In-State Recruiting

[Crayfish57]

Yeah...impossible argument. When I say "most talented" I mean taking all his physical gifts into account, there's never been a more talented HS player in Indiana. Others became better because of their character, work ethic, maybe they grew physically a ton after HS...whatever. McGinnis could be the guy too though, for sure. I think Oscar and The Legend, as good and dominant as they were in HS, developed even more out of HS because of their character and work ethic. Alford and Bailey...no shot in the type of comparison I'm making.

I think what most don't give Kemp enough credit for was he could handle and shoot the ball too. I don't think there's ever been a guy like him before or since in our state. 6'10...best dunker ever in Indiana HS...fast, fluid, could handle the ball like a PG, had range out to the 3pt line. His personality tampers his talent a little bit, I think.

Physically I think you are right without a doubt.

 

[Crayfish57]

East Chicago Washington in the 70s was a special team . They won state , but what I find to be really special is that 3 players from that team went to different colleges, and won a National championship. Stoddard at North Carolina State , Jr Bridgeman Louisville, and Pete Tircovich at UCLA . I doubt that will happen again .

Bridgman didnt win a NCAA championship

 

[outside shooter]

Bridgman didnt win a NCAA championship

Correct, they lost 75–74 in OT to UCLA in the semifinals in 1975. Guard Terry Howard was 28-28 on the season at the FT line and missed the front end of a one-and-one late in OT with UL protecting a 1 point lead. UL had also blown a 4 point lead in the last minute of regulation.

My brother's HS classmates Danny Brown and Billy Harmon were on that UL team, so I followed them

 

[Crayfish57]

Correct, they lost 75–74 in OT to UCLA in the semifinals in 1975. Guard Terry Howard was 28-28 on the season at the FT line and missed the front end of a one-and-one late in OT with UL protecting a 1 point lead. UL had also blown a 4 point lead in the last minute of regulation.

My brother's HS classmates Danny Brown and Billy Harmon were on that UL team, so I followed them

Would have been interesting had Louisville won in '75 , L'ville wouldve won the yr before all 3 of RMK's championships. Would've been better had May not had a broken arm and IU won it that yr though.

 

[go_iu]

Kemp was probably the best HS player I ever saw play in person or on TV, but I'd be hard-pressed to put him above McGinnis, Oscar or Larry. I'd definitely agree with the most athletic or electrifying. In the IN-KY all star game he was a man among boys... didn't really seem fair. I'd probably put Kemp with Big Dog after the 3 I listed though and it's hard for me to say, because I never saw those 3 play in HS.

Scott Skiles

 

[Crayfish57]

Scott Skiles

Seriously? We are talking pure athletic ability. Skiles was a short fat white kid. Now if you put his drive in Kemp we have the best player ever but Skiles may have had the least athletic ability of any great Indiana HS players.

 

[stollcpa]

the Region has always been a PU pipeline. Plus according to legend, didn't RMK sour on big dog when the kid plopped his feet on RMK's desk during a visit?

That sounds like what Mike Davis did on the Zeller visit. He welcomed dad and son into his office. They sat in chairs and Davis stretched out on his couch. End of that recruitment.

 

[Hoosier Clarion]

That sounds like what Mike Davis did on the Zeller visit. He welcomed dad and son into his office. They sat in chairs and Davis stretched out on his couch. End of that recruitment.

Davis other than being a decent man left way too much to be desired with IUBB program. Never forget the statement, "I can't get the boys to practice hard". Huh???

 

[kkott]

Seriously? We are talking pure athletic ability. Skiles was a short fat white kid. Now if you put his drive in Kemp we have the best player ever but Skiles may have had the least athletic ability of any great Indiana HS players.

I do think things like competitiveness, work ethic, etc... count as "athletic ability", but still... no, Skiles is not in that conversation.

 

[dbmhoosier]

Don't know about Big Dog, but i heard that Shawn Kemp's IU visit was pretty dramatic. He was quite blunt about what he "wanted" and what others were offering. To RMK, to assistants... hell... to the students who were showing him around campus.

A car and a gun?

 

[stonerj]

the Region has always been a PU pipeline. Plus according to legend, didn't RMK sour on big dog when the kid plopped his feet on RMK's desk during a visit?

I had heard the story that Robinson was waiting on RMK in the coach's office, and was wearing a ballcap. Knight, who always thought that was rude, asked Robinson to take it off in some sort of smart-ass way. Robinson wasn't sure if Knight was joking, so he didn't remove it right away. When Robinson didn't take it off, Knight showed why it wasn't going to be a good fit.

I wasn't there of course, and probably heard this 15th hand. However, it does seem plausible given both actors involved.

 

[destewart]

Painter has been the one constant in recruiting for the last 18 years. He loves doing it and he is difficult to outwork.

 

[Courtsensetwo]

I had heard the story that Robinson was waiting on RMK in the coach's office, and was wearing a ballcap. Knight, who always thought that was rude, asked Robinson to take it off in some sort of smart-ass way. Robinson wasn't sure if Knight was joking, so he didn't remove it right away. When Robinson didn't take it off, Knight showed why it wasn't going to be a good fit.

I wasn't there of course, and probably heard this 15th hand. However, it does seem plausible given both actors involved.

GR would never have been admitted to IU. It was a very short recruitment.

 

[Courtsensetwo]

A car and a gun?

View embedded media

Both players have the same shopping lists.

 

[steelyvan]

GR would never have been admitted to IU. It was a very short recruitment.

I heard this from an assistant coach at the time he was being recruited.

 

[NOMORENIT]

No one has mentioned Rick Mount.....

 

[destewart]

No one has mentioned Rick Mount.....

Or why one of your greatest players played 90 games and another one in the same class played 120. Why should there be posts like this? I suspect there are more than a few posters here and on other forums who never spent a day in a college classroom. Let’s stick to sports!

 

[Hoosier Clarion]

Or why one of your greatest players played 90 games and another one in the same class played 120. Why should there be posts like this? I suspect there are more than a few posters here and on other forums who never spent a day in a college classroom. Let’s stick to sports!

?

 

[stollcpa]

Davis other than being a decent man left way too much to be desired with IUBB program. Never forget the statement, "I can't get the boys to practice hard". Huh???

Nice man. He was put in situation by people in charge at IU that he wasn’t ready for. They committed malpractice. Too bad we could start a class action lawsuit against them for ruining our program.

 

[Courtsensetwo]

Or why one of your greatest players played 90 games and another one and the same class played 120. Why should there be posts like this? I suspect there are more than a few posters here and on other forums who never spent a day in a college classroom. Let’s stick to sports!

Wtf are you talking about?

 

[bsmitty08]

First off, I'm not overly concerned with this staff's ability to recruit. JHS and MR are exhibits 1 and 1A of bringing in absolute studs. Banks and Gunn are going to be fine additions too. Cupps and Newton look like they'll contribute to next year's team.

My only slight concern is the number of in-state guys that seem to be flowing endlessly to that stinky little cow pasture to the north. Their current team is loaded with Indiana kids who can actually shoot! Who knew?

There's an article in the Star by Kyle Neddenriep about the Sneakers for Santa games over the weekend. He highlights 15 players who stood out. Only one (Cupps) is headed to Bloomington. Most concerning IMHO is this paragraph about a guy we need to be all over:

Flory Bidunga, Kokomo​

The 6-10 junior is a must-see if you have not watched him in person (or if you have). Bidunga was in foul trouble and ended up fouling out with 2:22 remaining in Kokomo’s 58-51 loss to Ben Davis, but still played more than 27 minutes and finished with 16 points, 17 rebounds and seven blocked shots. He was 6-for-9 from the field and 4-for-4 from the free-throw line. Bidunga, who was watched by Auburn’s Bruce Pearl and Purdue’s Matt Painter, is tough on the pick-and-roll and runs the floor well. His touch around the basket (and the free-throw line) is improving. Five dunks, too.

Colvin and Catchings are two Indiana kids that are studs going to PU

 

[Courtsensetwo]

Colvin and Catchings are two Indiana kids that are studs going to PU

Congrats catchings should be solid

 

[bsmitty08]

Congrats catchings should be solid

Wish IU would have recruited him harder

 

[Courtsensetwo]

Wish IU would have recruited him harder

No offer.

 

[bsmitty08]

No offer.

Exactly

 

[Bill4411]

GR would never have been admitted to IU. It was a very short recruitment.

I'm not sure about Robinson but both McGinnis and Downing were what they called non-predictors back in 1969.

Daily Illini 2 May 1969 — Illinois Digital Newspaper Collections

Illinois Digital Newspaper Collections

idnc.library.illinois.edu