Four-star Dain Dainja sees interest from Big Ten, Big 12 and more
CARTERSVILLE, Ga. -- True low-post big men are slowly being phased out in favor of big men who can move and play on the perimeter. But even with that, there is still a place for players like four-star power forward Dain Dainja. He makes his living bullying opponents around the basket.
Because of his low-post scoring ability, schools have been lining up to get in the mix for his signature in the 2020 class. He mentioned Minnesota, Iowa, Iowa State, Baylor, West Virginia, Gonzaga, North Carolina, and UCLA as some of the schools who have been in contact with him since coaches could begin calling prospects in his class on June 15. He’s already visited Illinois, Northwestern and Marquette. He plans to see Minnesota next month.
IN HIS OWN WORDS
Dainja talked about some of the schools recruiting him, including those he’s visited.
Minnesota: “I think they have a good program. Some of the past guys I’ve played are at Minnesota. They have good freshmen coming in.”
West Virginia: “That’s a good program. They’ve had some good guys coming out for the NBA Draft. That’s a tough program with a tough coach.”
Illinois: “It was a great experience visiting there. They showed me around a lot. I watched a practice and it was pretty good.”
Northwestern: “It was a good visit. They showed me around there and everything is new. The academics are big for me. I talked to some of the professors and the administration.”
Marquette: “It was very nice. I know a couple guys there like Theo John.”
RIVALS REACTION
It’s really early in the process for the Minnesota native. He says he’s going to take his time with the process and make sure he finds the right fit for him. Minnesota has done a better job keeping in-state kids home lately, but Dainja will be a tough task next year with several quality programs trying to get involved. West Virginia has been talked about as one of the schools in good shape early, and Bob Huggins was spotted courtside for his Thursday morning game at the Under Armour Challenge in Atlanta.