St. Petersburg (Fla.) guard Tai Strickland won't be visiting Minnesota next month, because he gave an oral commitment to Wisconsin on Tuesday.
"It was a tough decision," Strickland told the Star Tribune on Tuesday. "It felt like home to me."
Strickland, the son of former NBA point guard Rod Strickland, had the Gophers, Badgers and Rutgers in his final three. He visited Wisconsin and Rutgers this month.
Minnesota coach Richard Pitino and assistant Kimani Young visited with Strickland last Monday and scheduled an official visit for April 6-8. Strickland had high praise for the Gophers and Pitino's program being able to turn things around next season, but he was sold looking back on his Madison visit.
"I talked with my family," Strickland said. "I felt it was best to go ahead and commit and get ready for next year."
The Gophers aleady have a three-player 2018 class with center Daniel Oturu, forward Jarvis Omersa and guard Gabe Kalscheur. Five-star Webster Groves (Mo.) guard Courtney Ramey has Minnesota among several schools looking to take advantage after he decommited from Louisville. But Ramey hasn't scheduled a visit to the Gophers.
Junior forward Davonte Fitzgerald's departure this week opens up a second U scholarship for next season, which could end up going to Division I transfers. Point guard transfers receiving interest from Minnesota include Pittsburgh's Marcus Carr and Vanderbilt's Payton Willis.
Both Carr, a freshman, and Willis, a sophomore, would have to sit out the 2018-19 season. So the Gophers are also looking for a graduate transfer as well to play immediately. One name already reportedly on their radar is former Evansville shooting guard Ryan Taylor.
