Oturu, who grew up in the eastern suburbs of Minneapolis, was an exception more than a rule. People were like, This little white boy is trash. At the end of the day, Im not going to worry about it., posted a picture of a Floyd memorial near the site of his death. Other Minnesota players had starred for Power 5 programs in the past, but Tyus Jones both won a national title at Duke and reached his NBA dreams after one season. Knowing we got some rim protection back there. Chet Holmgren Stats, News, Bio | ESPN "Your son's . What Chet Holmgren's injury means for the Thunder this season How many guys have a longer wingspan than Giannis Antetokounmpo or Kevin Durant? Grassroots Sizzle head coach Brian Sandifer, Holmgren's coach on the AAU circuit, said the No. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. These numbers clearly indicate how much he should help Oklahoma City, especially defensively. Marcus Elliott, founder of P3 Sports Science, says Holmgren's advanced biomechanics testing leaves no cause for concern. Everything you need to know about Gonzaga's Chet Holmgren - FanSided The more hes exposed to the competitive experience, whether its shooting in pregame warm-ups or being on the bench for lineup announcements, Daigneault said, when you watch him in those situations, you can tell hes ready to run through a wall but he cant, not yet.. Chet Holmgren's weight shouldn't fool you. He's a top NBA draft pick Reigning NBA scoring champion Joel Embiid was the No. Hes got a lot of time between now and then. Its nave to think that hell step back on the court on Day 1 and be back to 100 percent, said Brian Sutterer, a sports medicine doctor in Missouri who has not treated Holmgren but has discussed Holmgrens injury on his YouTube channel. Chet Holmgren is one of the most intriguing stars college basketball has to offer this season. In the meantime, Holmgren will be making the most of this year learning his teammates, studying film, lifting weights and refining everything that he can. Timme said Holmgren really figured out what it means to be a Zag and, I think you see it in the way he plays, especially of late: Hes hooping out there. Thats the mindset Im going to have going into these next couple games. Seeing how Holmgren looks on the floor with those teammates is a tantalizing idea, and on a practical level the team would like to get those lineups exposure to NBA opponents, but that will all come in time. Its clear that Holmgren has been great for Gonzaga and this sort of success was pretty predictable when examining Holmgrens career up to this point. Holmgren recently shared his thoughts regarding the injury. His brother Tre, Gary Trent Jr. and Matthew Hurt were all decorated Minnesota prospects who chose to play for Krzyzewski after him. The video, which Holmgren describes as "overplayed," introduced a new audience to the multifaceted athlete with an uncanny set of skills. 2 overall pick in the 2022 draft. I think thats the biggest thing. The neighborhood Chet Holmgren grew up in included families that were African American, Hispanic and Somalian. "I personally don't know enough right now," Dave said. 2 to the Oklahoma City Thunder in June, the biggest concern NBA teams had during the pre-draft process was his slight frame and size. Is Holmgren unique? After claiming the award the first two weeks of the 2021-22 season, Gonzaga's Chet Holmgren won it for a third time after leading the Bulldogs in scoring during their week-long stay in Las Vegas. He began his NFL career as a quarterbacks' coach and later as an offensive coordinator with the San Francisco 49ers, where they won Super Bowls XXIII and XXIV. Elsewhere in the recruiting rankings, Kendall Brown, ranked 17th in the 2021 class on ESPN.com, committed to Baylor last month. Video appeared to show Holmgren was hurt on a play while defending LeBron James. [6] In his sophomore season, Holmgren averaged 18.6 points and 11 rebounds per game and led his team to another Class 2A state title. A 2022-es drafton a msodik helyen vlasztottk. I was going to do what I could to help make sure that it didnt happen. I'm going to be competing with myself every single day competing with my mind to get through this rehab process and come out even better on the other end. Sacramento's Mike Brown is the unanimous winner of the NBA's Coach of the Year award. "At the same time, it's not just a wake-up call for us. Yes, hockey is big here, but we play basketball, too. Chet Holmgren, Gonzaga's 7-foot freshman center and the No. Both are lanky seven-footers with generational talents and immense potential. 1 pick; knee injury) or Ben Simmons (2016 No. Holmgren, 19, is a 7-footer who offers a unique skill set Only a handful of players turned those opportunities in pro careers, and those local standouts were celebrated because they did not represent the norm. But at the end of the day, thats just how I play basketball. and was successful. A high draft pick having to sit out his first NBA season isnt unprecedented, and in some cases it hasnt stopped players from reaching All-Star or even MVP-caliber levels. 1 overall in 2016 and missed the following season with a foot injury. Chet Holmgren is one of the most intriguing stars college basketball has to offer this season. What can Chet Holmgren learn from Evan Mobley's Playoff experience We know Chet has a long career ahead of him within our organization and the Oklahoma City community. Chet Holmgren was a real-life cheat code in Gonzagas 83-63 blowout win against UCLA in Tuesdays Empire Classic. Blake Griffin was the top pick in 2009 but had to sit while recovering from a knee injury, as was the case with No. Embiid, the No. Holmgren set an N.B.A. 30 overall, though he went to the Denver Nuggets. Gonzaga's Chet Holmgren wins third consecutive WCC Freshman of Week award That mindset was true then, on one of the best nights of his life, when a thousand good emotions flowed through him. March Madness 2022: Ranking the 16 best . We're going to get to that, Presti said. I learned about different types of foods to different types of music and clothes, Holmgren said. Listed at 7 feet and 195 pounds, Gonzaga's Chet Holmgren (center) is a magnet for physical play from opponents. Mike Muscala . 2 Related. Build your customFanSided Daily email newsletter with news and analysis onAll College Basketball and all your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and more. The soul food that I like is greens, cornbread, brisket, ribs. Chet Holmgren didn't feel like he'd arrived in the N.B.A. Holmgrens dad Dave is also 7-feet tall and he played for the Minnesota Golden Gophers from 1984 to 1988. "We're planning on going to school. Now that the pact is official, Holmgren expressed his excitement to join the organization. Green later was waived by OKC and signed with the defending-champion Golden State Warriors in the offseason. Nerlens Noel was the No. And some lottery selections never get to the league at all: Orlando chose Fran Vazquez at No. Although hes not playing with the Thunder, he spends just about every day at the facility, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., rehabbing, lifting weights and tweaking his jumper. 1 prospect in the prep basketball class of 2021 has meant to the 28-3 Zags. 2 recruit Holland decommits from Texas, Butler transfer Lukosius commits to Cincinnati, New Big Ten boss Petitti ready to lead 'new era', Penn's Dingle, top Ivy League player, to transfer, Utah Valley's Bandaogo entering transfer portal, Memphis' Hardaway hires Stansbury as assistant, Men's college basketball rosters: Comings and goings for 2023-24, Everything you need to know about "The Bag Game," a podcast on college hoops' bribery scandal, Emoni Bates continues to lead ESPN's latest regardless-of-class player rankings, How a summer without recruiting has left teams and prospects at a disadvantage, ESPN 2021 basketball recruiting player rankings, Graduate of Minnesota State University, Mankato. 2 Recruit Shoots Like Dirk and Defends Like Davis", "Q&A: Chet Holmgren's parents, HS coach on Chet's journey to being top-3 NBA Draft pick", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chet_Holmgren&oldid=1152689029. He has taken up residency in the film room, hoping to understand how he will fit into this Thunder team a year from now. I see that as butchering the game of basketball.. With only one Division I team in the state (University of St. Thomas will soon begin a transition to Division I) and less than a handful of spots in each recruiting class, prospects know early that they must set their sights wide. Stephen A.: Losing Chet Holmgren is devastating, Chet Holmgren to undergo tests for possible foot injury, Paolo, Chet team up and combine for 84 points in Seattle pro-am. He didnt return to the game, which was eventually canceled because the court was too wet. This season's crop of college basketball talent has strong Minnesota representation, too. Hes not what you expect him to be when you look at him. And so thats been hard.. A ferocious competitor, Holmgren will do what he does best lay it all on the line with what he is able to do on and off the floor. Holmgren was not an immediate sensation. Traveling around, everybody kind of wants a look at him and a piece of him. "Minneapolis is a national city, but [the sentiment was] 'You're just going to have to recruit out of state because it's so hockey-centric.'". All picks and predictions are suggestions only. @ChetHolmgren @thecrawsover #thunder pic.twitter.com/AzUBYUgnyV, Nathan Thompson (@NathanDThompson) August 21, 2022. His foot might feel stiffer at times. The Thunder said on Aug. 30 that surgery on the injury took place at Forte Sports Medicine and Orthopedics in Carmel, Ind. Hard to look at. Basketball. Hell want to play for sure.. Its just great to be able to be exposed to different things.. Really different, Strawther told Andscape. I was trying to find every great player I could hoop against, Holmgren said. 1. (Photo by Ian Maule/Getty Images). It just takes time to get a proper feel for that.. Holmgren plays a strong inner and outer game, with superior three-point shooting compared to others of his size and position. I just have to figure out how to help make this team 5 points better and then keep building from there., Chet Holmgren Seeks a Silver Lining in a Lost Rookie Season, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/20/sports/basketball/chet-holmgren-oklahoma-city-thunder-nba.html, Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren has second-guessed the decisions that led to his season-ending foot injury. It's a wake-up call for [college] coaches. Ranked 57th in the 2018 class, he helped the Gophers reach the NCAA tournament in 2019, marking the program's third appearance since 2010. 3 Teams that could steal Khris Middleton from the Milwaukee Bucks Chet Holmgren Determined to Make Most of 2022-23 Season 1. [2] He grew up playing basketball under the tutelage of his father, a former college player. Hes a tall, skinny, 7-1 dude who you expect to be quiet and timid. Presti noted that one thing that the Thunder wont be able to do this season is see how Holmgren slides in alongside core players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey and Lu Dort. [29], Morgan Wootten National Player of the Year, "Coveted recruit Chet Holmgren is headed to Gonzaga, but should we really be surprised? Minutes after he was selected number two overall in the 2022 NBA Draft, the Thunder's Chet Holmgren downplayed a question he was asked about . The tall, lanky center from Minneapolis, Minnesota has been a dominant force for the Gonzaga. Theres a very good chance hes the top player selected. The neighborhood Chet Holmgren grew up in included families that were African American, Hispanic and Somalian. 1 Zags team in 2013 to current All-American Drew Timme. 1 pick in the 2022 NBA draft feels at home in multiple cultures: Everybodys going to judge you. 1y Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz. From the top picks to some undrafted gems, several players made a solid first impression in their Summer League run. As such, all eyes will be on him in his first NBA season as the team pivots from an underdog to a squads with expectations. 5 selection in 2011 not being able to join the Toronto Raptors until a year later because of his contract status with his European team at the time. So Holmgren immediately faced the full force of college basketball. "Minnesota has always had very talented players," said Royce White, the former Minnesota Mr. Basketball who was the 16th pick in the 2012 NBA draft after leading Iowa State to the NCAA tournament. "Seeing how successful he was made me want to go here even more.". This is of particular note given the ability of Arkansas to create plays going to the rim from ball screens involving All-American guard J.D. The Thunder whacked Memphis 87 . Im on the same page.. Chet Holmgren is a top NBA prospect and the 'complete - Andscape RotoWire considers the best player values in Yahoo fantasy leagues for Monday's 2-game slate of NBA playoff matchups. I was a white kid with a bowl cut, the 7-foot-1 power forward told Andscape last month. Will Tschetter, a three-star prospect, recently committed to Michigan. No one should expect to make money from the picks and predictions discussed on this website. And once you mix that with his skill set stuff, hes an attraction. His long, lanky build allows him to spread the floor easily, which complements his ability to drive to the basket. The Thunder have not won a playoff series since Durant left and have missed the playoffs the past two seasons. A lot of it is just how tall he is. And perhaps along the way, more and more basketball fans will get to know the story of a player who is much more than what meets the eye. Some, like Greg Oden, the 2007 No. Its just Chet. And he has to learn to trust it again after a fluke injury like what he had. But Im glad there is a memorial there instead of it just being pushed off and forgotten about., A post shared by Chet Holmgren (@chet_holmgren). Chets immediate reaction was: Dont say it out loud. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report. At least one person isn't convinced he'll ever play college basketball, though. Its his elite competitiveness and desire to be the best player on the court every time he touches it. When you combine the size, skill and it factor that Holmgren brings to the table, its clear that the sky is the limit with what type of player he can be. Chet Holmgren was drafted with the second overall pick by the Oklahoma City Thunder. Its going up, for sure., Mike DeCourcy is a Senior Writer at The Sporting News. SAN FRANCISCO For someone involved in describing the basketball player that is Chet Holmgren, the first conundrum involves whether to call him unique. Thats a word that is properly misunderstood and misapplied, to the point its common to hear someone or something described with a misplaced modifier: so unique, very unique, kind of unique. All 100 voters from a panel of reporters and broadcasters had Brown atop their ballot Wednesday. [4], As a freshman at Minnehaha Academy, Holmgren averaged 6.2 points and three rebounds per game. It would mean the world to win the championship and it would certainly mean the world to Coach [Few], too, Holmgren said. When theres an opportunity to compete against the best of the best, he said, its hard to pass up on that.. So, now is as good a time as any to familiarize yourself with one of the best players in the country. Even on the morning of his first surgery, in late August, he was talking on the phone and doing doughnuts on his knee scooter as he waited to head to the hospital. "I think when I first took this job, I was always under the impression that it was a hockey state," he said. He is one of several key pieces for the Thunder, who are led by guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (24.5 ppg in 2021-22) and Josh Giddey (the No. "It's always great to look at something, knowing it's been done before," Holmgren said Thursday in his first press conference since suffering a Lisfranc injury on Aug. 20, which required surgery that ended his rookie season before it even began. That fire in him is impressive. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. The 7-foot-1 freshman center went coast-to-coast on an explosive drive in the. Holmgren was hurt while playing in a pro-am game last weekend in Seattle at The CrawsOver, near where he starred last season for Gonzaga. Holmgren has a unique, deep shooting ability and a set of skills at 7-foot-1 that is rare, and hes also a great shot-blocker and rebounder. People know we get players now.". And when he landed back in Oklahoma City after the procedure, he went straight to the team facility. But hes a massive human. Thats the mindset I have. Because at the end of the day, if I want to be as good as Im trying to be, those are the guys Im going to have to look eye to eye with on a nightly basis for the next 10 seasons. The biggest concern is his 195-pound build at his height. 1 pick, Holmgren smiled and said, I havent made a decision yet.. The Thunder acquired JaMychal Green and a 2027 protected first-round pick from the Nuggets for the rights to Watson and two future second-round picks. Chet being a rim protector, hes gonna clean a lot of things at the rim. And they have some of the best jerk chicken in the world and plantains. He used to be able to dunk on you, but he hasnt been able to in years and his knees still hurt. Michael George Holmgren (born June 15, 1948) is a former American football coach and executive. He might not have quite the range of motion. Statement from GM Sam Presti. Since Holmgrens second surgery in December a planned procedure to remove hardware from the first Daigneault has noticed a new spark in him. But I love being around him. "The high school and AAU coaches have done a great job helping players develop and receive college scholarships. I dont have to try to come in and be Superman. BENDER: Timme explodes in second-half rally vs. Memphis. He learned a ton. They'll point to Minneapolis North High School product Khalid El-Amin, who helped UConn win its first national title in 1999. On April 21, 2022, Holmgren declared for the 2022 NBA draft, forgoing his remaining college eligibility. For more information, please read our Legal Disclaimer. In what was a Second Team All-American campaign as a freshman, he produced 14.1 points, 9.9 rebounds and 3.7 blocks per game while shooting 61% from floor and 39% from deep. Having a year to learn the league, to experience the cadence of the league, to work on his body, to understand the personnel in the league and all the different schemes, that's going to be extremely beneficial, Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti said. He also broke the record for the most blocks in a single Summer League game. There is no benefit in Chet going to college right now.". Thunder rookie Chet Holmgren (foot) to miss entire 2022-23 season "It was always about who saw us. Thunder's Chet Holmgren: Oklahoma City is 'where I want to be' Even before his injury, Holmgren talked at NBA Summer League about how much film he watches to become more self aware on what he needs to improve and to study other players. 11 in 2005, but the Spanish big man never appeared in an NBA game. He will still be eligible for the Rookie of the Year Award, and he was enticed by the potential for competing against another skinny, skilled seven-footer, Victor Wembanyama. [18] As a freshman, he averaged 14.1 points, 9.9 rebounds and 3.7 blocks per game. [11][12], Entering his junior season, Holmgren had about 30 scholarship offers from college basketball programs. [19], The Oklahoma City Thunder selected Holmgren with the second overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft, making him the highest draft pick ever taken out of Gonzaga[20] and the highest pick from the state of Minnesota, topping Kevin McHale. 1 prospect or 2 or 3 or 4 or whatever and the expectations are just hes going to come in from the jump and dominate, Gonzaga coach Mark Few told The Sporting News. 2 Related. To be great, theres a mental aspect to preparation and work, which he clearly has. Population growth in the Twin Cities -- nearly 3 million people now live in the metro area -- is a factor, too. All betting content is intended for an audience ages 21+. He's comfortable in space and can knock down 3-pointers. Drafted 2nd overall in the 2022 NBA draft, he played college basketball for the Gonzaga Bulldogs. It was hard to watch and hard to see things like that happen to your city, Holmgren told Andscape. Collison went on to spend his entire career with the Thunder, getting his No. At the conclusion of the regular season, Holmgren was named West Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year. Holmgren already looks NBA-ready ahead of the 2022 NBA Draft in June and is expected to be among the top picks, if not going No. Morrison has been impressed with not only Holmgrens talent at his size, but his humility to take tough coaching from Gonzaga head coach Mark Few despite his budding star status. He has quoted rappers such as Lil Baby on Instagram and many of his posts read by 342,000 followers have hip-hop playing. We expect that same tenacity will carry him through this period of time as we work together and support him during his rehabilitation.. People were like, This little white boy is trash. At the end of the day, Im not going to worry about it.