Chris Boucher: trophies, now visits

In 34 games at Northwest College in Wyoming power forward Chris Boucher averaged 22.5 points and 11.8 rebounds a game shooting 44 percent at the arc, 76 percent at the foul line, and 58 percent overall on a 29-5 team earning junior college player of the year.

"Chris has always had this in him, it was just about getting the confidence in him," said Northwest Coach Brian Erickson. "He started out shooting about 25 percent in the first ten games and he ended up at 44 percent (at the arc) at the end of the year so I think his confidence is one thing (that has really changed this year).

"That confidence coming from Chris really comes from putting the work in. Before or after practices he gets work in as we have a shooting gun that he gets on regularly. He's put a lot of time into developing and to really become who he is."

Chris is being recruited by several high major programs who hope to bring him in and have him instantly make an impact. He's 6-foot-10 and thin at the moment and his skill level should help Chris make a quick impact.

"I think the biggest thing with a guy that is 6-foot-10 and being able to shoot it like he does from outside, if you have a big guy on him he can take them off the dribble but then if you put a small guy on him, he shoots it so high that Chris can shoot the ball over almost anybody," said Erickson.

"His length is just big time. Chris has long arms, he'll go up and get rebounds that you think no one else can get, or there will be a board you expect somebody else to get and Chris gets it. On the defensive end he's so good at, I don't think I've seen anybody better with the timing on blocked shots.

"People can head fake and head fake and head fake him but Chris will not go for it and then still go up and block the shot. Even if he doesn't block the shot, Chris alters shots. He could come away from a game with five blocked shots but he likely altered ten when guys where driving into the paint."

In addition to the massive double-double numbers and the high shooting percentages, Chris also blocked 4.7 rebounds per game.

What about the competition level? Does that have something to do about the numbers? Chris played at a division one junior college so the talent was always near the top for junior college but also take into account his numbers at the national junior college tournament:

24 points, 14 rebounds, 4 blocks making three treys and 7-12 field goals vs Northwest Florida State, a triple double of 29 points, 16 rebounds, and 11 blocks against Cape Fear in the national junior college event. And in the regional title game Chris had a tough day shooting (3 of 11) but still managed to make a major impact on the game with 18 rebounds and 11 points.

Boucher isn't just a high potential guy on the floor, he's a high character guy off the floor. You can tell he's a worker. Chris went from a 28 percent three-point shooter (plus 11.8 points and 6.7 rebounds per game) as a freshman to a monster double-double guy shooting 44 percent at the arc.

"This is likely why we were so successful this year," said Erickson. "We have a player of the year in a guy that is top notch that nobody at Northwest or likely in our region has seen talent wise, and he's a guy that people just love. We are a small community, a small campus and people just love him.

"He doesn't understand how good he is. There is no ego to Chris, there is nothing about him in that way. He just shows up to do his job and he treats everybody just the same. I think we were successful this year because our best player was just a normal guy. He isn't that guy on campus or in the locker room that thought he was too cool for school.

"Chris is a great kid that comes to work every day in the gym, in the classroom, and in the community. We do a lot of community service and Chris gets out there. People in this community just love him. Really in the locker room he's kind of a quiet guy on the court and in the locker room but when Chris speaks everybody listens."

So where does Boucher go from here? TCU has been on him for a long time and they received his first visit. There are several other schools that since joined the race at various times over the winter.

"Chris has already visited TCU, he has talked about visiting Texas Tech and I believe that is next week, I will find out tomorrow to know if that visit is finalized," said Erickson. "And then he's talked about visiting Minnesota the next week, although that is not final either.

"He has those two schools on him and then he has Iowa State and Oregon State that he is still very, very interested in. Iowa State is actually flying in today to see him. I think it likely comes down to them.

"There are a couple others, Washington State and Wyoming are still kind of hanging on but Chris is going to look at these other schools first, and if he doesn't like them then he could change his mind but I think he's kind of narrowed it to getting a couple visits in the next couple weeks and then go from there."

The Gophers have been evaluating Chris all winter and around the junior college playoff time they offered Boucher a scholarship.

"It's probably been since December or so that Minnesota has watched him," said Erickson. "I have talked to them, Chris has talked to them. Chris had a chance to talk to Coach Richard Pitino the other day for the first time. He's got to know a couple of their other coaches and he really likes them.

"With Chris being 6-foot-10, he's skinny, and he can run like a deer. He can just run and run and run, Chris can really get up and down the floor. Chris likes Minnesota for the fit of what he can do. They would like to put him at the top of their press and Chris is so long that he can get some tips and they fit him because they play a little bit faster. Chris really likes the Minnesota coaches but the system too."

With Chris expected to visit Texas Tech the third weekend of April, Minnesota the fourth weekend of April, and maybe another visit could happen as well, GI expects a decision from Boucher in late April or more likely early May. However, when a player likes what he sees he can decide at any time so keep an eye on the recruitment of Chris Boucher.