The Gophers men’s basketball program this month gave a strong indication of what Babou Ann would mean to the U’s 2027 recruiting class.

Head coach Niko Medved and most of his assistants were in attendance when Ann and Maple Grove knocked off Wayzata in a matchup of top Class 4A teams on Feb. 6. They weren’t alone in their conspicuous support inside Wayzata’s packed gym that Friday night; Iowa State assistant Kyle Green was also spotted in the bleachers.

That’s how popular Ann has become this winter. The four-star prospect has scholarship offers from the Gophers, Cyclones and Wisconsin Badgers among some other high-major programs.

“Those are the big three for me right now,” Ann told the Pioneer Press this week. “But I’m still open into other schools coming in.”

Midwest matchup

A smooth and defensive-minded 6-foot-5 wing, Ann is considered the No. 2 recruit in the state of Minnesota in next year’s crop. one spot behind Hopkins forward Ahmed Nur and just ahead of Cretin-Derham Hall wing Ty Schlagel, according to 247Sports composite rankings.

Nur has not yet committed to a school, while Schagel pledged to Nebraska in October. The U has not been recruiting either of those two prospects.

Medved’s first recruiting class has two in-state signees: East Ridge guard Ced Tomes and Wayzata wing Nolen Anderson. Ann knows both as teammates on the elite club program, D1 Minnesota.

Back at Wayzata High in early February, Medved and the U assistants were also present support Anderson, while Green was in the building to watch Wayzata wing Christian Wiggins, who signed with the Cyclones for next year.

Ann,  pronounced Ahn, has made recent visits to all of his “big three” schools for conference games: Minnesota for its loss to then-No. 7 Nebraska on Jan. 24; Wisconsin for the win over Ohio State on Jan. 31; and fifth-ranked Iowa State for a victory over  No. 9 Kansas last Saturday.

He beamed over what he saw at Hilton Coliseum in Ames.

“Hilton magic is real; I’ll say that,” Ann said. “The atmosphere was incredible. Everyone was on their feet the whole entire game. I felt like I was ready to play the game myself, so it was it was amazing to see and witness that.”

At Wisconsin, Ann was impressed by how “the fans and players put the trust in Coach (Greg) Gard and I see that in how they act during the game.”

With Dinkytown a short 20-mile drive from Maple Grove, Ann has made countless visits to the U, including for exhibition games in October. “How coach Medved is still being able to keep the games competitive with a lot of injuries is very impressive,” he said.

The Gophers’ pitch to Ann is for him to stay home and be a key piece in Medved’s rebuilding project.

“I want a place that has a good developing plan for me, that believes I can reach anywhere I want to be at,” Ann said. “A place where I can play freshman year, but it doesn’t have to be a huge role, (where) I can play and learn the game and system.”

Ann plans to make a college decision before his senior season next fall and intends to make it official with that school during the November early signing period.

Kicking and shooting

Ann said his father was born Gambia and moved to the U.S. in 1997. His mother was born in Boston, Ann in Minnesota. Older brother Alasan represented Gambia in taekwondo at the Paris Summer Olympics, losing in the round of 16 of the 80-plus kilogram division.

“My brother got me into (taekwondo) and it’s a very disciplined sport,” Ann said. “It really gets your mind ready and it’s something you can rely back on when things are going hard.”

Babou started playing varsity basketball for Maple Grove as a freshman. He came off the bench and hit two game-winners.

“Normally, a freshman wouldn’t have that confidence to take that shot,” Maple Grove head coach Nick Schroeder said. “He buried him both and with confidence. I’m like, Wow, this is this kid could be special.”

Ann has since developed his ability to shoot at all three levels and has worked on his ball-handling skills to take on some point guard duties. But he says defense is his best attribute.

Against Wayzata, Ann got in early foul trouble and didn’t score a ton of points, but showed the athleticism that had been magnetizing for college coaches. He walled up to stop two penetrating drives from Wiggins and had a crafty drive past Wiggins for a reverse lay-in on another possession. Gophers assistant Chad Warner raised eyebrows after that offensive play.

Earlier this month, Ann was averaging 21 points, four rebounds, four assists and 1.5 steals while shooting 65% from the field and 31% from 3-point range.

Schroeder has been Maple Grove’s head coach for 16 seasons, with point guard Brad Davison, who went on to play for the Badgers, his most-notable charge. Schroeder praised Ann’s incredible work ethic and high character, saying he’s an “amazing” student who is taking college-level classes.

“He’s one of the the best, not only as a player,” Schroeder said. “He’s an amazing talent on the court, but what a lot of people don’t see how he is off the court … how he interacts with our community and especially our young kids. That’s a special thing. Just a great kid.”

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