University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Sign Four to National Letters of Intent
11/12/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
University of Minnesota head men’s basketball coach Richard Pitino has announced the signing of four student-athletes to National Letters of Intent. They will join the Gophers for the 2015-16 season. The four are guards Kevin Dorsey (Port Tobacco, Md./Clinton Christian), Jarvis Johnson (Brooklyn Park, Minn./DeLaSalle), Dupree McBrayer (Jamaica, N.Y./Sunrise Christian Academy) and forward Jonathan Nwankwo (Mount Vernon, N.Y./Victory Rock Prep).
“We are excited about the addition of all four student-athletes,” Pitino said. “Not only are their futures very bright on the basketball court, but they will also be great representatives of our University and our basketball program.”
Dorsey, a 6-0 guard, is rated a four-star and top-100 national recruit by both ESPN, 247Sports and Rivals.com. He most recently played at Paul VI High School in Fairfax, Va., before transferring to Clinton Christian for his senior season. Named a Washington Post All-Met third team selection, Dorsey helped lead Paul VI to Washington Catholic Athletic Conference, VISAA Division I and Alhambra Invitational titles in 2014, earning MVP honors in the latter.
“Kevin Dorsey has the ability to be one of the best on-ball defenders in the country,” said Pitino. “He also has the ability to get by anybody and create offense in the lane.”
The 6-1 Johnson is also rated a four-star prospect and one of the top prep players in the state of Minnesota. Johnson helped lead head coach Dave Thorson’s Islanders to a Class AAA state title last season, their third in a row. He averaged 11.3 points and four assists per game in 2013-14, his junior season.
“Jarvis Johnson has grown up a Gopher fan his whole life, and will certainly be a valuable addition to our backcourt,” commented Pitino. “He comes from a great family and he is a special kid as well as a great player.”
McBrayer, a 6-4 guard, is spending the upcoming season at prep school after graduating from the Patrick School. A member of the New Heights AAU team, McBrayer contributed 13.5 points and a team-high 3.5 assists and 0.9 steals per game. Last year in high school, McBrayer helped the Patrick School repeat as Union County Tournament champion and averaged 10.5 points per game for the Celtics.
“Dupree McBrayer is one of the most versatile guards we saw in this class,” Pitino said. “He has the ability to score in a variety of ways, and he has tremendous upside and potential.”
Nwankwo (pronounced WAN-kwo) is rated a four-star prospect by ESPN, and the 6-10 post player is spending the season at Victory Rock Prep after a high school career at Monsignor Scanlan in the Bronx. Born in Nigeria, Nwankwo is rated by ESPN as the 29th-best center prospect in the nation.
“Jonathan Nwankwo has a college-ready body and will bring a lot to our team on day one when he steps on campus,” said Pitino. “He is a great student as well as a great person.”
Minnesota opens its 2014-15 season on Friday, facing #8/9 Louisville in the ESPN Armed Forces Classic. Tip-off from Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico is set for 6:30 p.m. central time.
