Five-star recruit Matthew Hurt of Minnesota says he works daily on his shot and also has been faithful about lifting weeks three to four days per week in the offseason to add strength. He insists that won’t change after he helped Team USA win the FIBA under 18 Championship in Canada last week because of the recruiting attention he’s receiving.
“Getting recruited like I am motivates me personally to work even harder,” Hurt, who played with UK commit Tyrese Maxey on the USA under 18 team, said. “I see these colleges on TV and that’s where I want to be. I think about that and it helps me get up and work out. Recruiting doesn’t go to my head. It’s not like coaches call and text every day. But recruiting does motivate me.”
The versatile Hurt averaged 14 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game for Team USA. He had a team-high nine blocked shots in the six games and also shot 60 percent (12-for-20) from 3-point range. At the foul line he made 10 of 13 tries.
He got in-home visits from Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky, Kansas, Indiana, UCLA and Memphis earlier this spring. He said Kansas told him he would be used as a guard and Kentucky told him it needed players that could shoot well from outside, a new point of emphasis for John Calipari in recruiting.
Kentucky expects a major recruiting battle with Memphis over James Wiseman, one of the nation’s top 2019 prospects, but Hurt is enamored with Memphis and new coach Penny Hardaway because of a prior relationship he had with new Memphis assistant coach Mike Miller.
Hurt, who hopes to make a college choice in the fall after taking his official visits, likes the way both Kentucky and Duke develop players for the NBA.
What about Calipari stands out to him?
“Just the way he recruits is great, the way he develops players over one year or a couple of years,” Hurt said. “Every player gets better and he has countless players in the NBA playing really well and so more going there this year.”
He enjoyed playing with Maxey even with Maxey trying to constantly encourage him to pick Kentucky.
“He runs the point guard spot great for our team. He can pass, shoot and attack the rim. He finds me at the right spots,” Hurt said. “He does talk a lot, but he’s pretty cool off the court. Everything he does on the court is always positive and I think he would be the kind of player anybody would enjoy playing with in college.”
Maxey, who missed two games after spraining his ankle in pool pool play, has high praise for the 6-9 Hurt.
“He is really, really good. He can shoot, especially for a guy his size. He’s very versatile. He can guard anywhere from the one to the four. At the end of the day, he has to make the college decision that is best for him but I hope he ends up in Lexington,” Maxey said.