Two homegrown players and one of the nation’s top centers signed national letters of intent to play for the Gophers men’s basketball team on Wednesday, the first day of the NCAA early signing period.
Michael Bauer, a 6-foot-8, 200-pound forward from Hastings, Minn.; Shane Schilling, a 6-foot-6, 195-pound swing man from Minnetonka, Minn.; and Ryan Wildenborg, a 6-foot-11, 255-pound center from Kirkland, Wash. will join the team next season.
All three players are ranked in the top 35 in the nation by various publications.
Bauer led Hastings to a 19-5 record last year and its first conference in 39 years. A second team all-state selection as a junior, he averaged 16.5 points, 9.9 rebounds, and shot 47 percent from three-point range.
Schilling guided Minnetonka to a 25-2 finish and the state Class AA title. He averaged 25.9 points per game and 8.4 rebounds. He already holds the school’s all-time scoring record with 1,208 points, with one season remaining.
Wildenborg averaged 10.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and four blocks per game. He led his team to a division championship.
“We are very excited that these three young men have decided to join the Gophers,” coach Clem Haskins said. “All three players are tremendous competitors who not only are ranked high nationally, but also have proven themselves against some of the best competition in the country. They will add to our already strong group of young players and give us great hope for the future.”
Hockey signings
The Gophers men’s hockey team inked three players from Hastings High School and another from the Twin Cities Vulcans on Wednesday.
Jeff Taffe, a 6-foot-1, 155-pound forward; Ben Tharp, a 5-foot-11, 150-pound defenseman and Dan Welch, a 5-foot-10, 195-pound forward all hail from Hastings. Shawn Roed, a 5-foot-7, 171-pound forward, is a native of White Bear Lake.
Taffe was named to the first team All-State squad as a junior, scoring 37 goals and assisting on 29 others for a total of 66 points in 25 games. Tharp was named to the third team All-State squad as a junior, netting seven goals and 33 assists for Hastings. Welch was another All-State first-teamer, scoring 67 points. Roed spent the 1997-98 season with the U.S. National Team and is playing with the Twin CitiesVulcans this season.
“We have successfully recruited and will be able to replace the three forwards and one defenseman we will lose after this season to graduation,” coach Doug Woog said.
