Indiana hosted two big time visitors last weekend in top-30 prospects Liam McNeeley and Derik Queen.
Both players were busy this week with school and practice and then the hurricane didn't help with a lot that was going on -- so things have been a bit delayed in getting full quotes.
But through sources, TheHoosier.com was told that Indiana hit all the key points for both players.
With Liam McNeeley, he is very intrigued by the history of the program. His family has a long history of playing basketball. His mom played at Rice, his uncles played at SMU and Baylor. His grandfather played at TCU as well. Basketball runs deep and so does tradition and history.
“I mean Indiana is a great basketball state," McNeeley said previously. "There is a lot of basketball history in the state of Indiana so it’s just a great accomplishment and it means a lot.”
Indiana sits in a good spot at this stage for McNeeley. He very much likes Indiana and it is a program at the top of his list. It should remain that way. Indiana and Texas are the two most heavily involved and have formed really solid relationships with the entire family. That's going to be tough to beat for any team that jumps in.
For Derik Queen, Indiana's pitch is quite simple -- come in and be a significant part of the front court from day one. Indiana had Queen's teammates Malik Reneau and Jalen Hood-Schifino involved on the visit and that helped. At this point, Maryland is still the team to beat.
I do get the vibe that IF Queen were to reclassify up to 2023, Indiana could be in a better spot. Indiana will need to beat Maryland though.
The one positive for both prospects in relation to Indiana is that a visit has occurred.
With preseason basketball starting for Montverde Academy, there will be limited amounts of time to get out for official visits once the season starts. So because Indiana has secured these two already, that puts them ahead in a certain sense.
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Indiana now turns the page to 2024 four-star guard Jaeden Mustaf of Carmel Christian (NC) and New World AAU.
Originally his official visit was set for this weekend, but he tells TheHoosier.com that the visit is getting rescheduled. Indiana is looking at potentially setting it for next weekend, Hoosier Hysteria.
He has other official visits set for Georgetown that took place last weekend, September 23-25, and is finalizing dates for a visit to Florida State.
TheHoosier.com saw Mustaf multiple times this summer. Here our the scouring 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."
Mustaf is ranked No. 42 in the Rivals150 class of 2024 rankings and was one of the biggest risers this summer for his play on the Adidas circuit. He was named MVP of the Adidas Championships for his 25-point performance in the championship game.
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Hoosier Hysteria is next Friday. TheHoosier.com has confirmed the following players who will be visiting:
Gabe Cupps (IU commit)
Jakai Newton (IU commit)
2024 five-star forward Flory Bidunga
2024 four-star center Raleigh Burgess
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
Indiana also announced that the emcees for the event will be ESPN’s Courtney Cronin and NFL Network/IU Athletics Rhett Lewis.
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For 2024 three-star wing Caleb Williams, his visit will be an official visit for next weekend. He plays for Sidwell (DC) High School and Team Takeover on the AAU circuit.
Kenya Hunter has a lot of close ties here and Williams is very interested in Indiana at this stage.
He has visited Michigan and Virginia recently.
His AAU coach broke down his growth with TheHoosier.com:
"Great kid to coach. Works hard in practice and he is rewarded in games. Biggest attribute is winner. He just makes winning plays. Defensively and offensively. As far as growth, everyone knows he can shoot and score. He showed he can defend and rebound. His rebounding increased each session. One attribute that didn’t jump out with stats is his ability to be a facilitator. He is a great passer and decision maker."
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."
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Down the line in a few weeks is the visit of 2024 five-star forward Asa Newell of Montverde Academy. He is going to be on campus October 21-23. He took a visit to Georgia this past weekend.
Newell took an unofficial visit to Indiana earlier this summer. Though he was not teammates of Jalen Hood-Schifino and Malik Reneau at Montverde -- as he just transferred there this summer -- how Indiana uses them will play a role for Newell and his father, Justin Newell -- who is very involved.
"We're definitely going to be monitoring to see how the season plays out," Justin Newell said. "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."
TheHoosier.com Scouting Notes on Newell:
"He is a 6-foot-9 forward who is highly skilled and athletic. The lefty is tremendous turning over his right shoulder on the block and has good touch around the rim. Newell is someone who plays above the rim at all times and is an aggressive finisher. He shows the ability to lead the break if need be and can even step out and shows a good stroke from the perimeter. His shot keeps getting better and while its strictly off of the catch right now, his ability to become a consistent shooter opens up many driving opportunities for him."
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Indiana began practice this Wednesday. The 2022-23 season is officially underway.
Here is a clip from the first day.
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Some notable stories from IU media day:
https://indiana.rivals.com/news/trayce-jackson-davis-aims-for-improved-shooting-in-upcoming-season
Both players were busy this week with school and practice and then the hurricane didn't help with a lot that was going on -- so things have been a bit delayed in getting full quotes.
But through sources, TheHoosier.com was told that Indiana hit all the key points for both players.
With Liam McNeeley, he is very intrigued by the history of the program. His family has a long history of playing basketball. His mom played at Rice, his uncles played at SMU and Baylor. His grandfather played at TCU as well. Basketball runs deep and so does tradition and history.
“I mean Indiana is a great basketball state," McNeeley said previously. "There is a lot of basketball history in the state of Indiana so it’s just a great accomplishment and it means a lot.”
Indiana sits in a good spot at this stage for McNeeley. He very much likes Indiana and it is a program at the top of his list. It should remain that way. Indiana and Texas are the two most heavily involved and have formed really solid relationships with the entire family. That's going to be tough to beat for any team that jumps in.
For Derik Queen, Indiana's pitch is quite simple -- come in and be a significant part of the front court from day one. Indiana had Queen's teammates Malik Reneau and Jalen Hood-Schifino involved on the visit and that helped. At this point, Maryland is still the team to beat.
I do get the vibe that IF Queen were to reclassify up to 2023, Indiana could be in a better spot. Indiana will need to beat Maryland though.
The one positive for both prospects in relation to Indiana is that a visit has occurred.
With preseason basketball starting for Montverde Academy, there will be limited amounts of time to get out for official visits once the season starts. So because Indiana has secured these two already, that puts them ahead in a certain sense.
---
Indiana now turns the page to 2024 four-star guard Jaeden Mustaf of Carmel Christian (NC) and New World AAU.
Originally his official visit was set for this weekend, but he tells TheHoosier.com that the visit is getting rescheduled. Indiana is looking at potentially setting it for next weekend, Hoosier Hysteria.
He has other official visits set for Georgetown that took place last weekend, September 23-25, and is finalizing dates for a visit to Florida State.
TheHoosier.com saw Mustaf multiple times this summer. Here our the scouring 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."
Mustaf is ranked No. 42 in the Rivals150 class of 2024 rankings and was one of the biggest risers this summer for his play on the Adidas circuit. He was named MVP of the Adidas Championships for his 25-point performance in the championship game.
---
Hoosier Hysteria is next Friday. TheHoosier.com has confirmed the following players who will be visiting:
Gabe Cupps (IU commit)
Jakai Newton (IU commit)
2024 five-star forward Flory Bidunga
2024 four-star center Raleigh Burgess
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
Indiana also announced that the emcees for the event will be ESPN’s Courtney Cronin and NFL Network/IU Athletics Rhett Lewis.
---
For 2024 three-star wing Caleb Williams, his visit will be an official visit for next weekend. He plays for Sidwell (DC) High School and Team Takeover on the AAU circuit.
Kenya Hunter has a lot of close ties here and Williams is very interested in Indiana at this stage.
He has visited Michigan and Virginia recently.
His AAU coach broke down his growth with TheHoosier.com:
"Great kid to coach. Works hard in practice and he is rewarded in games. Biggest attribute is winner. He just makes winning plays. Defensively and offensively. As far as growth, everyone knows he can shoot and score. He showed he can defend and rebound. His rebounding increased each session. One attribute that didn’t jump out with stats is his ability to be a facilitator. He is a great passer and decision maker."
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."
--
Down the line in a few weeks is the visit of 2024 five-star forward Asa Newell of Montverde Academy. He is going to be on campus October 21-23. He took a visit to Georgia this past weekend.
Newell took an unofficial visit to Indiana earlier this summer. Though he was not teammates of Jalen Hood-Schifino and Malik Reneau at Montverde -- as he just transferred there this summer -- how Indiana uses them will play a role for Newell and his father, Justin Newell -- who is very involved.
"We're definitely going to be monitoring to see how the season plays out," Justin Newell said. "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."
TheHoosier.com Scouting Notes on Newell:
"He is a 6-foot-9 forward who is highly skilled and athletic. The lefty is tremendous turning over his right shoulder on the block and has good touch around the rim. Newell is someone who plays above the rim at all times and is an aggressive finisher. He shows the ability to lead the break if need be and can even step out and shows a good stroke from the perimeter. His shot keeps getting better and while its strictly off of the catch right now, his ability to become a consistent shooter opens up many driving opportunities for him."
---
Indiana began practice this Wednesday. The 2022-23 season is officially underway.
Here is a clip from the first day.
---
Some notable stories from IU media day:
With Improvements Made, Logan Duncomb may Have Found a Role in Frontcourt
Logan Duncomb is ready now more than ever to contribute in the frontcourt.
indiana.rivals.com
https://indiana.rivals.com/news/trayce-jackson-davis-aims-for-improved-shooting-in-upcoming-season
Shooting is his calling card, but Miller Kopp seeks to be two-way player
Miller Kopp looks to be a legit two-way player for Indiana and have the impact a lot of people expected last year.
indiana.rivals.com
IU freshmen bring added edge to roster: 'They don't like to lose'
Indiana's freshmen class brings a confidence and competitiveness that could be the driving force to a successful year.
indiana.rivals.com
Xavier Johnson Shows Growth this Summer with Off-Court Issues Behind Him
After a rocky first full year at Indiana, Xavier Johnson is now locked in and focused for this upcoming season.
indiana.rivals.com
