Minnesota received an oral commitment from Alvin Ellis, a 6-foot-4, 190-pound guard out of Chicago De La Salle High School.

"Alvin really loved his visit, and he especially got along great with the guys on the team, guys like Austin Hollins," De La Salle coach Tom White said. "Those players remind him of the players we have here. The Gophers got themselves a really good all-around player. I can't wait to see him play in the Big Ten next year."

Ellis picked Minnesota over Kansas State, Butler and Northwestern.

Tyus Jones underwent surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb and will not be cleared for basketball-related activities until next month.

"I'll be ready for the season," Jones said, his shooting hand protected by a splint.

Jones played host to Minnesota’s Tubby Smith, Michigan State's Tom Izzo, Stanford's Johnny Dawkins and Kentucky’s John Calipari this week. North Carolina's Roy Williams is scheduled to visit next week.

"It's definitely starting to get more serious," he said. "You can kind of feel it. I'm still having fun with it, but it's picking up.

"It's a business for them, for the coaches, for the colleges. I'm trying to just have fun with it and not let it stress me out."