A big weekend begins for Indiana today on the recruiting front as it hosts two top-30 prospects in the class of 2024 for official visits. Montverde Academy teammates Liam McNeeley and Derik Queen will begin their official visits tonight and it will through Sunday.
Let's begin with Liam McNeeley. It's still in the very early stages but Indiana will be receiving the first official visit from the top-25 prospect. He is looking at Texas and Stanford, but at the moment, there is just the trip to Indiana scheduled.
Originally from Texas, McNeeley transferred this summer to Montverde Academy (Fla.) which was a big moment in his recruitment. Getting him out of the state of Texas was going to be the biggest hurdle but now that he left for at least two years and went to a program that has strong ties to Indiana, only strengthens the potential for Indiana to be a big player.
Oklahoma, LSU, Texas Tech are some of the other main programs involved at the moment too.
"All of the programs mentioned are good fits for McNeeley, whose offense output will translate to any of those programs," Rivals national analyst Travis Graf said. "Right now, it seems like Texas and Indiana are in the best spot, but this recruitment is a long way from over. It will be interesting to see what visits he schedules outside of those two in the coming months."
Some notable quotes from McNeeley:
“I mean Indiana is a great basketball state," McNeeley told TheHoosier.com. "There is a lot of basketball history in the state of Indiana so it’s just a great accomplishment and it means a lot.”
"Coach (Mike) Woodson was either playing in the league or coaching in the league for a very long time," McNeeley told Rivals. "Playing in the NBA is my ultimate goal, so he definitely knows what it takes to get there.”
TheHoosier.com Scouting Notes:
"McNeeley is such a good offensive player with and without the ball and a lot of that comes from his high IQ. Whether he is scoring or making plays for his teammates, he does so with such ease and fluidness that is's so repeatable. His ability to get into the lane at will is so impressive and when he does, he is very difficult to stop because he always has two or three potential plays to make. Scoring wise, McNeeley is a tremendous shooter and does so off of the dribble or catch. He has good size and a release that makes it difficult for many defenders to disrupt his shot. When he's attacking the rim, his frame allows him to draw and take the contact and finish at ease inside the paint. While he is listed as a small forward, McNeeley is very much the focal point of the offense and plays very much on the ball."
As for top-30 prospect Derik Queen, he has been highly sought out but it looks like it could come down to another Indiana and Maryland battler for the four-star forward -- Queen being from Maryland originally.
Indiana receives the first official visit, while he has been on unofficial visits prior. A Maryland visit was scheduled, but had to get rescheduled for later in October. Sources have indicated to TheHoosier.com that Maryland probably has the edge at the moment but Indiana is not far behind. There have been whispers about Queen potentially reclassifying to the 2023 class, but at the moment he stays in 2024.
"Officially, Queen remains wide open and those close to him say that the Montverde pipeline to Bloomington won’t play a part in the four-star forward’s eventual decision," Rivals national recruiting director Rob Cassidy said. "Still, familiarity never hurts in a recruiting battle."
TheHoosier.com Scouting Notes:
"Queen is a 6-foot-9 forward who is more of a traditional big in the sense that he isn't going to blow anyone away with a ton of athleticism. But, he his highly skilled, smart and big bodied to muscle his way through the paint. Queen is tremendous on the low block and can finish with good touch around the rim. He is a fantastic rebounder and skilled passer for his size. While his game is expanding, he's not a consistent threat from the outside but has begun to show some ability to connect from deep. His bread and butter is in the paint, however."
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Another 2024 prospect has scheduled an official visit and that is top-50 guard Jaeden Mustaf of Carmel Christian (Nc.) and the New World AAU program.
He tells TheHoosier.com he will take his visit to Indiana September 30 - October 2. He also has official visits set to Georgetown for September 23-25 and is finalizing dates for a visit to Florida State. Other programs involved with Mustaf include Georgetown, Virginia Tech, NC State, Wake Forest, Georgia, Pitt, Florida State and Maryland.
Mustaf has the ability to play both on and off of the ball. He plans to do so at the next level and with his size at 6-foot-4 and 190 pounds, his frame is impressive as a lead guard.
"I'm a big guard that can do anything a coach needs of me," Mustaf said. "I can guard almost every position and offensively I know how to make plays whether I have the ball in my hands or not. I see myself playing both guard positions, getting time at both spots off and on the ball. I am just a winner, and will do whatever it takes to win."
TheHoosier.com 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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We discussed it briefly earlier this week, but all signs point to Cincinnati and USC being the leaders for 2023 four-star Arrinten Page.
Page is expected to be on campus for a visit this weekend in Cincinnati. He is also expected to visit USC later this month.
You can put Page on the back burner now when it comes to Indiana.
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An intriguing prospect is 2024 No. 2 overall player Flory Bidunga from Kokomo. Indiana went 4-deep earlier this week to see him at an open gym. That's a big statement. Really the first big statement in this recruitment that Indiana has made.
According to sources, Cincinnati is the team to beat in this recruitment. Not to say Indiana doesn't feel like it has a shot, because it clearly feels that way since it went 4-deep to see him. But, Cincinnati is the team at the top right now.
Rivals national analyst Travis Graf was at the open gym this week and shared his thoughts with TheHoosier.com.
"Bidunga has gotten even better since the last time I saw him in July. He’s making better reads out of the post, expanding his offensive game little by little, and has improved his handle and passing ability.Just as elite as ever as an athletic shot blocker that excels at running the floor and scoring around the rim. Flory Bidunga and his circle are adamant that he’s wide open in his recruitment, so Indiana is definitely a school to watch for. He’s a player I’d go all in on if I was Mike Woodson, as he was the most dominant big man in high school basketball this summer. I think Cincinnati has a good shot here as well."
Here is an update from Graf:
indiana.rivals.com
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Indiana extended an offer to 2023 top-60 guard Silas Demary this week. We will see where things go with this one.
Kenya Hunter and Yasir Rosemond were in to see him and others at Combine Academy's open gym.
Combine assistant coach AJ Jones broke down Demary's game:
"Silas is a high IQ, two-way, downhill guard who has a knack for winning and making winning plays. Elite-level hard nosed defender. Highly skilled in the pick & roll as both a scorer and playmaker. Scores at all 3 levels. Floor general and leader who makes everyone around him better."
More on Demary:
indiana.forums.rivals.com
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Another name to keep an eye on is 2024 four-star wing Rakease Passmore. Passmore is teammates of Demary at Combine Academy. Indiana has been keeping an eye on him. He holds offers from Kansas, Houston, LSU, Auburn, Georgia Tech, NC State, Missouri, Oregon, Virginia, Tennessee and others.
Combine assistant coach AJ Jones broke down Passmore's game:
"Rakease is an electrifying two-way combo guard that is elite in transition and plays above the rim with NBA level athleticism. High motor, tough defender that plays with an edge. True three level scorer who can score both on and off ball."
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Confirmed visitors for Hoosier Hysteria include;
2023 four-star commit Gabe Cupps, 2024 four-star forward Raleigh Burgess, 2024 wing Caleb Williams (official), 2025 four-star forward Trent Sisley, 2025 four-star Trey McKenney, 2025 center Malachi Moreno, 2025 wing EJ Walker. 2025 four-star guard Jalen Haralson was set to attend, but because he will now be at USA Basketball mini-camp in Colorado that weekend, he will not be able to attend.
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The Rivals150 class of 2024 rankings were updated this week. Here are the updated rankings for the Indiana targets:
indiana.rivals.com
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Indiana has its media day on Thursday.
Here are some of the key stories up already with more to come:
indiana.rivals.com
indiana.rivals.com
indiana.rivals.com
indiana.rivals.com
indiana.rivals.com
Let's begin with Liam McNeeley. It's still in the very early stages but Indiana will be receiving the first official visit from the top-25 prospect. He is looking at Texas and Stanford, but at the moment, there is just the trip to Indiana scheduled.
Originally from Texas, McNeeley transferred this summer to Montverde Academy (Fla.) which was a big moment in his recruitment. Getting him out of the state of Texas was going to be the biggest hurdle but now that he left for at least two years and went to a program that has strong ties to Indiana, only strengthens the potential for Indiana to be a big player.
Oklahoma, LSU, Texas Tech are some of the other main programs involved at the moment too.
"All of the programs mentioned are good fits for McNeeley, whose offense output will translate to any of those programs," Rivals national analyst Travis Graf said. "Right now, it seems like Texas and Indiana are in the best spot, but this recruitment is a long way from over. It will be interesting to see what visits he schedules outside of those two in the coming months."
Some notable quotes from McNeeley:
“I mean Indiana is a great basketball state," McNeeley told TheHoosier.com. "There is a lot of basketball history in the state of Indiana so it’s just a great accomplishment and it means a lot.”
"Coach (Mike) Woodson was either playing in the league or coaching in the league for a very long time," McNeeley told Rivals. "Playing in the NBA is my ultimate goal, so he definitely knows what it takes to get there.”
TheHoosier.com Scouting Notes:
"McNeeley is such a good offensive player with and without the ball and a lot of that comes from his high IQ. Whether he is scoring or making plays for his teammates, he does so with such ease and fluidness that is's so repeatable. His ability to get into the lane at will is so impressive and when he does, he is very difficult to stop because he always has two or three potential plays to make. Scoring wise, McNeeley is a tremendous shooter and does so off of the dribble or catch. He has good size and a release that makes it difficult for many defenders to disrupt his shot. When he's attacking the rim, his frame allows him to draw and take the contact and finish at ease inside the paint. While he is listed as a small forward, McNeeley is very much the focal point of the offense and plays very much on the ball."
As for top-30 prospect Derik Queen, he has been highly sought out but it looks like it could come down to another Indiana and Maryland battler for the four-star forward -- Queen being from Maryland originally.
Indiana receives the first official visit, while he has been on unofficial visits prior. A Maryland visit was scheduled, but had to get rescheduled for later in October. Sources have indicated to TheHoosier.com that Maryland probably has the edge at the moment but Indiana is not far behind. There have been whispers about Queen potentially reclassifying to the 2023 class, but at the moment he stays in 2024.
"Officially, Queen remains wide open and those close to him say that the Montverde pipeline to Bloomington won’t play a part in the four-star forward’s eventual decision," Rivals national recruiting director Rob Cassidy said. "Still, familiarity never hurts in a recruiting battle."
TheHoosier.com Scouting Notes:
"Queen is a 6-foot-9 forward who is more of a traditional big in the sense that he isn't going to blow anyone away with a ton of athleticism. But, he his highly skilled, smart and big bodied to muscle his way through the paint. Queen is tremendous on the low block and can finish with good touch around the rim. He is a fantastic rebounder and skilled passer for his size. While his game is expanding, he's not a consistent threat from the outside but has begun to show some ability to connect from deep. His bread and butter is in the paint, however."
---
Another 2024 prospect has scheduled an official visit and that is top-50 guard Jaeden Mustaf of Carmel Christian (Nc.) and the New World AAU program.
He tells TheHoosier.com he will take his visit to Indiana September 30 - October 2. He also has official visits set to Georgetown for September 23-25 and is finalizing dates for a visit to Florida State. Other programs involved with Mustaf include Georgetown, Virginia Tech, NC State, Wake Forest, Georgia, Pitt, Florida State and Maryland.
Mustaf has the ability to play both on and off of the ball. He plans to do so at the next level and with his size at 6-foot-4 and 190 pounds, his frame is impressive as a lead guard.
"I'm a big guard that can do anything a coach needs of me," Mustaf said. "I can guard almost every position and offensively I know how to make plays whether I have the ball in my hands or not. I see myself playing both guard positions, getting time at both spots off and on the ball. I am just a winner, and will do whatever it takes to win."
TheHoosier.com 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."
---
We discussed it briefly earlier this week, but all signs point to Cincinnati and USC being the leaders for 2023 four-star Arrinten Page.
Page is expected to be on campus for a visit this weekend in Cincinnati. He is also expected to visit USC later this month.
You can put Page on the back burner now when it comes to Indiana.
--
An intriguing prospect is 2024 No. 2 overall player Flory Bidunga from Kokomo. Indiana went 4-deep earlier this week to see him at an open gym. That's a big statement. Really the first big statement in this recruitment that Indiana has made.
According to sources, Cincinnati is the team to beat in this recruitment. Not to say Indiana doesn't feel like it has a shot, because it clearly feels that way since it went 4-deep to see him. But, Cincinnati is the team at the top right now.
Rivals national analyst Travis Graf was at the open gym this week and shared his thoughts with TheHoosier.com.
"Bidunga has gotten even better since the last time I saw him in July. He’s making better reads out of the post, expanding his offensive game little by little, and has improved his handle and passing ability.Just as elite as ever as an athletic shot blocker that excels at running the floor and scoring around the rim. Flory Bidunga and his circle are adamant that he’s wide open in his recruitment, so Indiana is definitely a school to watch for. He’s a player I’d go all in on if I was Mike Woodson, as he was the most dominant big man in high school basketball this summer. I think Cincinnati has a good shot here as well."
Here is an update from Graf:
Congo native Flory Bidunga becoming a phenom in U.S.
The 6-foot-9 prospect has been playing basketball for just three years, but he's rapidly developed into an elite player.
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Indiana extended an offer to 2023 top-60 guard Silas Demary this week. We will see where things go with this one.
Kenya Hunter and Yasir Rosemond were in to see him and others at Combine Academy's open gym.
Combine assistant coach AJ Jones broke down Demary's game:
"Silas is a high IQ, two-way, downhill guard who has a knack for winning and making winning plays. Elite-level hard nosed defender. Highly skilled in the pick & roll as both a scorer and playmaker. Scores at all 3 levels. Floor general and leader who makes everyone around him better."
More on Demary:
New 2023 offer - Silas Demary
Indiana has extended an offer to 2023 top-60 guard Silas Demary Jr, Combine Academy assistant coach AJ Jones confirms with TheHoosier.com. Ranked No. 58 in the class. Kenya Hunter and Yasir Rosemond were in to see him and others at Combine Academy's open gym today.
indiana.forums.rivals.com
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Another name to keep an eye on is 2024 four-star wing Rakease Passmore. Passmore is teammates of Demary at Combine Academy. Indiana has been keeping an eye on him. He holds offers from Kansas, Houston, LSU, Auburn, Georgia Tech, NC State, Missouri, Oregon, Virginia, Tennessee and others.
Combine assistant coach AJ Jones broke down Passmore's game:
"Rakease is an electrifying two-way combo guard that is elite in transition and plays above the rim with NBA level athleticism. High motor, tough defender that plays with an edge. True three level scorer who can score both on and off ball."
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Confirmed visitors for Hoosier Hysteria include;
2023 four-star commit Gabe Cupps, 2024 four-star forward Raleigh Burgess, 2024 wing Caleb Williams (official), 2025 four-star forward Trent Sisley, 2025 four-star Trey McKenney, 2025 center Malachi Moreno, 2025 wing EJ Walker. 2025 four-star guard Jalen Haralson was set to attend, but because he will now be at USA Basketball mini-camp in Colorado that weekend, he will not be able to attend.
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The Rivals150 class of 2024 rankings were updated this week. Here are the updated rankings for the Indiana targets:
Class of 2024 Rivals150 Rankings: Where Indiana basketball targets rank
A breakdown of the prospects with Indiana offers, where they land in the rankings and scouting notes on the top targets.
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Indiana has its media day on Thursday.
Here are some of the key stories up already with more to come:
Indiana is Facing Their Lofty Expectations Head On: 'We can't run from it'
IU heads into the '22-'23 season with a lot of weight on their shoulders. For Mike Woodson, that's how it should be.
Coach Q&A: Mike Woodson at IU media day
Mike Woodson press conference from Indiana basketball media day
Indiana Basketball: Everything Mike Woodson said at IU media day
Full transcript of Mike Woodson's Q&A at Indiana media day.
Player Q&A: Trayce Jackson-Davis, Race Thompson at IU media day
Indiana forwards Trayce Jackson-Davis and Race Thompson press conferences from Indiana basketball media day
Video recap with Kyler and Kevin: Indiana basketball media day
Kyler Staley and Kevin Vera from TheHoosier sit down to recap Indiana basketball media day. Above is the full exchange.
