It's a huge weekend for Indiana basketball, its current players, recruits and more.
Let's start with Indiana's Pro Day this afternoon. Sources told TheHoosier.com that nearly every NBA team is expected to be in attendance. All 30 were invited and mid-20's are supposed to be on campus today.
The headliner from Indiana's perspective is Trayce Jackson-Davis. The All-Big Ten player and All-American is the one that is probably most NBA teams are excited to see, especially since he missed out on the NBA Combine this summer due to covid.
Last year, Jackson-Davis was projected to go near the end of the second-round of the NBA Draft.
Obviously Indiana has the likes of Jordan Geronimo, Jalen Hood-Schifino, Race Thompson, Malik Reneau, Tamar Bates and Xavier Johnson who are also prospects that the NBA will look at today especially.
Out of those, Jalen Hood-Schifino is the one with the highest upside today. Coming in as a five-star prospect, the expectation was two yeas and most likely moving on to the next level. Throughout this summer and early parts of spring practice, there is a real possibility that with a good season, he could be a one-and-done. The staff knows it, the players know it and the NBA is going to be focusing on him as well.
Here is what Trayce Jackson-Davis said about JHS at IU media day a few weeks ago.
"Jalen is ridiculous. A 6-foot-5 point guard. He's crafty with the ball. His mid range is on point. He's really, really mature for his age. I think he’s only going to be here for one year, but that’s just me.”
The biggest part of Hood-Schifino's game that NBA scouts will want to see and will be watching for this season as a whole is his shooting ability. He has never been known as a knockdown shooter, but he hasn't needed to have that role. He is terrific creating in space and getting into the lane and turning a corner and going downhill in the half court setting. That will always be there. He needs to show his shot is consistent. He has done that so far this summer, not to take it to today and this season.
More on IU's pro day:
indiana.rivals.com
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The other major event today is Hoosier Hysteria. It's year two for Mike Woodson and the expectations are -- in my opinion -- finally realistic. The talent level on the roster matches what the expectations are for this team this year.
Tonight, unofficially, gets the 2022-23 season underway.
Like most years, a three-point contest, skills contest and other basketball activities. In years past, that included a slam dunk contest and some form of a scrimmage. Last year they did not participate in a true scrimmage due to some players out with injury. We will see if that happens this year.
Indiana included a new aspect to Hoosier Hysteria this year with rapper G Herbo who will perform at the end of the event. While this isn't necessarily 'significant' for fans, Indiana needed to modernize the event from a recruiting perspective. This is a step in the right direction.
Coverage is on BTN+ -- a paid subscription. If you don't have it, TheHoosier will obviously be in attendance and will have a live thread, video, pictures, recaps and takeaways throughout and following the event. So stay tuned for that.
Now, on to the major recruiting list for tonight and this weekend.
Here is the list of visitors TheHoosier.com has confirmed will be in attendance tonight:
2023 four-star guard Gabe Cupps (IU commit)
2023 four-star guard Jakai Newton (IU commit)
2024 five-star forward Flory Bidunga
2024 four-star center Raleigh Burgess
2024 four-star guard Jonathan Powell
2024 three-star wing Caleb Williams (official visit)
2025 four-star forward Trent Sisley
2025 four-star guard Trey McKenney
2025 wing EJ Walker
2025 center Malachi Moreno
2025 four-star guard Jalen Haralson was going to be in attendance as well but was invited to the Team USA mini-camp in Colorado this weekend.
It's a significant list. A lot of very talented players that will be on campus. Some of them will be on campus for the entire weekend.
For 2024 wing Caleb Williams, he is the lone official visitor this weekend. His visit started last night and will run midway through Saturday.
He is a 6-foot-7 wing from Sidwell Friends School in Washington, DC and plays for Team Takeover on the AAU Circuit. He helped lead Team Takeover to a 16U Peach Jam title this summer. Williams has offers from Virginia, Michigan, Maryland, Villanova, Georgia Tech, Penn State and Virginia Tech among others. According to sources, Williams is very intrigued by Indiana. This is a key visit that has flown under-the-radar a bit with some of the others the last few weeks.
TheHoosier.com Scouting Notes on Williams:
"Williams is a lethal offensive option who can create in many ways with the ball in his hands. He has good size at 6-foot-7 and better length that allows him to do a lot with the ball. He is a very good shooter, both on and off of the ball. His range stretches beyond three-point range. Williams has a knack for getting to his spot on the floor, typically around 15-17 feet and getting his shot off. The lefty wing has tremendous footwork that allows him to find crafty ways to create separation for his jumper. He is a good passer as well and has good body control to finish near the rim and around taller defenders."
Kenya Hunter has connection here, with Williams being from the Team Takeover program and DC area. Xavier Johnson and former Indiana standout Victor Oladipo played for the Team Takeover program and obviously hold some weight.
Here are some video highlights from this summer:
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The highest ranked prospect to be in attendance tonight is 2024 five-star Kokomo (Ind.) forward Flory Bidunga. The No. 2 overall prospect in the class will be on an unofficial visit to Indiana. He has visited Butler, Michigan, Purdue and Cincinnati as well.
As we reported a few weeks ago, Cincinnati has the inside track here and this week's news only solidified that. Cincinnati hired Bradley assistant Drew Adams. Adams is the son of Indiana Elite's Mark Adams. Flory Bidunga plays for Indiana Elite. That connection is very strong.
Indiana will still stay involved, but unless things really change, I don't expect Bidunga to land at Indiana. But, Indiana will continue to push until this one is over. That's what you do when you get a top-2 prospect on campus.
Here is some additional info from Rivals national analyst Travis Graf:
indiana.rivals.com
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2024 top-30 prospect Liam McNeeley visited Indiana two weeks ago for his first official visit. It went very well. He was on campus with his mom and grandfather.
As things stand now, Indiana and Texas are very much involved as are LSU, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. McNeeley is originally from Texas before making the move to Montverde Academy this summer. Texas is going to be tough to beat in this one. What is going to be a deciding factor will be how involved Mike Woodson is in the day-to-day communication. That was something that McNeeley said he likes most about Texas and head coach Chris Beard -- the constant communication. Indiana does that, but with assistant coaches. If Indiana wants to win this one, Mike Woodson needs to jump two feet in with his contact.
Some notable quotes, however, from the visit:
McNeeley on his role: "They emphasized me being a bigger guard and being versatile. Coming off ball screens or posting up smaller defenders and moving the ball in transition."
McNeeley on IU's history: "Indiana is obviously a historic basketball state, and the fans in Indiana almost worship basketball. Love from the fans make me feel wanted."
McNeeley's mom on the visit: "Having time with the Coach Woodson and learning from him was very special. Having the opportunity to watch the practice and see first hand the team's intensity and NBA style of play was just awesome."
As of right now, Indiana Is/was the only visit he had scheduled. He is working on dates with Texas.
McNeeley post-visit Q&A:
indiana.rivals.com
---
2024 four-star forward Derik Queen also made a visit with Liam McNeeley. They are teammates at Montverde.
The main programs involved for Queen are Maryland, Indiana and Arizona. While it may be too early to say, it looks like those will be the three that matter in the long run.
Queen originally had an official visit to Maryland for Oct. 1 but had to reschedule for later this month. He has already visited unofficially. Queen is originally from Maryland before transferring to Montverde Academy last year.
There remain whispers about whether or not Queen will join the 2023 recruiting class but until that happens, he remains in 2024. Indiana will obviously take him in either class.
Maryland remains in front at the moment, but Indiana definitely made an impact, according to sources. This one still has a while to go.
He was recently a standout at the Hoop Exchange Fall Festival:
indiana.rivals.com
---
For 2024 four-star guard Jaeden Mustaf, he was scheduled to be on campus last weekend but due to a scheduling conflict -- on IU's side -- they had to move it. They are looking at the end of this month, potentially for the weekend of October 29 for the Marian exhibition.
Mustaf plays for Carmel Christian (NC) and on the New World AAU program out of the DMV area.
Other programs involved with Mustaf include Georgetown, Virginia Tech, NC State, Wake Forest, Georgia, Pitt, Florida State and Maryland.
TheHoosier.com saw Mustaf multiple times this summer. Here our the scouting notes:
"Mustaf is a crafty guard with the ball in his hands. He can play both on and off of the ball, but he is best creating with the ball. He has good athleticism and can play around the rim with ease. He has very good body control. His jumper is consistent and shows good ability to create and finish in the mid-range. He's not going to blow you away with tremendous speed, but he has a quick first step that allows him to get his defender on his hip and control the play and get to his spots."
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2024 five-star Asa Newell of Montverde Academy will also be on campus this month. He is scheduled to visit October 21-23. He took his first official visit to Georgia Sept 23-25. He is originally from the Georgia area and his brother is a walk-on at UGA.
Newell visited Indiana unofficially this summer. Newell is a 6-foot-9 forward who is extremely versatile on the floor. He can hit 3s, take bigger defenders off of the dribble and also is terrific at playing above the rim, either in transition or in the paint.
How Indiana uses Jalen Hood-Schifino and Malik Reneau this year and their success will be impactful for Indiana here. Despite not playing at Montverde last season, Newell and his family are well aware of the Montverde - IU connection at the moment.
"We're definitely going to be monitoring to see how the season plays out," Justin Newell, Asa's dad, told TheHoosier. "One thing they (Indiana staff) continued to mention was that the players in Malik and Jalen arrived ready. They were ready, their bodies were ready, basketball IQ ready. More-so than most freshmen when they step on campus. So I'd like to see how the season plays out and how the system works for them."
He was recently a standout at the Hoop Exchange Fall Festival:
indiana.rivals.com
---
Indiana's Trayce Jackson-Davis was named Preseason Big Ten Player of the Year this week. He is the third-leading returning scorer in the country.
Big Ten Media Day is next week and we'll get more info, stories, coverage and video from that.
Let's start with Indiana's Pro Day this afternoon. Sources told TheHoosier.com that nearly every NBA team is expected to be in attendance. All 30 were invited and mid-20's are supposed to be on campus today.
The headliner from Indiana's perspective is Trayce Jackson-Davis. The All-Big Ten player and All-American is the one that is probably most NBA teams are excited to see, especially since he missed out on the NBA Combine this summer due to covid.
Last year, Jackson-Davis was projected to go near the end of the second-round of the NBA Draft.
Obviously Indiana has the likes of Jordan Geronimo, Jalen Hood-Schifino, Race Thompson, Malik Reneau, Tamar Bates and Xavier Johnson who are also prospects that the NBA will look at today especially.
Out of those, Jalen Hood-Schifino is the one with the highest upside today. Coming in as a five-star prospect, the expectation was two yeas and most likely moving on to the next level. Throughout this summer and early parts of spring practice, there is a real possibility that with a good season, he could be a one-and-done. The staff knows it, the players know it and the NBA is going to be focusing on him as well.
Here is what Trayce Jackson-Davis said about JHS at IU media day a few weeks ago.
"Jalen is ridiculous. A 6-foot-5 point guard. He's crafty with the ball. His mid range is on point. He's really, really mature for his age. I think he’s only going to be here for one year, but that’s just me.”
The biggest part of Hood-Schifino's game that NBA scouts will want to see and will be watching for this season as a whole is his shooting ability. He has never been known as a knockdown shooter, but he hasn't needed to have that role. He is terrific creating in space and getting into the lane and turning a corner and going downhill in the half court setting. That will always be there. He needs to show his shot is consistent. He has done that so far this summer, not to take it to today and this season.
More on IU's pro day:
Indiana basketball hosts program's first Pro Day
Indiana is set to host its first-ever Pro Day for men's basketball on Friday.
---
The other major event today is Hoosier Hysteria. It's year two for Mike Woodson and the expectations are -- in my opinion -- finally realistic. The talent level on the roster matches what the expectations are for this team this year.
Tonight, unofficially, gets the 2022-23 season underway.
Like most years, a three-point contest, skills contest and other basketball activities. In years past, that included a slam dunk contest and some form of a scrimmage. Last year they did not participate in a true scrimmage due to some players out with injury. We will see if that happens this year.
Indiana included a new aspect to Hoosier Hysteria this year with rapper G Herbo who will perform at the end of the event. While this isn't necessarily 'significant' for fans, Indiana needed to modernize the event from a recruiting perspective. This is a step in the right direction.
Coverage is on BTN+ -- a paid subscription. If you don't have it, TheHoosier will obviously be in attendance and will have a live thread, video, pictures, recaps and takeaways throughout and following the event. So stay tuned for that.
Now, on to the major recruiting list for tonight and this weekend.
Here is the list of visitors TheHoosier.com has confirmed will be in attendance tonight:
2023 four-star guard Gabe Cupps (IU commit)
2023 four-star guard Jakai Newton (IU commit)
2024 five-star forward Flory Bidunga
2024 four-star center Raleigh Burgess
2024 four-star guard Jonathan Powell
2024 three-star wing Caleb Williams (official visit)
2025 four-star forward Trent Sisley
2025 four-star guard Trey McKenney
2025 wing EJ Walker
2025 center Malachi Moreno
2025 four-star guard Jalen Haralson was going to be in attendance as well but was invited to the Team USA mini-camp in Colorado this weekend.
It's a significant list. A lot of very talented players that will be on campus. Some of them will be on campus for the entire weekend.
For 2024 wing Caleb Williams, he is the lone official visitor this weekend. His visit started last night and will run midway through Saturday.
He is a 6-foot-7 wing from Sidwell Friends School in Washington, DC and plays for Team Takeover on the AAU Circuit. He helped lead Team Takeover to a 16U Peach Jam title this summer. Williams has offers from Virginia, Michigan, Maryland, Villanova, Georgia Tech, Penn State and Virginia Tech among others. According to sources, Williams is very intrigued by Indiana. This is a key visit that has flown under-the-radar a bit with some of the others the last few weeks.
TheHoosier.com Scouting Notes on Williams:
"Williams is a lethal offensive option who can create in many ways with the ball in his hands. He has good size at 6-foot-7 and better length that allows him to do a lot with the ball. He is a very good shooter, both on and off of the ball. His range stretches beyond three-point range. Williams has a knack for getting to his spot on the floor, typically around 15-17 feet and getting his shot off. The lefty wing has tremendous footwork that allows him to find crafty ways to create separation for his jumper. He is a good passer as well and has good body control to finish near the rim and around taller defenders."
Kenya Hunter has connection here, with Williams being from the Team Takeover program and DC area. Xavier Johnson and former Indiana standout Victor Oladipo played for the Team Takeover program and obviously hold some weight.
Here are some video highlights from this summer:
---
The highest ranked prospect to be in attendance tonight is 2024 five-star Kokomo (Ind.) forward Flory Bidunga. The No. 2 overall prospect in the class will be on an unofficial visit to Indiana. He has visited Butler, Michigan, Purdue and Cincinnati as well.
As we reported a few weeks ago, Cincinnati has the inside track here and this week's news only solidified that. Cincinnati hired Bradley assistant Drew Adams. Adams is the son of Indiana Elite's Mark Adams. Flory Bidunga plays for Indiana Elite. That connection is very strong.
Indiana will still stay involved, but unless things really change, I don't expect Bidunga to land at Indiana. But, Indiana will continue to push until this one is over. That's what you do when you get a top-2 prospect on campus.
Here is some additional info from Rivals national analyst Travis Graf:
Recruiting Roundup: Silas Demary, Flory Bidunga
Travis Graf talks two FutureCast predictions for 2023 guard Silas Demary Jr. and 2024 big man Flory Bidunga.
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2024 top-30 prospect Liam McNeeley visited Indiana two weeks ago for his first official visit. It went very well. He was on campus with his mom and grandfather.
As things stand now, Indiana and Texas are very much involved as are LSU, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. McNeeley is originally from Texas before making the move to Montverde Academy this summer. Texas is going to be tough to beat in this one. What is going to be a deciding factor will be how involved Mike Woodson is in the day-to-day communication. That was something that McNeeley said he likes most about Texas and head coach Chris Beard -- the constant communication. Indiana does that, but with assistant coaches. If Indiana wants to win this one, Mike Woodson needs to jump two feet in with his contact.
Some notable quotes, however, from the visit:
McNeeley on his role: "They emphasized me being a bigger guard and being versatile. Coming off ball screens or posting up smaller defenders and moving the ball in transition."
McNeeley on IU's history: "Indiana is obviously a historic basketball state, and the fans in Indiana almost worship basketball. Love from the fans make me feel wanted."
McNeeley's mom on the visit: "Having time with the Coach Woodson and learning from him was very special. Having the opportunity to watch the practice and see first hand the team's intensity and NBA style of play was just awesome."
As of right now, Indiana Is/was the only visit he had scheduled. He is working on dates with Texas.
McNeeley post-visit Q&A:
National top-30 prospect Liam McNeeley breaks down Indiana official visit
Top-30 prospect Liam McNeeley breaks down his visit to Indiana with TheHoosier.com.
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2024 four-star forward Derik Queen also made a visit with Liam McNeeley. They are teammates at Montverde.
The main programs involved for Queen are Maryland, Indiana and Arizona. While it may be too early to say, it looks like those will be the three that matter in the long run.
Queen originally had an official visit to Maryland for Oct. 1 but had to reschedule for later this month. He has already visited unofficially. Queen is originally from Maryland before transferring to Montverde Academy last year.
There remain whispers about whether or not Queen will join the 2023 recruiting class but until that happens, he remains in 2024. Indiana will obviously take him in either class.
Maryland remains in front at the moment, but Indiana definitely made an impact, according to sources. This one still has a while to go.
He was recently a standout at the Hoop Exchange Fall Festival:
Wood's Takeaways: Hoop Exchange Fall Festival
Four-star Derik Queen is ranked No. 30 in the 2024 Rivals150.
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For 2024 four-star guard Jaeden Mustaf, he was scheduled to be on campus last weekend but due to a scheduling conflict -- on IU's side -- they had to move it. They are looking at the end of this month, potentially for the weekend of October 29 for the Marian exhibition.
Mustaf plays for Carmel Christian (NC) and on the New World AAU program out of the DMV area.
Other programs involved with Mustaf include Georgetown, Virginia Tech, NC State, Wake Forest, Georgia, Pitt, Florida State and Maryland.
TheHoosier.com saw Mustaf multiple times this summer. Here our the scouting notes:
"Mustaf is a crafty guard with the ball in his hands. He can play both on and off of the ball, but he is best creating with the ball. He has good athleticism and can play around the rim with ease. He has very good body control. His jumper is consistent and shows good ability to create and finish in the mid-range. He's not going to blow you away with tremendous speed, but he has a quick first step that allows him to get his defender on his hip and control the play and get to his spots."
---
2024 five-star Asa Newell of Montverde Academy will also be on campus this month. He is scheduled to visit October 21-23. He took his first official visit to Georgia Sept 23-25. He is originally from the Georgia area and his brother is a walk-on at UGA.
Newell visited Indiana unofficially this summer. Newell is a 6-foot-9 forward who is extremely versatile on the floor. He can hit 3s, take bigger defenders off of the dribble and also is terrific at playing above the rim, either in transition or in the paint.
How Indiana uses Jalen Hood-Schifino and Malik Reneau this year and their success will be impactful for Indiana here. Despite not playing at Montverde last season, Newell and his family are well aware of the Montverde - IU connection at the moment.
"We're definitely going to be monitoring to see how the season plays out," Justin Newell, Asa's dad, told TheHoosier. "One thing they (Indiana staff) continued to mention was that the players in Malik and Jalen arrived ready. They were ready, their bodies were ready, basketball IQ ready. More-so than most freshmen when they step on campus. So I'd like to see how the season plays out and how the system works for them."
He was recently a standout at the Hoop Exchange Fall Festival:
Wood's Takeaways: Hoop Exchange Fall Festival
Four-star Derik Queen is ranked No. 30 in the 2024 Rivals150.
---
Indiana's Trayce Jackson-Davis was named Preseason Big Ten Player of the Year this week. He is the third-leading returning scorer in the country.
Big Ten Media Day is next week and we'll get more info, stories, coverage and video from that.
