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Big Ten Basketball: 5 bold predictions for 2020-21 season

By Trevor Sinodhinos

COLLEGE PARK, MD - JANUARY 28: The Big Ten logo on the basketball court at the Xfinity Center on January 28, 2018 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Maryland Terrapins/Getty Images)
COLLEGE PARK, MD - JANUARY 28: The Big Ten logo on the basketball court at the Xfinity Center on January 28, 2018 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Maryland Terrapins/Getty Images) /
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MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – JANUARY 04: Chet Holmgren #34 of Minnehaha Academy Red Hawks (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – JANUARY 04: Chet Holmgren #34 of Minnehaha Academy Red Hawks (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) /

Chet Holmgren commits to the Golden Gophers

The Big Ten may be home to national contenders like Michigan State, Wisconsin, and Michigan, but you will not be getting any bold takes about them in this article. You will however get at least two takes about the Minnesota Golden Gophers. This one, in particular, is about Minneapolis native and No.1 ranked 2021 class recruit by ESPN, Chet Holmgren committing to the Golden Gophers.

Unfortunately for Richard Pitino, the decision by the 7-foot center to stay in-state to attend University has nothing to do with him and will do nothing in terms of saving his job. In June Holmgren cut his list to seven teams, and only managed to visit the campus’ of Gonzaga and Ohio State prior to the global pandemic halting additional trips.

Whether he gets to visit Georgetown, North Carolina, Michigan, and Memphis in person or not, he does not require an office visit to get a feel for Minnesota’s campus. Holmgren attended Minnehaha Academy which is just an eight-minute drive to the Minnesota campus. In addition, Holmgren’s father totaled 306 minutes over four years playing for the Golden Gophers between 1984 and 1988.

The importance of family is also not lost on the youngster as is indicated by a tweet on Sept. 7, 2020, to address his absence on the AAU circuit.

"My 96-year-old grandma lives in the same house as me, as well as my immunodeficient sister. So please stop questioning my heart and hunger to play because you’re ignorant and misinformed."

With Gonzaga being over 1,200 miles from home and committing to a rival Big Ten school would be too controversial, look for Holmgren to commit to the Golden Gophers by mid-January, and quickly become the hometown hero.

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