The first live evaluation period in July was a busy one for Indiana last week.
The Indiana staff spent the majority of its time at the Adidas event in South Carolina and then the Nike EYBL event in Kansas City.
Some of the key prospects they watched multiple times and often at least two-deep were 2023 four-star forward Arrinten Page, 2023 four-star hybrid forward TJ Power, 2023 four-star wing Jamie Kaiser, 2023 four-star guard DeShawn Harris-Smith, 2024 five-star forward Yves Missi, 2024 five-star guard Dylan Harper, 2024 four-star guard Paul McNeil, 2024 four-star guard Liam McNeeley, 2024 four-star forward Raleigh Burgess, 2024 four-star forward Aiden Sherrell, 2024 four-star guard Jaeden Mustaf, 2024 four-star wing Khani Rooths, 2025 guard Jalen Haralson, 2025 forward Trent Sisley.
Indiana also spent one night with Mike Woodson and Brian Walsh watching No. 2 2023 prospect Xavier Booker.
New offers to come from that weekend were 2023 four-star guard DeShawn Harris-Smith and 2025 guard Mikel Brown.
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On the DeShawn Harris-Smith front, he is a four-star wing who can be labeled as a 'point-forward'. He is a 6-foot-5 wing who is terrific with the ball in his hands. He holds offers from Indiana, Texas Tech, Villanova, Georgetown, Maryland, LSU, Butler, TCU, Virginia Tech and more.
He plays for Paul VI (Va.) and Team Loaded on the AAU circuit.
Kenya Hunter and Yasir Rosemond were the assistant who watched him last weekend.
Indiana is looking for playmakers and play-creators with the ball in hand. Harris-Smith has the ability and has a terrific ability to get downhill and in the lane with his dribble. Indiana loses Xavier Johnson -- the lone player from last year who has that skill -- next year and there is obvious potential to lose Jalen Hood-Schifino to the NBA as a one-and-done prospect next year as well. That's not 100% expected but Indiana wants to put out feelers for some players with that skillset if that happens.
TheHoosier.com saw Harris-Smith multiple times over the weekend. Here are scouting notes.
"Versatile 'point-wing' type player. Good size and frame as a wing but plays a heavy dose of the time with the ball in his hands orchestrating the offense. Playmaker that can do a little bit of everything. Has worked mostly off the ball working off screens to free a look up. Attacks the basket hard and has even played the post at times when they go small ball. When on the ball, he creates very well off the dribble and showed that with a pretty step-back jumper from about 17 ft. Very talented player overall and provides a lot of options in an offense."
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2023 five-star prospect Xavier Booker announced this week he would be announcing a 'top list' on July 25. He did not announce how many teams but talking with some sources, there is an expectation it will be in that 5-7 range. That's not 100%, however, and things change.
Booker has offers from Duke, Gonzaga, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Purdue, Indiana, Auburn, Notre Dame, Kansas, Oregon, Louisville and more.
Duke and Gonzaga did not watch Booker once during the June live periods or the initial live period in July.
Auburn came on strong in June, sending head coach Bruce Pearl and multiple assistants to many of his games.
Right now, Booker has one official visit set for this fall -- to Ohio State over Labor Day.
Indiana and Michigan State have hosted Booker the most in terms of visits.
Booker took two unofficial visits to Indiana and an official visit as a junior.
I would expect Indiana to make this list, but there are still a lot of questions around the recruitment in terms of how involved some of the schools are who have offered. Booker has been pretty tight-lipped in terms of which programs are standing out to him.
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One of the biggest risers over the last few live sessions has been 2023 four-star forward TJ Power. Power received offers from Kansas, UCLA, UNC and Duke in the last week following his terrific performance in Kansas City last weekend.
Indiana watched Power in every single game in Kansas City and his game on Thursday night was Mike Woodson's first stop. Indiana was at least two-deep for him every game but one from Thursday to Sunday.
Power told TheHoosier.com that these recent offers definitely change things and have put a bit of a hold on scheduling visits. He told TheHoosier.com last week -- prior to the offers -- that he was looking to set up a visit to Indiana in September. Indiana has done a terrific job in his recruitment but with five official visits for his senior year, a lot of thought is going to go into this one.
UNC should be a player here with the de-commitment of 2023 No. 1 overall prospect GG Jackson. Not to say they are similar players, because they aren't, but now UNC has an opening at that stretch 4 position and that is what that Tar Heels see Power as. The season that Brady Manek has last year doesn't hurt at all when Power looks at Hubert Davis' system.
Power added that he will reassess things and visits after next week's live period.
He has taken official visits this summer to Notre Dame and Virginia. Other programs involved are Providence, Iowa, Boston College, Virginia Tech.
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2023 four-star wing Jamie Kaiser set his official visit to Indiana for July 25-26 last week. That is notable.
Indiana has moved Kaiser up its board over the last few live periods. Kaiser was Mike Woodson's first stop during June's first live period and then Kenya Hunter's first stop in the second live period. Indiana was three-deep for Kaiser on Sunday to see him help New World AAU win the Adidas 3SSB Championships event.
Kaiser also has a visit set up to UCLA next weekend following the Adidas event in California.
Maryland, Indiana, Virginia, Wisconsin are the main programs heavily involved here.
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Indiana freshman forward Malik Reneau spoke to the media on Thursday. Here were some of the key quotes:
Q. On playing against Trayce Jackson-Davis…
RENEAU: Well, from Trayce, we are both lefties, so I keep in mind what he does as a lefty. He's real dominant down low and understands how he can control his man in the post, and he just finds a way to get easy baskets down low and I look at that and I see how I can have a resemblance to Trayce being tough and being dominant down low. And then when it comes to competing with the older guys, just really like not falling into all the trash talking and just really ultimately playing my game and that helps me play -- compete against the older guys and I think I do a good job of that.
Q. On the challenges of going against Race Thompson and Jackson-Davis in practices…
RENEAU: It's been a lot of changes. I mean, I've been going against Race and Trayce for two weeks now. You can tell the physical difference from high school and college. It's hard to bump bodies with Race and Trayce because they are all solid and it's not easy to move them. So, I've got to, you know, I have to find different moves or get past them with speed and not just overpower them and that's where I found a big difference and from high school and from college. I mean, I feel like it's more a finesse game and not just trying to back down your man. So that's what I found.
Q. On his skillset…
RENEAU: I'd say having a winning mentality, competing on the court. You know, doing whatever it takes to help my team win, not only you know trying to score the basketball but help on the defensive end, set good screens to the point guards and stuff like that and just try to do all the little stuff and that's what's going to help my game expand into like scoring and that's what's going to build my confidence up to be able to score the basketball and to play defense and all that stuff.
Q. On positional play and improvements to be made…
RENEAU: Actually, I mean, I've been playing, you know, I've been playing the four and the five. I mean, going between four and five but I've been playing the four most of the time, going up against Race a lot, and just being able to improve my shooting from pass to arc, and improve my three-point shot, and just being confident with my jump shot and working on attacking close-outs, and staying where I'm comfortable at in the post, too. Just trying to touch on everything. But mostly my jump shot.
Q. On playing on the perimeter…
RENEAU: Yes, I've been playing outside. The way Coach Woodson's plan style is, the four is outside on the perimeter a lot of times. I've been working on my perimeter game trying to guard the one through the five, and just being able to -- be able to switch on defense and to help expand my game might help expand my range for offensive end and to be able to knock down threes when I'm wide open.
More:
indiana.rivals.com
indiana.rivals.com
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This week is a huge live period as Peach Jam and Adidas are back in action to wrap up the summer.
TheHoosier.com will be in attendance at Peach Jam as will Rivals national analysts Rob Cassidy and Travis Graf.
We will provide updates all week.
The Indiana staff spent the majority of its time at the Adidas event in South Carolina and then the Nike EYBL event in Kansas City.
Some of the key prospects they watched multiple times and often at least two-deep were 2023 four-star forward Arrinten Page, 2023 four-star hybrid forward TJ Power, 2023 four-star wing Jamie Kaiser, 2023 four-star guard DeShawn Harris-Smith, 2024 five-star forward Yves Missi, 2024 five-star guard Dylan Harper, 2024 four-star guard Paul McNeil, 2024 four-star guard Liam McNeeley, 2024 four-star forward Raleigh Burgess, 2024 four-star forward Aiden Sherrell, 2024 four-star guard Jaeden Mustaf, 2024 four-star wing Khani Rooths, 2025 guard Jalen Haralson, 2025 forward Trent Sisley.
Indiana also spent one night with Mike Woodson and Brian Walsh watching No. 2 2023 prospect Xavier Booker.
New offers to come from that weekend were 2023 four-star guard DeShawn Harris-Smith and 2025 guard Mikel Brown.
---
On the DeShawn Harris-Smith front, he is a four-star wing who can be labeled as a 'point-forward'. He is a 6-foot-5 wing who is terrific with the ball in his hands. He holds offers from Indiana, Texas Tech, Villanova, Georgetown, Maryland, LSU, Butler, TCU, Virginia Tech and more.
He plays for Paul VI (Va.) and Team Loaded on the AAU circuit.
Kenya Hunter and Yasir Rosemond were the assistant who watched him last weekend.
Indiana is looking for playmakers and play-creators with the ball in hand. Harris-Smith has the ability and has a terrific ability to get downhill and in the lane with his dribble. Indiana loses Xavier Johnson -- the lone player from last year who has that skill -- next year and there is obvious potential to lose Jalen Hood-Schifino to the NBA as a one-and-done prospect next year as well. That's not 100% expected but Indiana wants to put out feelers for some players with that skillset if that happens.
TheHoosier.com saw Harris-Smith multiple times over the weekend. Here are scouting notes.
"Versatile 'point-wing' type player. Good size and frame as a wing but plays a heavy dose of the time with the ball in his hands orchestrating the offense. Playmaker that can do a little bit of everything. Has worked mostly off the ball working off screens to free a look up. Attacks the basket hard and has even played the post at times when they go small ball. When on the ball, he creates very well off the dribble and showed that with a pretty step-back jumper from about 17 ft. Very talented player overall and provides a lot of options in an offense."
---
2023 five-star prospect Xavier Booker announced this week he would be announcing a 'top list' on July 25. He did not announce how many teams but talking with some sources, there is an expectation it will be in that 5-7 range. That's not 100%, however, and things change.
Booker has offers from Duke, Gonzaga, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Purdue, Indiana, Auburn, Notre Dame, Kansas, Oregon, Louisville and more.
Duke and Gonzaga did not watch Booker once during the June live periods or the initial live period in July.
Auburn came on strong in June, sending head coach Bruce Pearl and multiple assistants to many of his games.
Right now, Booker has one official visit set for this fall -- to Ohio State over Labor Day.
Indiana and Michigan State have hosted Booker the most in terms of visits.
Booker took two unofficial visits to Indiana and an official visit as a junior.
I would expect Indiana to make this list, but there are still a lot of questions around the recruitment in terms of how involved some of the schools are who have offered. Booker has been pretty tight-lipped in terms of which programs are standing out to him.
---
One of the biggest risers over the last few live sessions has been 2023 four-star forward TJ Power. Power received offers from Kansas, UCLA, UNC and Duke in the last week following his terrific performance in Kansas City last weekend.
Indiana watched Power in every single game in Kansas City and his game on Thursday night was Mike Woodson's first stop. Indiana was at least two-deep for him every game but one from Thursday to Sunday.
Power told TheHoosier.com that these recent offers definitely change things and have put a bit of a hold on scheduling visits. He told TheHoosier.com last week -- prior to the offers -- that he was looking to set up a visit to Indiana in September. Indiana has done a terrific job in his recruitment but with five official visits for his senior year, a lot of thought is going to go into this one.
UNC should be a player here with the de-commitment of 2023 No. 1 overall prospect GG Jackson. Not to say they are similar players, because they aren't, but now UNC has an opening at that stretch 4 position and that is what that Tar Heels see Power as. The season that Brady Manek has last year doesn't hurt at all when Power looks at Hubert Davis' system.
Power added that he will reassess things and visits after next week's live period.
He has taken official visits this summer to Notre Dame and Virginia. Other programs involved are Providence, Iowa, Boston College, Virginia Tech.
---
2023 four-star wing Jamie Kaiser set his official visit to Indiana for July 25-26 last week. That is notable.
Indiana has moved Kaiser up its board over the last few live periods. Kaiser was Mike Woodson's first stop during June's first live period and then Kenya Hunter's first stop in the second live period. Indiana was three-deep for Kaiser on Sunday to see him help New World AAU win the Adidas 3SSB Championships event.
Kaiser also has a visit set up to UCLA next weekend following the Adidas event in California.
Maryland, Indiana, Virginia, Wisconsin are the main programs heavily involved here.
---
Indiana freshman forward Malik Reneau spoke to the media on Thursday. Here were some of the key quotes:
Q. On playing against Trayce Jackson-Davis…
RENEAU: Well, from Trayce, we are both lefties, so I keep in mind what he does as a lefty. He's real dominant down low and understands how he can control his man in the post, and he just finds a way to get easy baskets down low and I look at that and I see how I can have a resemblance to Trayce being tough and being dominant down low. And then when it comes to competing with the older guys, just really like not falling into all the trash talking and just really ultimately playing my game and that helps me play -- compete against the older guys and I think I do a good job of that.
Q. On the challenges of going against Race Thompson and Jackson-Davis in practices…
RENEAU: It's been a lot of changes. I mean, I've been going against Race and Trayce for two weeks now. You can tell the physical difference from high school and college. It's hard to bump bodies with Race and Trayce because they are all solid and it's not easy to move them. So, I've got to, you know, I have to find different moves or get past them with speed and not just overpower them and that's where I found a big difference and from high school and from college. I mean, I feel like it's more a finesse game and not just trying to back down your man. So that's what I found.
Q. On his skillset…
RENEAU: I'd say having a winning mentality, competing on the court. You know, doing whatever it takes to help my team win, not only you know trying to score the basketball but help on the defensive end, set good screens to the point guards and stuff like that and just try to do all the little stuff and that's what's going to help my game expand into like scoring and that's what's going to build my confidence up to be able to score the basketball and to play defense and all that stuff.
Q. On positional play and improvements to be made…
RENEAU: Actually, I mean, I've been playing, you know, I've been playing the four and the five. I mean, going between four and five but I've been playing the four most of the time, going up against Race a lot, and just being able to improve my shooting from pass to arc, and improve my three-point shot, and just being confident with my jump shot and working on attacking close-outs, and staying where I'm comfortable at in the post, too. Just trying to touch on everything. But mostly my jump shot.
Q. On playing on the perimeter…
RENEAU: Yes, I've been playing outside. The way Coach Woodson's plan style is, the four is outside on the perimeter a lot of times. I've been working on my perimeter game trying to guard the one through the five, and just being able to -- be able to switch on defense and to help expand my game might help expand my range for offensive end and to be able to knock down threes when I'm wide open.
More:
Player Q&A: Malik Reneau discusses summer workouts
Indiana freshman forward Malik Reneau discusses his adjustment to IU and how summer workouts are going.
TheHoosier - Malik Reneau embracing competition with veteran Indiana front court
Malik Reneau brings a lot to the Indiana front court and continues to learn more from the veterans at his position.
indiana.rivals.com
---
This week is a huge live period as Peach Jam and Adidas are back in action to wrap up the summer.
TheHoosier.com will be in attendance at Peach Jam as will Rivals national analysts Rob Cassidy and Travis Graf.
We will provide updates all week.
