to turn your world upside down, than it is to do the right thing.

The right thing, is paying players their cut of all the money that is going around college athletics. It starts with names and likeness (coming soon) and it eventually ends with a cut of everything going to players, just like professional leagues. What that does for the “amateur status” of NCAA athletes…. I don’t care.

As we will all see tomorrow night, these guys are already getting paid anyway. It’s just not a fair amount and it’s shady as fuck.

Prosecutors previously had played at trial the call in which Richardson said Miller was paying $10,000 a month for Ayton.

Miller has denied paying Ayton, who was the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NBA draft, or any other player to sign with Arizona.

“I never have, and I never will,” Miller said during a news conference in March 2018.

When Kondelis asked Dawkins about Miller’s comments from that news conference, Dawkins said, “When Sean Miller had his press conference, I literally thought of Book, and I was like, ‘S—, I mean Sean should have his own like movie agent or a manager, like he should be an actor. That was a very high-level … I was convinced, honestly.”

ESPN.com – Mark Schlabach

I don’t know how you could even think about sending your kid to Arizona right now, with a guilt-free conscience. Sean Miller is a piece of shit and it’s not because he’s paying his players.

Players in college basketball should get paid, just like anyone that is providing a service to someone in a public way. But instead of being pioneers of change and really standing up for their players, guys like Miller take the easy way out.

Instead of changing a broken system, they take advantage of it. If Miller, Coach K., and Roy Williams went to the NCAA, with real change… then real change would happen and kids would get paychecks that actually reflect more of what they deserve. $10,000/month is pennies on the dollar, compared to what these top recruits would get in the free market, should it leave the underground.

There are taps recorded between Dawkins and Miller, himself too. They’re just as incriminating. You can finish those over at the ESPN story. I’m going to keep racking my brain for LEGITIMATE reasons why anyone would send their kid to the University of Arizona right now…

via GIPHY

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Also expected in the house tonight for #Gophers-Maryland: Hopkins senior and top Gophers recruiting target Kerwin Walton.

An aside: Can’t believe he’s not in the final five for Mr. Basketball. https://t.co/ilEy27EHbX

— Darren Wolfson (@DWolfsonKSTP) February 26, 2020

Tonight is massive on so many levels, Minnesota Gopher Fam! We have a dozen or so NBA scouts on hand to watch Daniel Oturu and others show off their talent.

Dan is being floated as a 1st round pick recently, should he decide to make the NBA jump after his Sophomore season. Some would call him crazy if he doesn’t but Richard has talked about how much Dan loves the college life… so we’ll see. Either way, in today’s basketball world, this is the shit you are going to deal with if you bring in top-level kids, and then raise them properly. You need to be able to retool.

Marcus Carr is someone scouts are probably keeping one eye on too, given they are already in the building.

On the Maryland side, Jalen Smith is another big man who is currently projected to go in the 1st round of most NBA mock drafts. He likes to bang down low just like Oturu so we’ll get to see a lot of those two battling for their future draft status. There is no way Pitino lets Smith go to work vs Alihan Demir.

Richard Pitino can’t worry too much about who is there to take Daniel from him. He is hoping his future is there watching too. His biggest target still available for the 2020 recruiting class, Kerwin Walton, will also be on hand, (via Darren Wolfson of SKOR North and KSTP above).

Walton is a top-100 (247Sports) standout guard at Hopkins High School, here in the Twin Cities, and is one of the best of 2020 who still remains undecided. He has all of the blue bloods, who haven’t already filled up their classes, hot on his tail next fighting next to Richard Pitino. Those schools include Arizona, North Carolina, Ohio State and Iowa State.

Per @DWolfsonKSTP, Kerwin Walton (4-star | Hopkins) will be in attendance tonight for #Gophers vs Terrapins. Getting Walton would be massive but Pitino’s definitely not the only one who wants him…. https://t.co/A8skkKHrxB pic.twitter.com/qQbhMQ7yjH

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) February 26, 2020

I posted a blog last night, on how this game could be Richard Pitino’s last stand opportunity, for both the 2020 NCAA Tournament and his long-term future in Minnesota. I had a lot of push back from readers who said the Gophers have no chance of winning this game.

If you are one of those people, then you should head to one of many betting sites available on the world wide web or hop the border to Iowa, so you can get rich quick, because Vegas disagrees with you.

The Gophers are favored over the Terrapins tonight… yes, the #9-ranked nationally, Maryland Terrapins are projected to lose tonight vs the inconsistent Gophers, in a game we need to win if we are going to be dancing in March.

If you are a Gopher basketball fan and you can’t get hard for this game… then you need to see a doctor or find a phone number that might help with your erection problem…

It’s a big time game in February at The Barn! LFG!

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

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Hopkins Vs Shakopee: Part 3 Breakdown Tip-off Classic | PART 1 | PART 2 |

On December 7, 2019 Breakdown USA hosted the first of many High School Boys Basketball events for the 2019-20 season. Pairing high-caliber opponents vs one another has been a staple of Breakdown events and this event was no different. In part 1 of this series, I documented the insane 44-3 run by St Cloud Apollo to lead them over Cambridge-Isanti, and in part 2, I broke down how Cretin-Derham Hall shut down Minnehaha Academy, who just beat Bronny James and Co. (Sierra Canyon – CA). Now in part 3, we look at Hopkins and Shakopee, a game Shakopee won 85-82 behind four future D2 scholarship players.

Hopkins is a well-documented super power of Boys and Girls 4A Basketball in Minnesota. Lots of the “who’s who” have played at Hopkins and gone on to bigger and better things. Kerwin Walton may as well be the next one. The six-foot, five-inch shooting guard blew up on the Adidas Gauntlet series this summer and has numerous colleges after him including Minnesota.

Walton’s summer has carried over into the season. In this game vs Shakopee, Walton went for 23 points, and the previous game he gave Park Center more than they could handle, with 32. On the season, he’s averaging 24 now for a Hopkins team that is 8-2 after starting the year 1-2.

2020 Senior Osseo transfer Cornell Richardson contributed 17 points for Hopkins while 2021 Junior Andre Gray helped with 8, and Regan Merritt and Tristan Lee helped with 11 each.

Shakopee is led by a troop of 2020 Seniors including recent Jamestown committed guard Will Cordes. Cordes led Shakopee in scoring for this game but it could easily have been Caleb Druvenga who had 21, Charlie Katona who had 11, or Aaron Bosley, who had 12. Then Shakopee got 10 out of the Sophomore in a sea of Seniors, Nick Katona.

Cordes this week committed to the North Dakota located D2 school, Jamestown, ande really got people’s attention this Summer playing with the MN Matrix. While running the Matrix AAU offense, colleges took notice of his skill. The Senior Katona has been playing for the Top MN Fury since as early as 15U. He was offered by UMD in the early Spring of 2019 and accepted in August. Druvenga and Bosley are still awaiting there’s.

The game was a battle of back and fourths and mini runs. Not one team could separate from the other. Any lead taken was soon closed. Late when Shakopee was holding a lead of 3, Walton made a 2, to cut the lead to one. Cordes then quickly followed with an assist to the cutting Druvenga, which pushed the lead back to three. The following possession, Walton hit a 3 to tie…. Shakopee managed to get the game to 85-82 for one last possession and Walton finally missed and the buzzer sounded.

Shakopee wins.

Ryan Schmidt | Minnesota Sports Fan

December 17th, 2019 at the Lindbergh Center in Hopkins, the #1 and #5 overall prospects in Minnesota (via 247Sports) faced off. Jalen Suggs, (#1 in Minnesota — #10 nationally) of Minnehaha Academy played Kerwin Walton of Hopkins (#5 in Minnesota, #94 nationally).

Foul trouble was a problem early for both stars. Hopkins decided to sit Walton in the first half, while time caught up with his foul count. Minnehaha decided to play Jalen most of the half, with two fouls. That means Walton scored just two points while Suggs subbed out for small amounts, but scored 15 in the first half on his way to a game high 41.

While Walton sat, Jaelen Treml went to work for Hopkins. He scored 23 points off the bench, and carried Hopkins, with Walton sitting. The 2021 guard is ranked 19th by PrepHoops.com and is a promising Junior.

Hopkins also got contributions from Senior transfer from Osseo Cornell Richardson (11 pts), an impressive dunk from promising prospect Andre Gray (8th overall Minnesota), and Elvis Nnaji (Zeke’s younger brother) contributed 7 points and 6 rebounds.

Minnehaha, missing #4 National 2021 prospect Chet Holmgren, got a good contribution from Isaiah Davis, 15 points but promising 2022 prospect Prince Aligbe had just 9 points, and shooter Donovan Smith had 7.

Minnehaha Academy got a star game from start to (almost) finish, from Suggs. He fouled out early in OT, but not before that he poured in 41 points and grabbed more than 10 boards. Suggs scored in numerous ways, pull-up 3’s, a ridiculous dunk that sent the crowd into a frenzy, a tip dunk, and the James Harden way of getting lots of points without the clock moving, FREE THROWS. He missed the shot at the end of the 4th though, with the game tied, and a chance to send Hopkins home with a loss in regulation, before fouling out early in OT.

Walton came alive in the 2nd half and showed off his impressive shooting stroke, that has all the big schools all over the country coming for him. He hit multiple 3’s, and drove past Prince Aligbe for a thundering slam. Walton was the catalyst that brought Hopkins, who trailed by as much as 10, back; and pushed his team to an OT victory, despite sitting most of the first half with foul trouble.

Ryan Schmidt | Minnesota Sports Fan