2015 Minnesota Commit Spotlight: 3-Star Small Forward Ahmad Gilbert

3-star forward Ahmad Gilbert from Philadelphia has recently committed to Minnesota, adding to an already talented recruiting class for the Golden Gophers.

Ahmad Gilbert Breakdown

Gilbert is a talented 3-star recruit that will add depth to this Minnesota team due to his great athleticism and ability to drive to the basket. He is a fantastic dribbler and scorer, but he will need to improve his perimeter shooting if he wants to become an elite player in the Big ten. Shooting in general is something that Gilbert really needs to improve on because he struggles to shoot from the floor at times, but one thing is for sure; he can attack the rim at will. He will be able to play the small forward position for the Gophers immediately, especially with his great size and frame, and if he improves his shooting Minnesota will be very happy.

Minnesota Recruiting Class of 2015

Gilbert will be joining other class of 2015 recruits in Jarvis Johnson, Kevin Dorsey, and Jonathan Nwankwo. Coach Richard Pitino has done a great job with Minnesota's basketball program and his recruits that he has added for 2015 should make an immediate impact in one of the deepest conferences in the nation.

The Golden Gophers will be fully loaded with young talent and experience, even more so as the Golden Gophers have also added transfer Reggie Lynch from Illinois State, who will have a positive impact on this team inside and around the paint. Unfortunately, though, he will have to sit out the 2015-2016 season due to NCAA transfer rules.

Lynch made a huge impact on Illinois State this year on both ends of the floor and was dominant in the post in Missouri Valley conference play. Lynch was extremely dominant on the defensive end by averaging 2.7 BPG for the season. Lynch is a huge pickup for this program because he has experience against some stiff competition and even though he will have to sit out one year, he will be ready to make a huge impact on the team starting in the 2016-2017 season.

What could next season hold for Minnesota?

The Golden Gophers finished last season 18-15 and the team went 6-12 in Big Ten play, but the Golden Gophers had some huge wins in conference play over Michigan State, Iowa, and Purdue. The Big Ten is going to be one of strongest conferences in the country next year, due to many of 2015 incoming recruits, and Minnesota has a recruiting class that will help their team succeed in the Big Ten.

Minnesota will try and compete for a bid in the NCAA tournament next year, which is not going to be an easy task seeing how strong the Big Ten is, but the Golden Gophers have the depth, talent, and coaching to make some noise during conference play. The Golden Gophers have added a talented batch of recruits for next season, which is something that the team needed to do if they wanted to be taken seriously in the Big Ten.