And we’re back! I know all of you were just dying without your weekly aMAILiaBAG for a month there. How did you even survive without it, you might wonder. Personally, I survived by getting out of dodge for a little while – which I will be doing in doses this summer – and doing all the things I wasn’t able to do during the season, like plow through the last year of movies (there were some good ones!) and of course get outside and pick up the abandoned search for Bigfoot (I see nothing has been accomplished during my hiatus).

The summer naturally brings a slower time of year for hoops news, so if you haven’t noticed already, I won’t be posting nearly as frequently. I promise I will publish anything newsy in this space, but if you’re not seeing a lot of activity in a particular week, well, you can put the dots together.

However, I would like to improve my off-season presence in any way I can. I’ll stick with occasional mailbags as long as I’m getting questions. And on that note, I’d love to hear any feedback you have from this past year on the blog. What did you like? What didn’t you like? What would you like to see more of? Less of? What’s your opinion of Bigfoot? (Trick question. I will only listen if I agree.) As a reminder, you can email me at amelia.rayno@startribune.com. Thanks for reading!

Now onto the questions:

(Your questions in bold; my responses in regular type)

Seems like Gophs offering lots of guys. Will [Richard Pitino] have scholarships if any of big three want to come? Is he conceding they won't?

@cnagl

New coach Richard Pitino and his staff have offered a lot of players – as most coaches do, because the liklihood that all of them are going to choose Minnesota is extremely rare.

What’s more, they have a lot of availabilities right now. With Alvin Ellis and Alex Foster each de-committing (whether by choice or by firm suggestion), the Gophers had four scholarships available for next season. They have now gotten commitments from two guards now (Daquein McNeil and now Dre Mathieu), which means they still have two spots available. Former coach Tubby Smith and staff planned to save at least one of those for the loaded 2014 class, and Pitino might do so as well, but keep in mind that two of the players the Gophers are hard after – Tarik Black and Rakeem Buckles – each only have a single year of eligibility left, meaning that their scholarships would open again after the season. I think it’s unlikely that Minnesota will get both of those players, but even if they got one and, say, another guard, they’d still have an extra opening for 2014 (plus those of Austin Hollins and Maverick Ahanmisi, who will graduate).

If you had to guess ... Who do you see in Pitino’s starting five? Can we expect to see a big role for Charles Buggs this year?

Thanks Amelia

Kent

As of right now, I think there are going to be a lot of preseason competitions going on for spots, which will certainly keep things lively. At this time last year, we pretty much already had the starting five pegged.

There are a couple of ways the Gophers could go, and that decision could be largely impacted by whether Minnesota is able to sign a big man.

(Note: The signing period officially ends on May 15, but graduate players can sign anytime.)

If the Gophers can get Buckles (possible) or Black (less likely), they could throw out a lineup that looks like this:

Andre Hollins
Joe Coleman/ Daquein McNeil/ Wally Ellenson
Austin Hollins
Buckles/ Black
Elliott Eliason

With the players the Gophers currently have, we could see:

Andre Hollins
Joe Coleman/ Daquein McNeil/ Wally Ellenson
Austin Hollins
Charles Buggs
Elliott Eliason

Or even a lineup with four perimeter players, like this:

Andre Hollins
Daquein McNeil
Austin Hollins
Joe Coleman
Elliott Eliason

Really, I think that the only real locks for spots are Andre Hollins and Austin Hollins. I think that despite the fact that the Gophers have signed two point guards in McNeil and Mathieu, Andre Hollins will still start at point, at least for now. There’s a chance one of those guys could earn the spot enough in the preseason, allowing the Gophers to take Hollins off the ball (where he’s best, IMHO), but for now, I think the rising junior still offers the best option at that position.

Eliason is most likely playing at center simply because the Gophers don’t have many options there. Mo Walker is in the picture as well, but he needs to do some serious conditioning before we talk about a major role for him. If he gets a starting spot, I don’t think it will be at the beginning of the season. Joe Coleman could be a guard that gets the nod, or just as easily become the sixth man – where I think he would thrive. From that standpoint, the other one or two guard spots are totally up for competition. Should be interesting.

Thanks for asst. Info. How do they compare against other Big Ten in both ages and experience?

@rademp1

I wish there was some great database of ages of assistant coaches, but there isn’t, and ages aren’t always reported. I can tell you that if you include Pitino in the conversation, it’s realistically one of the younger staffs in the nation, and relatively raw as well.

Do you think local media attention can be at all helpful in recruiting local kids?

@tafknat

I don’t think it hurts for these kids to see their names in the paper. I don’t think it hurts for them to be reminded that they’re wanted. These local kids for 2014, however, certainly have no shortage of that – not just from Minnesota media, but national media, and different outlets around the country. It’s just part of it.

Hi Amelia: Why do you think Izzo wanted Alvin and Pitino didn’t? Did Richard have too many guys who play Alvin’s position?

John

Well, that argument would be severely stunted by the fact that Pitino is recruiting a lot of guard types. I don’t know for sure that Pitino DIDN’T reach back out to Ellis (remember – Ellis decommitted before Pitino was announced), but while obviously many schools were interested in the wing, it doesn’t mean he was the best player for every program, or every style.

Hi Amelia,

Great job of covering Gopher basketball. With Cameron Forte going to University of Georgia and Rakeem Buckles and Tarik Black taking time to make a final decision, would the Gophers ever consider Jake White from Wichita State? We’re a little “short” on big men, especially at power forward, for next year.

Jim

There’s a possibility that the Gophers would at least talk to White. The Chaska native played just 10.9 minutes a game a season ago, but averaged 3.6 points and 2.9 rebounds with his opportunity. The Gophers definitely could use some brawn for next year, but I haven’t heard about any specific contact with him yet.

Is [Mathieu] a big 'get' for the gophers? Better than what we have?

@doublea0606

Better than what the Gophers have? That’s hard to say. Mathieu isn’t a 5-star recruit (he’s a 3-star), but he also could be helpful to Minnesota. I don’t think Pitino would sign guys just to fill spots – he’s made that plenty clear. Without a true point guard already on the roster, Mathieu could play an important role in backing up Andre Hollins or allowing him to play off the ball more.

#aMAILiaBAG with a new coach, do we expect players to be released from scholarship? I personally don't see Mo a Pitino type player.

Mo Walker will definitely have to get in shape. A source mentioned to the Star Tribune that it seems like, in the early goings, Walker has really bought into Pitino’s new brand and work ethic, which is supposedly pretty darn vigorous. If he works for it, and conditions ruthlessly, he could fit in. If he can’t (he’ll be required), his options would likely be to sit or leave.

The recent signing gives a good indication of the recruiting of the new staff. I question offering to all of these guards, especially if Freeman signs. Don't we want to hold on to as many scholarships as possible for the upcoming "big 3" class? How many guards do we have on team and will that hider the chances of signing a top player next year? Where are all of the big men?
Thoughts
Matt

Where are all the big men? Signed already! Why do you think the entire country is after Tarik Black? It was a bit of a thin year to start with and now, well, we’re in May. It’s going to be a challenge to find the right players to fill those holes. I know Pitino doesn’t want to sign any old big body just because they need one – and right now, the guard search is proving more plentiful.

I don’t think that the Big Three for 2014 would be scared off by a plethora of guards on the Minnesota roster – they know that if they signed with the Gophers, they’d start over anyone.

Should we be getting worried about our big man situation? Seems like Pitino is doing wonderful getting back-court help, but still nothing for the front-court.

Thoughts? Any possibilities?

Greg

It is a little troublesome, I do admit, when you look at what’s still available after the departures of Trevor Mbakwe, Rodney Williams and Andre Ingram. There’s Buggs (no collegiate experience), Walker (a liability to the pace), Eliason (fiery and a tough worker, but limited down low) and that’s about it except for Oto Osenieks, if you want to consider him a “big man.”

The fact is, whether fans want to look at it this way – next year will be a bit of a rebuilding year. Do you put someone on scholarship to fill a hole if he's not the right guy? Probably not. Even if it’s painful to have so few options.

Any news on rakeem buckles?

@okondj08

No – everything on that front is staying pretty hush-hush, and it’s tough to get information since Buckles is technically still at FIU. If the Gophers got him, they’d want him to play immediately, which would require a waiver. There’s a chance those details are being sorted out now. Remember – Buckles wouldn’t be constrained by the signing deadline because he will be a graduate. I wouldn’t be surprised if this does happen.

BONUS BIGFOOT QUESTION

Your thoughts on how accurately Harry and the Hendersons reflects what we know about Sasquatch. #aMAILiaBAG

@RandBallsStu

Yep – it’s pretty much just like that.

The Gophers will play Florida State for a second consecutive season in the Big Ten-ACC Challenge, the conferences announced on Wednesday.

This game is Tuesday, Dec. 3, at Williams Arena. Last year, the Gophers defeated FSU, 77-68 in Tallahassee. The Seminoles lose the two leading scorers from that game -- Michael Snaer and Terrance Shannon -- but return their other three starters. The two schools have met four times overall.

Notre Dame, Pittsburgh and Syracuse join this year's challenge after becoming members of the ACC after last season. That means three ACC teams are left out in 2013-14: Clemson, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.

Here is the full schedule:

Tues., Dec. 3

FSU at Gophers
Indiana at Syracuse
Michigan at Duke
Notre Dame at Iowa
Penn State at Pittsburgh
Illinois at Georgia Tech

Wed., Dec. 4

North Carolina at Michigan State
Maryland at Ohio State
Miami at Nebraska
Wisconsin at Virginia
Boston College at Purdue
Northwestern at NC State
 

JUCO guard Dre Mathieu officially signed his National Letter of Intent with the University of Minnesota on Wednesday, giving new coach Richard Pitino his second recruit for the upcoming 2013-14 season.

Mathieu, a 5-11 guard who spent last season at Central Arizona CC (where he averaged 17.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 6.5 assists a game), has two years of eligibility remaining. He joins Daquein McNeil, who committed in April.

"Deandre is the type of player that fits our style of play, both offensively and defensively," Pitino said in a release. "He is an up-tempo point guard that does just about everything on the court, which was really evident in the numbers he put up last season. He is a great addition to our program.

Prior to his year at Central Arizona, Mathieu, a Knoxville, Tenn. native, walked on at Morehead State and ended up starting the last seven games of the 2011-12 season.

More on Mathieu here.

Gophers target Allerik Freeman has committed to Baylor, his high school coach, Todd Simon, confirmed on Tuesday.

The Findlay Prep shooting guard had originally committed to UCLA but reopened his recruitment after former Bruins coach Ben Howland was fired immediately following the NCAA tournament. Freeman visited Minnesota last weekend along with now-commit Dre Mathieu and Joseph Uchebo, who committed to Pittsburgh Monday.

With new commits Daquein McNeil and Mathieu bolstering an already solid backcourt, it might seem like the Gophers have guards galore -- and maybe, not enough big men, you might be thinking – but the Gophers four available scholarships for 2013-14 (they now have two remaining) have given them the flexibility to collect what new coach Richard Pitino and Co. deem the best players.

The big men corps still available is considerably thinner, but Minnesota has its eye on Tarik Black (Memphis graduate transfer) and Rakeem Buckles (Florida International graduate transfer).

It looks like an official announcement welcoming JUCO Dre Mathieu to the Minnesota hoops family is just around the corner.

He would be new Gophers coach Richard Pitino's second recruit for the 2013-14 season. Daquein McNeil signed with MInnesota two weeks ago.

The 5-11 Mathieu, who visited the Minneapolis campus last weekend, said on Monday via text message that he would be making his decision on Tuesday -- choosing between Minnesota, Ole Miss and Pepperdine, his last three schools after eliminating Memphis. A teammate at Central Arizona, Calvin Bonner, tweeted late Tuesday morning that Mathieu had chosen the Gophers.

#shoutout to my brother @driiiiizzzzzyyy he took over here at Cac now he's going to take over in Minnesota congrats on your commitment bro!!

— Calvin Bonner (@Cal_Bonner) May 7, 2013

The committment would give Minnesota a true point guard and a plethora of options at that position between Andre Hollins, McNeil and Maverick Ahanmisi. 

The Gophers still have two remaining scholarships available for next year.