The Gopher hoops team hosted a few potential recruits last week for the North Carolina football game. Kai Shinholster came to the game on a visit from Philadelphia and this past week he gave a verbal commitment to the Gopher program.
Beyond Blessed to announce my commitment to the University of Minnesota!!! @GopherMBB I want to thank all the coaches and people in my life that have helped me get to this point. I want to give a special thanks to my family for sticking by my side. Go Gophers!! pic.twitter.com/RKnbx15g2U
— kai (@KaiShinholster) September 4, 2024
Kai Shinholster
Pos: CG
Ht: 6’5”
Wt: 170
Shinholster was offered this summer after this staff saw him play and wanted him here for the first opportunity to visit this fall. He came to the Twin Cities with questions and once he felt they were answered, he committed.
Shinholster will bring a versatile game to Minnesota. He has a rangy 6’5” frame and can really handle the ball and shoot. At the next level, I think he will spend more time as an off-guard than being the primary ball handler, but that will work just fine as Shinholster has a really nice-looking jump shot.
Other strengths include deceptive quickness and he appears to have a high basketball IQ. A solid, versatile player who will need to add some strength but could be a nice Big Ten basketball player.
What is next?
There are a lot of seniors on this current Gopher roster and they need to bring in several recruits for this 2025 class. Shinholster has ample opportunity for early playing time.
Lu’Cye Patterson and Isaac Auma will be the only returning guards on next year’s roster so there are going to have to be at least a couple more additions. Amari Allen was on the same visit weekend as Shinholster. He is a wing player out of Wisconsin who is one of the Gopher staff’s primary targets.
Ideally the 2025 class is a mix of incoming freshmen and targeted transfers. Shinholster is the first piece of the class.
