Payton Willis News - MinnesotaSportsFan https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/tag/payton-willis/ Minnesota sports, but different Tue, 16 Apr 2024 08:56:24 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=32,height=32,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/cropped-cropped-MSF-favicon-1.jpg Payton Willis News - MinnesotaSportsFan https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/tag/payton-willis/ 32 32 Still Undefeated Gophers MBB Ace Toughest Test to Date https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-basketball/still-undefeated-gophers-mbb-ace-toughest-test-to-date/ Sun, 05 Dec 2021 21:38:04 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=37387 The Minnesota Gophers men’s basketball team won yet again on Sunday afternoon, in what was easily their most difficult test of the season, at Mississippi State. Not only were the Bulldogs picked to finish in the top half of the SEC this season, but they came into the matchup with a 6-1 record, beating all of their lesser competition by big margins.

But the Gophers were unfazed. Not only did they go into the south and beat Mississippi in their own gym, but they did it with relative ease. Minnesota jumped out to a 16-2 lead before the Bulldogs realized the game had started. While they didn’t hold that kind of lead throughout, it was Mississippi State who had to scratch and claw just to remain within striking distance.

Gopher clutch gene

Big shot by guys like Payton Willis, Jamison Battle, EJ Stephens and Eric Curry continued to fall whenever they were most needed. Every time the Bulldogs got their own clutch shot to fall, it was to pull them within a possession or two. But the Minnesota Gophers never let Mississippi State get over that hump.

Even after a grand finale comeback that tied the game with less than one minute to play, the maroon and gold answered. When the dust settled, it was a 81-76 Golden Gopher victory.

Tests Get Tougher, Results Stay the Same (so far)

I’ve already written a couple of these blogs on Ben Johnson’s Gophers but each one becomes more impressive. Was it surprising to see them beat Princeton and Western Kentucky on their way to winning the inaugural Asheville Championship? Yes, but it wasn’t anything to get overly excited about.

Now, Minnesota is 7-0 with back to back victories over ACC (Pittsburgh) and SEC teams. Were they the best teams in either of those respective conferences? No, but it was still Power-5 competition and both games were on the road. That’s a feat the first year head coach should be proud of, especially when his team was picked to finish dead-last in the Big Ten this season.

Ben Johnson and his Gophers won’t find a bigger test all season than what their about to face in their next two games vs Michigan and Michigan State.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

]]> Sun, 05 Dec 2021 15:38:53 +0000 Minnesota Gophers Basketball Did We Underestimated Ben Johnson’s New Gophers https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-basketball/did-we-underestimated-ben-johnsons-new-gophers/ Mon, 15 Nov 2021 20:54:12 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=37152 If you were trying to avoid the first season of Ben Johnson’s Minnesota Gophers men’s basketball coaching tenure, I wouldn’t have blamed you. Only one of Richard Pitino’s players stuck around and even he, Isaiah Ihnen, is out for the season with an injury.

One of Johnson’s biggest transfer portal pickups — hometown kid, Parker Fox, who heard from over 100 schools this offseason after dominating D-II basketball for the first two years of his college career — was also lost for the season to a knee injury.

So to fill his 2021-22 squad, Johnson took his time this offseason and eventually gathered an experienced 6-7 man rotation full of transfers who overachieved at smaller schools before landing in maroon and gold.

Most preseason polls picked the new-look, injury-riddled Gophers to finish last place in the 2021-22 Big Ten race. Even the biggest Ben Johnson believers were preparing for a disaster first season.

Maybe not?

Well, three games into the new era and early results have been a pleasant surprise. The Minnesota Gophers are 3-0 and their most recent victory won them the inaugural “Asheville Championship” trophy. Sure, their early competition hasn’t been world class but that doesn’t mean the success isn’t worth our review.

And when we look a little closer, a couple of the victories are somewhat impressive. Minnesota’s first win of the Asheville Championship Tournament came over a Western Kentucky team that was picked to repeat as the Conference USA regular season champion in 2021-22, a team that went 21-8 last year.

Then two nights later, Minnesota defeated an Ivy League Princeton squad who took down Power-five South Carolina the night before. While it’s true we can’t know what this new Gophers team is made of after a few wins against smaller conference opponents, there are still takeaways that could carry over.

Willis & Battle are for real.

Ben Johnson threw together a pretty good front-end roster during the offseason, especially given how quickly he had to do it and what he had to build from. But through three games, two players stick out above the rest.. Both Payton Willis and Jamison Battle have looked head and shoulders better than everyone else on the floor over the weekend.

After leaving Dinkytown for one year, Willis has returned to Minnesota as a Super-Saiyan version of his former basketball self. The Gopher Senior announced his return during Sunday night’s win over Princeton when he took over both overtimes and carried the Gophers to victory, finishing with 29 points, 10 rebounds and 3 steals.

Jamison Battle could be a star.

Johnson’s other huge pickup is hometown boy, (SO) Jamison Battle, who transferred from George Washington in the offseason. The former De LaSalle standout was the best player on the floor for most of his minutes during the Asheville Championship. Battle finished with a similarly impressive stat line to Willis in the final game, finishing with 24 points and 11 rebounds to help defeat the Tigers.

Jamison can hit from everywhere and he’s big enough and skilled enough down low that smaller defenders can’t defend him on the block. He has a very smooth left hand on offense, both from the inside and out.

OT vs Princeton belonged to Payton Willis but the Gophers have mostly gone to Battle whenever they’ve needed a basket. And so far, he’s delivered.

Tests upcoming

Willis and Battle are the only Gophers to average over 15 PPG. Through three games, both actually average 20+ PPG. They’re also shooting over 50% from the field.

  • Jamison Battle: 41 MPG | 20.7 PPG | .512 FG% | .360 3P% | 6.7 RPG | 1.3 SPG
  • Payton Willis: 38.3 MPG | 20.3 PPG | .511 FG% | .474 3P% | 5.7 RPG | 2.3 SPG

We’ll soon know what we have in this new Minnesota Gophers team. They get Pittsburgh in the ACC/B1G Challenge on November 30, followed by Mississippi State, Michigan State and Michigan to start December.

After watching Ben Johnson’s squad for three games, I feel much better about how that stretch might unfold.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

]]> Wed, 17 Nov 2021 09:50:01 +0000 Minnesota Gophers Basketball Payton Willis Returning to Gophers https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-basketball/payton-willis-returning-to-minnesota-gophers-transfer-portal/ Fri, 16 Apr 2021 19:46:52 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=34492

Does the name, “Payton Willis”, ring a bell, Minnesota Gopher basketball fans? It should because Willis isn’t even 365 days removed from leaving the U of M campus. But after one year at the College of Charleston, Willis is coming back the same way he left, via the transfer portal.

Willis started his career at Vanderbilt, averaging just over 5 PPG in during both of his freshman and sophomore seasons. He then transferred to Minnesota, where he started 25 of 28 games, averaging 8.6 points and 36% from deep. Clearly, he had a falling out with Richard Pitino so he transferred to the College of Charleston. While there, bumped his 3PT shooting percentage to 40% and averaged 13.4 PPG.

The Minnesota Gophers roster now consists of 5 transfer portal commitments (Loewe, Battle, Sutherlin, Fox and Willis) and 3 players from the 2021 roster (Ihnen, Johnson, Gach), though Brandon Johnson has entered the NBA Draft process to see what his NBA chances are if he enters.

If Payton Willis can stroke nearly 40% from 3PT as a Gopher in 2021 then he’ll be a huge asset to Ben Johnson’s new squad.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

]]> Thu, 01 Jul 2021 14:31:55 +0000 Minnesota Gophers Basketball Payton Willis Enters Transfer Portal as Pitino Gets Commitment from W. Michigan Grad-Transfer https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-basketball/payton-willis-enters-transfer-portal-as-pitino-gets-commitment-from-w-michigan-grad-transfer/ https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-basketball/payton-willis-enters-transfer-portal-as-pitino-gets-commitment-from-w-michigan-grad-transfer/#respond Thu, 09 Apr 2020 18:08:19 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=23392

It’s been a crazy few days in Minnesota Gopher Basketball land… All of it was positive until this most recent news drop.

This weekend, Richard pinned the top transfer of the season, Liam Robbins (Drake) to his “incoming transfer” board. Then earlier today, he got a commitment from another front-court target, Brandon Johnson (Western Michigan).

Johnson seems like a guy who will demand plenty of minutes at the 4-spot. That’s probably what he was promised too because Brandon had some other legitimate offers he could have jumped at.

Suddenly, the Gopher front-court is looking rather full. I don’t know what these two newcomers mean for the futures of Sam Freeman and Eric Curry…

Johnson’s best tape I could quickly find, comes from his Sophomore season at Western Michigan. There isn’t much available from last season and he was out with a knee injury for most of 2018-19. Directly below this YouTube video, you can see where Stadium’s Jeff Goodman ranks him among immediately eligible transfers (he has him ranked #16).

16) Brandon Johnson, 6-8, 200, F, Jr., Western Michigan

Stats: 15.4 ppg, 8.1 rpg

Scout’s take: “Inside/out guy who has a motor. Can defend BCS size at the four. Shoots 3’s and can score in the post. Is a competitor. Can definitely help a high-major team and carve out a role on a good team.”

● COMMITTED TO MINNESOTA

Jeff Goodman – Stadium.com

Out of nowhere though, Payton Willis just dropped his name into the transfer portal… where did that come from? It’ll be interesting, as we wait for more details on Willis’ decision.

Pitino gave him all of the run he could, through an injury-riddled junior season in maroon and gold, so that can’t be the cause… I’m puzzled on this one, early.

Remember, Willis came to campus after spending one season at Vanderbilt. He was ineligible for 2018-19, before getting back on the court last year. This time, he’ll graduate before transferring and be eligible immediately.

I’ll have my ear to the ground for more.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

]]> https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-basketball/payton-willis-enters-transfer-portal-as-pitino-gets-commitment-from-w-michigan-grad-transfer/feed/ 0 Thu, 01 Jul 2021 14:33:30 +0000 Minnesota Gophers Basketball Pitino Let’s Us in on MAJOR Offensive Changes + an Evaluation on His Very New Roster https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-basketball/pitino-lets-us-in-on-major-offensive-changes-an-evaluation-on-his-very-new-roster/ https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-basketball/pitino-lets-us-in-on-major-offensive-changes-an-evaluation-on-his-very-new-roster/#respond Wed, 31 Jul 2019 12:03:59 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=17172 [et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.26.6″][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.26.6″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.26.6″][et_pb_code _builder_version=”3.26.6″]

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Want to get queasy for a second?  We ranked 300 out of 353 in 3-point shooting percentage last season.  Ranked 64 of the 68 teams in the tournament.  Pretty remarkable.  That has to improve moving forward and it will.  As I said before, we are making some big changes to the offense.  Feel free to tweet me your thoughts during the season.  Especially after losses!

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There are a lot of things I like about Richard Pitino. His regularly updated blog is definitely near the top of my list (so is his Twitter). It’s a good mix of his impressive writing ability, up-front and honest nature, and dry humor. I’m sure he’d love if you called him a good blogger.

In his most recent post earlier this afternoon, Richard brought his best yesterday, when writing his thoughts on the status of his basketball team in all aspects, as they enter the bulk of their summer program which includes a trip to Italy this week, to play some against some international competition. 

It looks like we should expect a pretty major change, offensively… drastic even. That is a major trend in this blog post and that’s good to see. He thinks he will have 4-5 guys on the floor at all times who will have the green light to shoot from distance. It also sounds like he has changed the schematics of his offense to reflect the additional launching from the deep line. The 3-point shooting is literally the first thing he talks about, basketball-wise:

We have had six practices and this team feels totally different.  The goal from an offensive stand point is to have at least four if not five players who can shoot the 3 on the court all the time.  I think this roster has that.  Our three point shooting will be substantially improved.  I have really tinkered with the offense and think it’s been looking good.  It will be fun to see how it all evolves. 

After a few paragraphs, Pitino quickly gets into his roster. Again, he is very open and honest about his evaluations and I have to appreciate that. Here are some of the evals that stuck out to me:

Alihan Demir

Alihan Demir – Has been terrific this summer.  Perfect in our offensive system.  So fundamental.  Great pickup for us by our staff.

Demir is a grad-transfer from Drexel and he’ll be a starter in 2019-20. When he committed to Minnesota for his final season of eligibility, I did some research on his game and quickly found out why Pitino wanted him so badly. He fits Pitino’s offense perfectly. He’s a true point-forward in the half-court and passes like a Divac-style European big man down low. His passing highlights in the lane are impressive.

It’s not just passing that he does well offensively, though. Don’t forget about Pitino’s 3-pt blog theme because Alihan can do that too. I’d imagine that a big part of the offensive change coming, involves that power-forward spot. Last year, Jordan Murphy caught the ball a lot around the 3-pt line in pick-and-pop’s on the wing and at the top of the key, as the swing-man in the regular offense. He didn’t shoot from deep often (or very successfully) so teams were giving him 5-8 ft. of space to launch (which he rarely did), clogging up the lane for Pitino’s high/low post offense. They won’t be giving Demir that room.

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Marcus Carr | Payton Willis

Marcus Carr – Tough!  Has terrific leadership qualities for a sophomore.  Should be a major factor on our roster this year.  Doesn’t care where he plays.  Just wants to win!

Payton Willis – Has been so solid across the board this summer.  Multi-positional.  Can really shoot!  Lives in the gym.  Love his work ethic. 

These two combo guards will also be MAJOR factors in the offense this season. You can tell that Pitino is excited about both of these two and a lot of things that they will bring both on and off the floor. Both can play different positions and both look like they have great work ethics. I haven’t watched practice or spoken with anyone but, going into this offseason, I thought we would see Carr starting and Willis coming off of the bench. We’ll see…

Tre Williams

Tre’ Williams – Very impressive summer so far.  Makes tough shots!  Can’t believe how underrated he was in high school.  Plays with great confidence.  Good size and skill. 

Tre is another kid who can play multiple positions and has good size. That will be apparent this season too. The Gophers are going to be pretty lengthy from top to bottom, comparatively speaking to positions. Guards will definitely be able to matchup size-wise with the biggest in the Big Ten.

Beyond more size and athleticism, you can tell that Pitino thinks he might have gotten a bit of a steal with Williams. That’s interesting because it’s not Tre was a walk-on. He was ranked as a very high 3-star prospect by 247 Sports. So, either Pitino is forgetting what kind of prospect Tre was, or he is really seeing something special early-on, with the Freshman.

Final Notes:

Alright, I have a lot more that excited me about this offseason update by Pitino but I’ve already written too many words in this blog so I’ll just end with some quick notes. DO NOT forget about Gabe Kalscheur. Pitino mentions more good things about his game, his offseason, and his improvements. Daniel Oturu‘s main focus has been expanding his game without the ball. They’ve been experimenting with his 3-pt shooting but Pitino seems worried about him liking it too much.

And, Jarvis Omersa…. I’m not worried about Jarvis, but Pitino’s blip about him made me slightly nervous AND made me feel more solid about Pitino’s honesty about the rest of his evaluations…

Jarvis Omersa – Needs to make a huge jump this summer and fall.  Got a lot out of that Michigan State game at the end of the year.  Sky’s the limit if he lives in the gym.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

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]]> https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-basketball/pitino-lets-us-in-on-major-offensive-changes-an-evaluation-on-his-very-new-roster/feed/ 0 Thu, 01 Jul 2021 14:34:14 +0000 Minnesota Gophers Basketball Richard Pitino Lands Coveted Transfer Player and Respected Assistant Coach in Same Day https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-basketball/richard-pitino-lands-coveted-transfer-player-and-respected-assistant-coach-in-same-day/ https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-basketball/richard-pitino-lands-coveted-transfer-player-and-respected-assistant-coach-in-same-day/#respond Tue, 08 May 2018 01:06:56 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=9505

When it comes to the Gophers Men’s basketball team, ya’ll know what time it is!

Minnesota’s male hoopers had high expectations as they entered 2017-18 and the program looked to be on the rise. That was until an F-5 tornado of injuries and sexual assault allegations torpedoed all of those hopes and dreams. High expectations quickly turned to program-lows that reminded all of us of a 2015-16 season that put Pitino in the record books as coaching the losingest team in the program’s history. When the Maroon and Gold’s most recent season was all said and done, it wasn’t quite 2015-16 bad. But it felt pretty damn close, as Minnesota finished with a piss-poor 4-14 record in Big Ten play (15-17 overall), .

Isn’t there a saying out there where ‘things get worse before they get better’? If not, there is now.

That “keep your head up” mindset was ideal for Richard Pitino as he traveled from the 2017 season into the 2018 offseason. In case you missed it, the 35 year-old coach has lost two of his three assistant coaches and top recruiters to other teams. Panic started to set in at that point because the reason for Ben Johnson and Kimani Young’s departure wasn’t due to a promotion or what some would call positive attrition. Most of what I was seeing around GopherIllustrated.com and elsewhere showed program head coach instability was the reason for Pitino’s suddenly-fleeing right and left-hand men.

Not only that, but with the coaches, went some of the players. Jamir Harris and Davonte Fitzgerald bailed ship. Fitzgerald never fully recovered from his major knee injury that caused him to miss 2016-17 after sitting out a transfer year the season before. Losing Freshman, Jamir Harris, stung a bit more. Harris got a lot of playing time in his first season, mostly due to injuries to his teammates. However, it could certainly be argued that the New York native was the team’s best spot-up shooter, which is likely their weakest position.

The situation was ugly and it was getting difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel. But now, the light may be upon us. Richard Pitino seems to have shown his grit and “never give up” attitude with the news that is dropping currently at the assistant coach position and what we may hear about VERY SOON on the recruiting front.

But, let’s follow the old adage we spoke of earlier. ‘Things will get worse before they get better’. Let’s take a full look at all that was lost in the aftermath of the 2017-18 shit storm:

Departures from 2017-18 team:

Nate Mason:

Reggie Lynch:

Jamir Harris:

Davonte Fitzgerald:

Ben Johnson (assistant coach):

Kimani Young (assistant coach):

Alright, alright…. let’s stop with the negativity and bring it back to where we sit right now. Obviously, some of these additions were on their way before all of these negative departures (outside of outgoing seniors) took place. However, when there is this much movement in a program, nothing is guaranteed. That includes any commitments made by recruits before the assistant coaches, who recruited them, leave. Not with these Minnesotan recruits.

Additions to 2018-19 team:

*Eric Curry (Played ‘16-‘17 before redshirt SO for knee injury):

Incoming Freshman:

Daniel Oturu (C – Cretin-Derham Hall):

Jarvis Omersa (F – Orono):

Gabe Kalscheur (G – DeLaSalle):

Transfers:

Payton Willis (G – Vanderbilt) (will sit 2018-19 due to transfer):

Assistant Coach 1/2:

Rob Jeter (UNLV assistant):

What’s Next???

Ever since Rob Jeter was hired back in early April, news on the Gopher Basketball front has been quiet. Unless you follow the Gophers like I do and have subscriptions to sites like GopherIllustrated.com where you get insider content from the best in the state everyday. Behind the scenes, Richard Pitino & Co. have been ravishing the remaining prospects available for immediate use in the 2018 season, along with those who can help beyond, while also trying to steady the ships with the remaining open Assistant Coaching job.

Well, Pitino may be VERY close to finding everything he is looking for.

Today, we are getting closer and closer to seeing an official announcement that he has found his second assistant coach and it looks like he hit his second homerun. This seems to be all but official

Kyle Lindsted (Wichita State Assistant Coach):

Payton Willis was his first transfer and he’s a great get for Minnesota. But as mentioned above, with a slim 2018 backcourt that is already dealing with the departure of Jamir Harris, guards and shooters are needed IMMEDIATELY. Gabe Kalscheur will make an immediate impact but another big time player is needed and a grad transfer would be perfect.

Enter Brock Stull: Grad-Senior – G/F (UW-Milwaukee):

Stull comes from UW-Milwaukee, which is the same school Akeem Springs hailed from before coming to Minnesota as a grad-transfer. He proved to be a big difference as the team was never the same after he went down with an injury late. Brock would be another huge UW-Milwaukee get for the Gophers, as he is exactly what they are looking for. Everyone important on Twitter seems to believe the same thing.

Not only that, the insider info over at GophersIllustrated has quotes like these from site insider, Ryan James, who got this from a coach familiar with the situation:

“Brock will go to Minnesota if they really want him”.

There is one other transfer to look at and the likelihood he ends up in Minnesota seems to be getting higher and higher as the days go by. He was on campus this weekend and things seem to have gone really well. He would be a MASSIVE get for the Gophers.  Scratch that. As I was typing this, he just committed to the Gophers. He was already averaging 10 points for a power-5 school last year… And the insiders at GopherIlustrated feel like the commitment could be getting closer and closer.:

“Things are really looking very strong now that Carr is on campus. Not sure if any others have jumped in lately but Marcus on campus is huge news.”

“I agree with Ryan here. I think Minnesota has a very good shot at getting Marcus Carr.”

“I also think it could happen in the very near future. By all account he “loved” his visit to Minnesota“

However, like Payton Willis, Carr has to sit 2018-19 out due to the current NCAA transfer rules.

Marcus Carr: Sophomore G (Pittsburgh):

Now, Pitino needs to make sure he lands Stull for 2018 and before making DAMN sure he has a successful season on the court. Although things are beginning to look better than they were a month ago, those assistants still left for a reason. If Little Ricky can’t make a good impression this season, he may not be able to see these recruits blossom.

Let’s remember though; because of the recruiting he’s already done, he has some ammo to work with already.

Eric Strack (@RealMSF_Pres) & Johnny Minnesota (@TheJohnnyMN)
MinnesotaSportsFan.com

]]> https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-basketball/richard-pitino-lands-coveted-transfer-player-and-respected-assistant-coach-in-same-day/feed/ 0 Tue, 16 Apr 2024 03:56:24 +0000 Minnesota Gophers Basketball