Minnesota's Matthew Hurt has UNC, Kansas hot on his trail
The recruiting attention five-star sophomore Matthew Hurt has received is impressive. The Minnesota native holds 18 scholarship offers, which include blue-bloods North Carolina and Kansas as well as Big Ten schools Wisconsin and Minnesota, where he visited last weekend. His older brother, Michael, is a freshman on Richard Pitino’s Minnesota squad.
UNC coach Roy Williams watched Hurt play on Saturday, Jan. 14, flying to Minnesota after the Heels beat Florida State.
Hurt also attended Late Night at the Phog at Kansas in the fall on an unofficial visit to get a feel for the Jayhawks.
After playing on the 17-under level on the adidas Gauntlet last summer and more than holding his own, Hurt is leading the state of Minnesota in scoring this winter. Hurt is averaging 31 points per game while shooting nearly 60 percent from the floor. He is also averaging two three-pointers and double-digit rebounds per game.
IN HIS OWN WORDS
“I think it’s going good so far. I think I have played extremely well,” said Hurt, whose team is 11-3. “I have been scoring the ball, getting my teammates involved and making the right play for my team.”
“It’s been different without my brother. I have adapted to it; just being more of a vocal leader and finding where to go with plays,” Hurt said.
Hurt discussed the schools that are most heavily recruiting him.
Minnesota: “The guys have been really fun to be around and it’s a good environment up there. (Pitino) wants me really bad. Even though he can’t talk to me, he’s been staying in touch with my AAU coaches and my dad.”
Wisconsin: “Their program is good, too. They use my playing style really well: stretching the floor and taking you off the bounce. They use guys like me effectively.”
North Carolina: “It means a lot coming to see me after getting a big win against FSU. It means a lot to me. They’re saying they want me a lot.”
Kansas: “Their program is great. Bill Self gets guys to the NBA which makes for an easy transition for them. I like the environment for where they live off the court. It was a really cool environment. A lot of their fans came out for just a scrimmage.”
WHAT'S NEXT
Hurt has the chance to go down as one of the most prolific scorers in recent time from the Land of 10,000 Lakes. No college decision is expected anytime soon and with Kentucky and Duke now beginning to show interest in the five-star sophomore, expect for Hurt to become one of the most watched prospects this spring and summer running with his local D1 Minnesota travel program.
RIVALS REACTION
Very rarely does one find a guy like Hurt; someone that stands over 6-foot-7 and is just a sophomore in high school, yet has the intellect, feel for the game and developed skillset that is comparable to a sophomore in college. Hurt will likely remain one of the best that his class has to show for itself and in doing so, become a blueblood priority for the best of college programs nationally.
