Minnesota's J.P. Macura had 20 points on 7 of 13 shooting from the field Thursday morning in a loss. Macura took an official visit to Butler University in June. We had a chance to catch up with the shooter.
Macura's official visit to Butler was before Brad Stevens left for the Boston Celtics. “I would say I was in-between (committing and staying open.) I just wanted to make sure it was the best fit for me. Then with him leaving, it changed up a little,” said Macura. The change was a surprise for him:
“Oh yeah, definitely (it was a surprise). No one really knew it was coming. It's a business, so you can't pass up that money,“ Macura said of the departure. The coaching situation definitely changes the picture for Macura but he says that he will still have a high level of interest in Butler. It will be an interesting situation since he took his official visit already.
“Yeah, I had a chance to talk to Brandon Miller. They are going to be running the same stuff, doing the exact same stuff. When I went on my official visit down there, I watched him do individual workouts. He seems like a good guy. He knows what he is doing. So, I'm going to continue to have interest in Butler.”
Macura has a host of D1 offers but he is still completely open with Kansas State, Iowa State, Butler, and Xavier leading his list. He has also recently been contacted by Purdue. “He (Matt Painter) called me about two days ago, just saying that they were going to come out and watch,” said Macura.
In-State Minnesota is also in the picture but they have not offered him yet. “I've been talking to them quite a bit. They just say that they need to watch me play a little bit,” said Macura. Many feel that Macura would lean towards Minnesota if they offer although he did not say that when asked.
Macura is known as a shooter, but he can also do a little bit off the bounce. He is not an explosive leaper, but he has good quickness with his first step. He also has a solid burst of speed in the open court. Butler is in the market for an elite shooter and Macura would fit that mold.