Many recruits, once their official visits are completed, sit back and mull their options, compare their choices, take some time to think about one of the biggest decisions of their lives.
For Seattle power forward, Josh Martin, it wasn't so complicated.
After his officials were over, on Sunday night, he just knew.
"It was an easy decision in my mind," Martin said, shortly before officially announcing his choice to play for the Gophers in 2014 on Twitter. "It was actually not as hard as most people think. It was hard to evaluate and whatnot, but when I was down there, everything just clicked."
Martin, who has become a fan favorite already, is the Gophers' first recruit for the 2014 class.
"I hope they are [excited]," he said. "I'm going to try to be the first big recruit in the Pitino era."
The 6-8 Martin had also been seriously considering Florida State and Pittsburgh -- where he was this past weekend -- but his Gophers experienced topped his other choices.
"I just felt the best connection when I was down in Minnesota, which made the decision a little less strenuous.I kind of had it in my mind when I left Minnesota that I wanted to go to Minnesota, but I defiitely wanted to make sure that it was the right decision. It was right when I came back from Pittsburgh that I was like 'Yeah, I'm feeling Minnesota the most.'
Gophers target Riley LaChance was at Minnesota with Martin for his official on the same weekend. Martin said he would love to make it a package deal.
"We definitely talked," he said. "I texted him a couple of times, but I'm not the kind of guy who is going to put pressure on somebody else. I want him to make his decision and I don't want to try to influence him to make a decision that he doesn't want to make.
"I'm definitely asking him, saying 'Hey, this would be a great school for you and I' but I'm telling him at the same time, it's his decision. I don't want to put it in his brain that I'm trying to get him to choose Minnesota over any other school."
Marcus Fuller joined the Star Tribune in 2016 after 11 years covering Gophers sports – and just about every other team and league in town -- for the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Before making the Twin Cities his home, Marcus spent two years in The Kansas City Star sports department. Marcus grew up in Hawaii and is a 2002 graduate of San Jose State. Follow Fuller on Twitter @Marcus_R_Fuller.
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