For the second time this offseason, Gophers basketball coach Ben Johnson and his staff hosted four-star Kentucky forward E.J. Walker on an unofficial visit.
Four-star basketball recruit E.J. Walker talks second Gophers visit
Kentucky junior E.J. Walker visited the Gophers last weekend for the second time. The power forward has offers from Ohio State, Purdue and Wisconsin.
September 14, 2023 at 5:26PM
The 6-8, 230-pound junior at Lloyd Memorial (Ky.) spent last weekend with the Gophers, which included attending the Eastern Michigan football win Saturday.
"I had a good visit," Walker told the Star Tribune. "The football game was a lot of fun. Enjoyed watching practice as well."
After receiving a scholarship offer from the Gophers in October, Walker and his family followed Johnson's program and visited the U for the first time in early June. They were able to spend more time with the staff and players on the second trip to Minnesota recently.
"I got to know [assistant coach Dave] Thorson more and took a tour of the campus," Walker said. "I also hung out with the players this time."
The aspect that most stood out for Walker and his family about the Gophers is Johnson and his staff, including assistants Jason Kemp and Marcus Jenkins.
"When we went out there the first time it was super quick," said Lloyd Memorial coach Michael Walker, E.J.'s father. "This time, we got to see the full campus. It's a big campus but it's also [intimate]. That was cool. We got a feel of the other staff members. The football stadium was really nice, too. It was a good overall visit. My wife liked it."
Kemp, the lead recruiter with Walker, also flew to Kentucky to see Walker's high school workout this week. "They're real big on relationships and family atmosphere," Walker said.
One of the top power forwards in the 2025 class, Walker has several high major offers, including Purdue, Ohio State and Wisconsin in the Big Ten. Walker's father said the family will have to re-schedule an unofficial visit planned to Wisconsin this weekend, but they're likely going to visit Michigan next weekend. They also hope to take trips to Missouri, Ohio State and Butler in October.
Walker's recruitment is still wide open with a year until signing day, but the Big Ten could be an ideal fit.
"He has a Big Ten body," Walker's father said. "He can play that hybrid forward and big guard position. With his versatility, he can post up smaller guards or pick and pop. He can take off in transition and start the offense. On defense, he can guard multiple positions, too. They can put him in different spots on the floor to be effective. That's what [the Gophers] see in him."
The Gophers are likely done recruiting high school players for the 2024 class with Cherry guard Isaac Asuma and Alexandria forward Grayson Grove expected to sign in November.
But Johnson and his staff are working hard on landing their first commitment in the 2025 class, especially recruiting outside of the state. No juniors from Minnesota have offers from the home state program, but the Gophers have offered 10 players in the class from eight different states.
IMG Academy (Fla.) four-star forward Amari Allen visited the Gophers unofficially in August. Three-star 7-2 Brewster Academy (N.H.) center Daniel Jacobsen enjoyed his official visit with the Gophers last month, which included attending the football opening win vs. Nebraska.
Non-conference schedule set
The Gophers secured their final opponent for the 2023-24 nonconference schedule, which will be a Dec. 9 matchup with Florida Gulf Coast.
Florida Gulf Coast is led by former Penn State coach Pat Chambers, who went 17-15 in his first season with the program in 2022-23. The Eagles were known as "Dunk City" when current USC coach Andy Enfield made a Sweet 16 run in 2013. They last made the NCAA tournament with East Carolina's Joe Dooley in 2016 and 2017.
The highlight of Gophers' non-league slate will be a Nov. 16 game vs. Missouri at Williams Arena, which was part of a home-and-home agreement to also be played in Columbia in the 2024-25 season.
The Gophers begin the regular season Nov. 6 against Bethune Cookman at Williams Arena. Prior to the opener, they'll host Division III Macalester on Nov. 2 in an exhibition game.
Gophers men's basketball nonconference schedule
Nov. 2 vs. Macalester (exhibition)
Nov. 6 vs. Bethune-Cookman
Nov. 10 vs. Texas-San Antonio
Nov. 16 vs. Missouri
Nov. 18-21 vs. Pine Bluff, Ball State and USC Upstate in multi-team event
Nov. 26 vs. San Francisco at Golden State Warriors' Chase Center
Nov. 30 vs. New Orleans
Dec. 9 vs. Florida Gulf Coast
Dec. 12 vs. IUPUI
Dec. 29 vs. Maine
A former Gophers player, Taylor Landfair, helped the No. 2 Huskers hand No.16 Minnesota its third consecutive loss.
