Minnesota basketball talent on the rise

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The basketball gym at Wayzata High School was packed full Saturday as fans tried to catch a quick glimpse of some of the highest ranked college basketball prospects in the state. 

“It’s just a really fun tournament to play in, in the home state, you know?” said De La Salle Point Guard Tyrell Terry. 

Eyes were on D1 Minnesota basketball, featuring talented players like Terry, Zeke Nnaji, Patrick McCaffrey and Matthew Hurt. Hurt is widely regarded as a top five national recruit. 

“He can do anything,” said head coach Jay Fuhrmann. “He’s such an efficient scorer, he’s a great defender and he protects the rim. But on this team, what makes him even more special, in my eyes, is that he’s a willing passer so he makes his teammates better and to me that’s how you become a super star.” 

Hurt will likely have his pick of some of the best college programs in the country, but he’s in no rush to make a decision. 

“It’s tough for me because you only get to pick one school and there’s a lot of colleges that want me out there and you only got to pick one so it’s really tough right now,” Hurt said. 

Several of the young athletes are being recruited to play Division 1 basketball. They’re happy to see local talent being recognized on a national scale. 

“We’ve been underrated for so long so everyone is just trying to prove themselves and show them that Minnesota produces just as good of talent as everyone else,” said Nnaji. 

“Minnesota basketball is definitely on the rise,” Terry said “In 2018 you saw a lot of Division 1 prospects.”