Minnesota guard on the rise

As a sophomore, four-star shooting guard [db Trent Jr.]Gary Trent Jr.[/db] had a big season. This spring, he's raised his game even higher while competing in Nike's Elite Youth Basketball League with the Minneapolis-based Howard Pulley Panthers.

During the high school season at Apple Valley (Minn.) High, Trent averaged just over 21 points a game while making 43 percent of his three-point shots. Playing against elite competition in the EYBL, Trent is averaging 23.9 points per game. In four games over the weekend in Houston, Trent raised those numbers to 30.5 points per game while making 19-of-35 of his threes.

When asked if the weekend was a success, the No. 45 player in 2017 had mixed emotions after his team went 2-2.

"You could say that it was (successful) but we came down to Houston to go 4-0 and we didn't," Trent told Rivals.com. "I'm kind of mad about that. But as for me, I think I played pretty well the whole weekend."

Strong and tough, Trent is pushing 6-foot-5 with a sturdy 185-pound frame. He's always had a dangerous pull-up jump shot, but he's really dialed in from beyond the three-point line, shooting 43 percent from deep during the high school season and spring.

"I'm just finding a groove and getting repetition," Trent said. "I work on that every day in the gym. When it comes time to produce you have to show what you've been working on in the gym and that's what I've been doing."

His father, Gary, played nine seasons in the NBA as a slightly undersized but extremely athletic and physically punishing power forward. While he didn't inherit his father's size, Gary Jr. is developing a low post game. He thanks his father for that and teaching him to play a well-rounded game.

"He's given me my whole basketball game really," said Trent. "He says to be good you have to be able to score from all three levels. That's the post, the mid-range and the three-point line.

"Now I'm just trying to finish out games and dig deeper inside myself mentally to help my team win."

So far, Trent has attracted offers from Michigan State, Ohio State, Minnesota, Texas Tech, Alabama and Providence. Kentucky watched Trent play recently and Duke has also been in touch with his coaches. There's little doubt that many more will be in touch but Trent is in no hurry to make a decision.

He hasn't noticed much of a difference in the way different programs have approached his recruitment.

"It's about the same all around," Trent said. "I'm going to take my time with it. I'm just embracing the whole process and everything that goes along with it."