The Gopher men’s basketball team might be landing a coveted guard as part of the 2020 recruiting class.
Jamal Mashburn Jr., a Miami, Florida, native who is the son of former NBA star Jamal Mashburn, will decide Oct. 14 between the Gophers and the University of California, according to Marcus Fuller of the Star Tribune.
#Gophers four-star 2020 target Jamal Mashburn Jr. will be making his decision between Cal and Minnesota on Oct. 14, he said today. Mashburn's official visit with the U went "very well" last weekend. @BrewsterHoops
— Marcus R. Fuller (@Marcus_R_Fuller) October 9, 2019
Jerry Meyer of 247 Sports gives the Gophers a 92% chance of landing the 6-foot guard, who 247 Sports rates as the 88th-best 2020 recruit in the country. Here’s how 247 Sports evaluates Mashburn.
“Plays with great strength and controls space. Doesn’t have great length for a combo-guard type. Not a high riser, but a powerful two-foot jumper in traffic when scoring. More of a scorer than distributor. Great at creating space off the dribble and scoring. Should develop into a capable rebounder and defender.”
The Gophers’ 2020 recruiting class has just one commit so far in Chicago power forward Martice Mitchell, a 3-star recruit.
Last season, the Gophers finished 22-14 overall and 9-11 in a rugged Big Ten before upsetting Louisville in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
The 2019-20 Gophers will be a younger team for head coach Richard Pitino, with eight underclassman on the roster.
Minnesota opens the season with an exhibition game against Southwest Minnesota State on Oct. 28.
