It’s Ben Johnson vs. Richard Pitino in recruiting battle for 7-foot-2 center
Ben Johnson has his eyes on 7-2 center Daniel Jacobsen who is planning a visit this fall after picking up an offer from the Gophers basketball team this week.
"I have talked to them quite a bit the last couple weeks," said Jacobsen, who was one of the top center prospects recently at the Nike Peach Jam in South Carolina.
There's also a familiar name to Gophers fans recruiting the Class of 2025 big man: Richard Pitino.
Jacobsen, who transferred to Brewster Academy in New Hampshire in June, played in Albuquerque, N.M. last season. Pitino took over the New Mexico job after being fired in Minnesota in 2021.
"I'm actually from Chicago and have only lived in [New Mexico] for two years," Jacobsen said, "but I still like the Lobos and appreciate them recruiting me."
You don't often see mid-major programs recruiting against the Big Ten, let alone a head coach recruiting against his former school at that level. But the New Mexico ties made offering Jacobsen an easy choice for Pitino.
The Gophers liked what they saw in Jacobsen as well, playing for his AAU program JL3 from Texas during the July recruiting period. Johnson and U assistant Marcus Jenkins offered him on Monday. He also received offers from New Mexico, Illinois, and Xavier last week.
"We talked about how they play, and how I would fit into the system – also about setting up a visit," Jacobsen said about the Gophers.
Jacobsen is a shot-blocking presence, but he's also comfortable on the perimeter and has three-point range. He watches Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen in the NBA and UConn's Donovan Clingan and Duke's Kyle Filipowski in college.
"[The Gophers] like to play through their bigs," Jacobsen said. "Since I'm able to stretch the floor and shoot, I wouldn't be stuck on the block."
In the 2025 class, the Gophers have so far offered eight players, but none of them are from Minnesota. Johnson's top junior targets are from seven different states, including Arkansas, California, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts and Wisconsin.
