NCAA Basketball: Pros and cons of top 7 schools for No. 1 recruit Chet Holmgren

Where will Chet Holmgren land? That is the question. The five-star NCAA Basketball recruit is the No. 1 player in the 2021 class, the center position, and his home state of Minnesota. Holmgren announced his top seven schools back in June, and it’s Big Ten heavy.

The Michigan Wolverines, Minnesota Golden Gophers, Ohio State Buckeyes, Gonzaga Bulldogs, Georgetown Hoyas, Memphis Tigers, and North Carolina Tarheels are vying for his services. While this is a solid list, Holmgren has seven crystal ball predictions linking him to the Bulldogs.

So what does Holmgren do well? Everything. He’s a threat to score on the fast break or make the pass that leads to it, he can shoot the three-ball efficiently, drive to the basket, and finish with authority. There’s no doubt that his length and size are impressive. He is someone that opposing offenses have to be aware of in the paint.

Holmgren needs to put some weight on. He needs to gain at least 35 – 40 pounds of muscle to deal with the physicality of the college game. That would be my only knock on him.

The seven-foot, 190-pounder from Minneapolis stars for the Minnehaha Academy Red Hawks, who are 6-1 this season and went 26-3 last year. He showcased his talent on ESPN when Team Sizzle faced Emoni Bates’ YPSI Prep. Holmgren made plays all over the court in that game. He finished with 31 points, 12 rebounds, and six blocks in the 78-71 victory.

Mark Few would score another No.1 recruit with Holmgren’s commitment

Pro: Gonzaga has been a dominant program in the nation and the West Coast Conference for quite some time. The Bulldogs are only going to get better. The pro here is that he will learn under Few and soak up all the knowledge that he has. If Drew Timme stays, Holmgren will likely see less playing time compared elsewhere.

Competing against him in practice is only going to make Holmgren better. Gonzaga knows how to develop big men. Filip Petrusev, Corey Kispert, and Timme are good examples.

Con: The only con I see with Holmgren going to Gonzaga is Timme taking most of the rotation minutes. If Few decides to redshirt him, that could be something also. I don’t believe that would happen. Also, the WCC isn’t a competitive conference. Gonzaga dominants every year and has a monopoly of it for the top spot.