Gophers recruit Josh Perkins slated to make decision next Sunday

After losing out on the Ja’Quan Newton lottery a week ago, Richard Pitino and the Gophers hope to bounce back and land five-star point guard Josh Perkins.

Perkins, who will begin his senior year of high school in a few weeks at Huntington Prep in West Virginia, will announce his decision on Aug. 25 — his 18th birthday.

Ranking in at No. 24 in the ESPN Top 100 in the Class of 2014, Perkins narrowed his list of schools to five in late July. Including Minnesota, the other four schools are UCLA, Gonzaga, UConn and Kentucky.

At 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, Perkins is a true point guard with excellent handles and a tenacity of finding open teammates off the dribble. He’s also skilled at finishing at the rim after contact and would be a tremendous boost to the Gophers backcourt.

Follow Gold and Gopher on Twitter | Follow Frank Bi on Twitter