Recruiting Report: Gabe Madsen (2020)
Rochester Mayo is 11-5 on the season sitting at third place in the Big Nine. Leading the way is 6-foot-5, 190 pound Gabe Madsen, a near 27 point per game skilled scorer. In the past week Gabe has scored 33…
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Continue ReadingRochester Mayo is 11-5 on the season sitting at third place in the Big Nine. Leading the way is 6-foot-5, 190 pound Gabe Madsen, a near 27 point per game skilled scorer.
In the past week Gabe has scored 33 points with 11 rebounds in a win at Faribault preceded by a 31 point performance in a loss to one Waupun, one of the better teams in Wisconsin. In watching Gabe compete we saw a combo guard that has grown at least two inches scoring with a pretty touch off the bounce, with feet set, and catching after movement in the Mayo offense.
Gabe’s game has grown and with it the Mayo Spartans are playing better basketball this year. Gabe and brother Mason moved to Rochester along with their family as father Luke became the new head coach at Mayo. Luke accepted the job before the 2017-18 school year started and that’s about the same time the Big Nine has become a deeper league.
“The level of competition in the Big Nine, everybody tells me, we caught it at a good time,” Luke explained. “We were looking for competition and this has been great. The boys and I looked for a place where we were going to have to compete every night so it’s been a really good thing.”
Gabe compared the difference to playing basketball in Wisconsin as a younger player to Minnesota now as a high school competitor as a junior.
“In Wisconsin we weren’t playing the best of teams, so that was a big transition the first year (17-18),” Gabe said. “Now in the second year the competition has made us better players. We have to go out and compete every night. It’s a very different game here, the way it’s officiated. In Minnesota they let a lot more go. I like it better that way definitely.”
The last we saw Gabe was at the Battle at the Lakes playing with the Wisconsin Playground Warriors last May. Gabe was outstanding but what we saw was a talented guard at about 6-foot-3. The player in green and gold at the Border Battle has definitely matured physically.
“Gabe is a big 6-foot-5,” Coach Madson explained. “Maybe 6-foot-6. He’s 190 pounds right now and is putting weight on. Mason has also got bigger as he is a big 6-foot-3. Their athleticism has improved.”
Gabe has hit 40 or more twice this season (season high 44 points against Winona, 40 against Winona) and went for 30 plus points six times this year.
“Gabe is a 6-foot-6 kid with a unique skill set that is a pain in the butt to defend,” Luke said. “It’s a challenge because of you go little on him, he will take you down low.
“Gabe is scoring at all three levels as he has really worked on his pull-up game. Gabe scores in such a variety of ways, a very creative scorer. And that’s something you really can’t teach. Gabe has really improved as a rebounder, he’s at double digits rebounding per game as well. If I just look at him as a player (as Luke is Gabe’s father) he’s simply a pleasure to coach.”
“I just can’t be satisfied,” Gabe told Prep Hoops. “I always have to keep growing. Every morning get up and go to the gym. Then before practice get in their quick and stay late in get in more work. We can’t get satisfied, we have to try and find ways to get better. That also includes watching film, talking to my dad about ways to get better, stuff like that.”
Madsen is being recruited at a strong level with offers from several Midwest programs. Other college programs are looking at Gabe closely and judging by what we saw at the Border Battle that offer list will multiply several times over.
“Northern Iowa is the most active in recruiting the boys (Gabe and Mason),” Luke said. “Toledo is really active in their recruitment, and of course we hear from the schools that have offered them. Like Northern Iowa, Toledo, Bradley, UWGB, Milwaukee, and then we get a lot of mail. Creighton and Wisconsin send mail daily.”
This is a big week for the Mayo Spartans. They have Winona tomorrow night, hit the road for Owatonna on Friday, and then the local rivalry game with Rochester JM this Saturday. Add in a date with ranked Northfield in eight days and you have an important stretch.
“One of the biggest challenges we have coming is obviously Matthew (Hurt),” Gabe said. “We have to try and find a way to stop him. We talk about working against him but he may get 40 and you have to stop the other guys.
“Overall I love playing in the Big Nine. There may be a couple teams struggling but against most of this league you have to be ready to compete every night. Everybody gives you your best every night.
“We have to keep defending, obviously, we have to defend. We also have to keep sharing the ball. This is the first year that we have played with this group of guys in the line-up and it’s a good group of skilled sophomores. The biggest thing we have to do is defend.”