The Gophers moved one step closer to signing their second 2010 recruit, when the team hosted Tennessee prep Austin Hollins, a 6-4, 170-pound wing, over the weekend.
Hollins, son of Memphis Grizzlies head coach Lionel Hollins, toured the Twin Cities, watched the Cal-Minnesota battle at TCF Bank Stadium Saturday and met players and coaches. He said he enjoyed the overall experience and still has Minnesota at the top of his list, which also includes Arkansas and Memphis.
Hollins, who averaged nearly 16 points for Germantown High School in Germantown, Tenn., last season, also said that he might not take any more visits, a possible sign that a commitment will come soon.
"It was just as good as I would've pictured it," Hollins said Monday. "[The Gophers] still stand No. 1 on my list. I don't know if I'm going to take any more visits."
Hollins added: "It was a lot of fun. I had a good time. They showed me a good time."
-Minnesota head coach Tubby Smith will join four other Division I head coaches, Sen. Al Franken, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and cancer survivors in Washington, D.C., to rally for health care reform. Penn State's Ed DeChellis, Clemson's Oliver Purnell, Notre Dame's Mike Brey and Georgetown's John Thompson III are the other four Division I basketball coaches participating in the rally, sponsored by American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network.
-Maryland signed Gary Williams to a one-year contract extension Monday, giving him a deal through 2013. Why is that significant? Because it's a sign that Maryland officials have more confidence in Williams and won't come after Smith in the near future. But it's college basketball. So, you never know.
-The NCAA announced Final Four hosts for 2011 (Reliant Stadium in Houston), 2012 (Superdome in New Orleans) and 2013 (Georgia Dome in Atlanta) Monday.
