This Q&A with future Gophers basketball player Joshua Ola-Joseph took place before the senior from Osseo committed to play basketball for the U.
Osseo senior Joshua Ola-Joseph had zero Division I basketball offers in the spring, but he made the most of his opportunity to play in front of college coaches this summer.
Among the D-I coaches that showed the most interest was Gophers first-year coach Ben Johnson, who offered Ola-Joseph a scholarship in early August.
The bouncy 6-foot-6 forward cut his list Tuesday to Clemson, Minnesota, and Loyola-Chicago.
Ola-Joseph expects to make an official visit to the Gophers program next week, but he talked recently to the Star Tribune on what it would mean to stay home, what motivates him and more.
Q: What was it like to go from an unknown to being one of the breakout prospects in July?
A: It was a great summer. I had to earn everything. I couldn't take any days off because I didn't go into the summer with any offers. I went into the summer with a chip on my shoulder. I was an energy guy a lot of times. I felt like I played defense and guarded a lot of positions. That made me standout. That was one of the biggest things.
Q: How would you best describe your game to Gophers fans besides the highlight-reel dunks?
A: I feel like my motor is high. I play defense. I try not to take any possessions off. I shoot the ball well. I block shots. I feel like can do it all. You can't put a position on my game. I can bring the ball up if you need me to. I can shoot the ball if you need me to or post up. I can do the dirty work or be a skill guy. I feel like I fit into any roster.
Q: How much did playing well on a talented D1 Minnesota AAU team with top prospects such as Camden Heide, Eli King, and Taison Chatman give you confidence?
A: I've always had confidence in my game. I don't care about rankings or how many offers the next guys has. I believe in my game. I believe I'm a high major guy. So I felt like I'm a nationally ranked guy. But I'm not really worried about what the internet says about me and my game. Me taking over a game this summer wasn't a confidence booster. Because I felt like my confidence was always high. I never second guess myself.
Q: What helped you narrow down your list to those three schools?
A: Relationships with the coaches. The area. How hard they're recruiting me. Just my feel of it. I want to go to a place where I can call home. The schools I narrowed it down to I have a close relationship with the head coaches. All head coaches. No assistant coaches.
Q: What will you be looking to find out on your Gophers official visit?
A: I want to see how they're going to use me. How they play. Obviously, I would like to stay home, but I want to go to a school where I'll be played the way I want to be played. Some people want to put a position on me, but I feel like I can play plenty of positions. So, I would want to see how they would use me. See how they treat me and my family. The hospitality. So just the vibe they give off.
Q: Gophers fans talk a lot about keeping the state's top players. Do you feel pressure to stay home?
A: I don't feel any pressure. I feel like my decision is the best for me. I don't feel any pressure to stay home. I can't let what people think make my decision. Because I'm the one putting on those shoes and going to work.
Q: What would it mean to pick the Gophers and stay home to play college ball?
A: I feel like I would get a lot of love if I chose to stay home. Playing in front of a lot of good people who would want me to stay home. It would mean a lot. It would mean something to play in front of my mom.
