In landing top recruit Dennis Evans, Gophers show old-school values still matter

Shortly after he was hired about18 months ago as Gophers men's basketball coach, Ben Johnson was asked about his reputation as a strong recruiter.

What is it, exactly, that makes someone good at that?

"Trust is huge. They've got to trust my message. They have to trust who I am as a person," Johnson said at the time. "Being consistent definitely helps. Being relatable. Letting these guys know that I care about them more than just as a basketball player. I truly do. I truly want this to be a family environment."

A few months later, the NCAA adopted the name, image and likeness rule that along with the impact of new transfer rules has transformed college athletics, particularly in the highest-profile sports. Putting together NIL deals and working the transfer portal have become essential.

But this past week, Johnson and the Gophers also showed that good old-fashioned high school recruiting and seemingly quaint notions of trust and relationship-building are still the foundations of programs.

In landing Dennis Evans, a 7-foot-1 shot blocker and No. 13 recruit in the country (per Rivals.com) out of California, Johnson had a chance to show off those recruiting skills — something Marcus Fuller and I talked about on Friday's Daily Delivery podcast.

After announcing his decision on Monday, Evans told Fuller that his decision to pick the Gophers over TCU and several other high-profile programs came down to this: "I had a really good relationship with them. They were honest with me about everything. It made the decision feel right."

Imagine that.

Those good feelings are always subject to change, of course, as players can slip out of programs far more quietly than they arrived. But it also stands to reason that a high school player who chose a program because of honesty and relationship-building will have a better chance of staying.

If Evans is as good as advertised and can grow his offensive game to go along with otherworldly shot-blocking skills, he can be a program-changing kind of player.

And Johnson just might be seen, eventually, as a program-changing coach.

"I know I'm the perfect fit for Minnesota," he said after he was hired. "I'm comfortable recruiting here. I'm comfortable knowing what this program means and what the tradition stands for."