As our Thursday story indicated, a big week for IU recruiting as over 20 recruits got an early look at the Indiana program yesterday. All were younger rising sophs and frosh from the Classes of 2019 and 2020. A few already hold Power Five conference offers.
These players are among the many talented prospects from those classes in the Indy area for this weekend's Crossroads Elite Invitational at Plainfield High School.
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Legendary Hoosier alum Quinn Buckner was appointed by Indiana Governor Mike Pence to Indiana University's board of trustees earlier today. He will serve a three-year term.
Wrote here recently about how Washington has hired Michael Porter Sr., namesake and father of the nation's No. 2 overall prospect. Well earlier this week Porter Sr. reached out to another five-star from 2017, Kris Wilkes of Indianapolis North Central along with his Indy Hoosiers teammate Paul Scruggs. Wilkes, Scruggs and Michael Porter Jr. were AAU teammates back in middle school when the Porter family lived in greater Indy.
Wilkes is expected to visit Michigan on June 12 and Scruggs will be exceptionally busy this month. The Southport combo guard hit Louisville earlier this week and will trip to Michigan State, Indiana, Illinois and Xavier.
Now that he is down to eight programs and is fitting in these June trips there is more of an expectation that Scruggs will choose a school before summer is behind us.
We've written here before about IU commit Al Durham's slashing ability. That ability was very much proven in the Nike EYBL series this spring as he ended up 12th overall in the number of free throw attempts earned (75 free throws).
Speaking of EYBL stats, IU target Mohamed Bamba yanked down a terrific 13.9 rebounds per game over the series. That's more than two boards more than any other player managed to average.
A note on Jaren Jackson Jr. His lead recruiting at Notre Dame, Anthony Solomon, was hired recently to the Georgetown staff. Of course that's the alma mater of Jaren Sr.
Side note - Jackson finished third overall in blocks per game during the EYBL series (2.1 bpg).
Four-star point guard target Matt Coleman from Virginia is in no hurry and has a long list of schools he posted here
Well done video interview with Coleman
Fort Wayne's Malik Williams was another Hoosier state 2017 prospect who traveled to Louisville this week for a quick unofficial. He's expected to choose between the Cards, Michigan State, Iowa, Indiana and Purdue.
In this week's podcast mentioned Jordan Tucker as maybe the most under the radar potential early get for Indiana from the Class of 2017. He finished EYBL up well for the NY Rens, landing among the top 15 overall in number of made 3-point field goals.
Tucker is ranked No. 41 overall and the 6-foot-7 prospect got a late invitation this week to participate in the upcoming USA Basketball U18 training camp in Colorado Springs, Co.
Rumor of late is Syracuse is very strong with Tucker, a product of White Plains, New York.
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You have the transcript of the media Q&A with coach Crean as well as video with the three players and Fred Glass. All later along with Derek Elson and Chuck Martin spoke to the crowd at Huber Farms on Wednesday. Here a few snippets not earmarked for a later story:
Coach Crean on where things stand now for the recent graduates:
On Ryan Burton:
"Ryan Burton, he just got back from an eight week trip overseas as part of the Kelley School of Business. I've not met many people that are carrying almost a 4.0 in college but when you meet Ryan Burton you can say you've met one because he's carrying about a 3.98.
"He worked as hard as anybody that was on scholarship and when he was called upon at certain times, there he was knocking it down. In the Rutgers game when we were trying to figure out our way without James (Blackmon), there he is knocking down two threes in the corner. That is how championships get won."
On Max Bielfeldt:
"I wish he would continue to play but he has such a mind for business, that he's going to go into the business world. There's a guy who made 11 threes in his career at Michigan and he came to Indiana and made 29 in one year. He kept getting better, better and better."
On Nick Zeisloft:
"He's going to go workout for the Dallas Mavericks on June 17. I think if you would have asked Nick if he was going to get an opportunity to work for a pro team a couple years ago, he probably wouldn't have seen that in his cards.
"--a guy at Illinois State that was really only known for his outside shooting to a guy that came in and was one of the most efficient offensive players in the country (per) the KenPom offensive efficiency ratings over the two years that he was with us."
On Yogi Ferrell:
"I don't think it will be a matter of being drafted, I think it will be a matter of teams trading up to draft him."
"I wish some of these agents that are representing some of the other guys getting a bit more attention as draft prospects, would allow their guy to be matched up with Yogi in some of these workouts. He's not getting all of those match-ups right now. "
"He's a two-time Big Ten championship winner and huge part of what we do at Indiana. I think you'll be watching him in the NBA for a long time."
He also had some notable comments on early graduation/pro departures:
"We've had seven players graduate in three years. We've had five get their masters in four. We've had everybody that has used their eligibility at Indiana and at Marquette, graduate."
"The ones (recruits) that come in and say 'I'm only staying one year--we probably have a harder time convincing them that you need to unpack your bags. When you come in and say 'I want to leave when I'm ready to go' -- We're real good with those guys."
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Derek Elston on decision to return to Indiana:
"Right before I took this job. I was headed home and never forget, a late night, and I text Yogi. I said 'Yogi, now come on. I have an opportunity to come over here and play again, (continue) to call myself a professional basketball player. Do I hang it up for this job?' He hit me back right away. If you know Yogi, that doesn't happen. He does not text you back right away. But he texted me back right away and he said 'This year is going to be something special.'
"That was all I needed to know. I know what I went through, what we all went through with Yogi and I knew if there was one guy on the team that I was coming to and knew the process and what it was going to be like, it was going to be Yogi. So as soon as he said that, I took this job."
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Thomas Bryant on why he came back:
"Coach Crean saw something in me that I didn't really see in myself and that is probably the reason that I am coming back. All of the fans of Hoosier nation and coach Crean believing in me and knowing I had to get better and being totally real with me. I love that when somebody believes in you like that you try to stay with them."
Bryant then was asked by coach Crean to comment on each member of the incoming recruiting class:
On former teammate and IU signee Curtis Jones
"Curtis Jones is a great point guard and a two guard. Has some height on him, very versatile. Can jump out of the gym and can shoot the ball tremendously well."
On Deron Davis:
"De'Ron is another big man that is kind of like me. Plays with enthusiasm. Has a passion for the game, wants to win. We're friends and highly competitive towards each other so I am really happy that he is coming here."
On Devonte Green:
"Devonte is another guy that I played AAU with and he's a sharpshooter, a tremendous athlete. He can really shoot that basketball."
On Grant Gelon:
"He's quiet when you go up to him on the floor. I think he doesn't want to make any of us mad by saying something but he's a great teammate. All he wants to do is win. I like seeing that in his eyes. I remember when he came to play with us one time in open gym he wasn't asking for the ball and just running up and down the court and I was like, ''hey, come on, be aggressive. Call for the ball.' He got the ball that first time and launched it up and didn't even hit rim. He ended making about three of those that day, and I was like, wow."
On Freddie McSwain:
"His passion for the game of basketball is just like mine, if not even more. That guy can jump out of the gym. If you thought OG could jump, wait to you see this guy."
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The Hoosiers picked up their fourth commit in the 2017 class when Florida linebacker Thomas Allen gave the staff his verbal pledge earlier in the week. The standout from Plant H.S. in Tampa is the son of defensive coordinator Tom Allen. The younger Allen has played both OLB and MLB in his high school career and the Hoosiers are recruiting him to play MLB. He spoke with Peegs.com about why he chose IU the night before he made his decision public and you can check out that story here.
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Football camp season gets started next Thursday at IU and it will run until the 19th. This will be an important time for recruiting as dozens of targets will be on campus for visits and/or to work out in a camp for the coaching staff. One player that has told Peegs.com he will be making a trip to Bloomington to check out the IU program during camp week is Florida prospect Michael Ziemba. The standout from Lake Mary H.S. will be at Indiana on June 17th and June 18th. Ziemba is from the same high school as current Hoosier Nick Westbrook. Here is the story we did on Ziemba.
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The Hoosiers are recruiting the state of Florida hard and a couple other products from the Sunshine State that have been offered by IU are receiver Angelo Gonzalez and defensive back Naytron Culpepper. Both prospects are from South Florida around Miami and both are being heavily recruited. Here is the story we did on Gonzalez, and here is the story we did on Culpepper.
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Louisiana is not a state that IU has recruited heavily under Kevin Wilson, but it is a state where they have offered prospects from down there from time to time. One recruit from Louisiana that the Hoosiers have offered for 2017 is defensive lineman Troy James. D-line is a big priority in the 2017 class and James is someone the staff seems to be pretty high on. Peegs.com spoke to James this week and you can check out that story here.
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Indiana like tight ends that can used as blockers in the run game and as receivers in the passing game and one prospect at that spot they are after is Reese Leitao from Oklahoma. The three-star recruit is the son of DePaul basketball coach Dave Leitao. He told Peegs.com that he hopes to get down to Bloomington this summer for an unofficial visit. You can read what else Leitao had to say in this story that we did on him this week.
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Here is the list of prospects that picked up an offer from the Hoosiers in the last week:
2017 Illinois DL Josh Maize
2017 Texas OL Grant Polley
2017 Texas DB Josh Thompson
2018 Texas DB Atanza Vongor
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The preseason honors continue to pile up for Indiana offensive lineman Dan Feeney. The Illinois native has already been named a preseason All-American, and this past week he was named the top offensive guard in the nation by Lindy’s Sports. Feeney is not the only IU player to receive some preseason accolades. You can read about those players and about Feeney in this release from IUHoosiers.com.
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Earlier this week was the IU event at Huber Farms down in Southern Indiana and at the event Athletic Director Fred Glass met with the media and he talked about football ticket sales for the upcoming season. He said that at this point season ticket sales are higher than they were at any point last year. Mike Pegram did a story on this and you can check that out here.
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It was announced this week that former Indiana standout Antwaan Randle El is on the ballot for the 2017 College Football Hall of Fame induction. The National Football Foundation put out a release on this and you can read that here.
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Here is a link from the official site for the Washington Redskins that shows former IU quarterback Nate Sudfeld at a Redskins community relations event. It is a cool video that shows Sudfeld hanging out and playing football with some kids at the event.
These players are among the many talented prospects from those classes in the Indy area for this weekend's Crossroads Elite Invitational at Plainfield High School.
-----------
Legendary Hoosier alum Quinn Buckner was appointed by Indiana Governor Mike Pence to Indiana University's board of trustees earlier today. He will serve a three-year term.
Wrote here recently about how Washington has hired Michael Porter Sr., namesake and father of the nation's No. 2 overall prospect. Well earlier this week Porter Sr. reached out to another five-star from 2017, Kris Wilkes of Indianapolis North Central along with his Indy Hoosiers teammate Paul Scruggs. Wilkes, Scruggs and Michael Porter Jr. were AAU teammates back in middle school when the Porter family lived in greater Indy.
Wilkes is expected to visit Michigan on June 12 and Scruggs will be exceptionally busy this month. The Southport combo guard hit Louisville earlier this week and will trip to Michigan State, Indiana, Illinois and Xavier.
Now that he is down to eight programs and is fitting in these June trips there is more of an expectation that Scruggs will choose a school before summer is behind us.
We've written here before about IU commit Al Durham's slashing ability. That ability was very much proven in the Nike EYBL series this spring as he ended up 12th overall in the number of free throw attempts earned (75 free throws).
Speaking of EYBL stats, IU target Mohamed Bamba yanked down a terrific 13.9 rebounds per game over the series. That's more than two boards more than any other player managed to average.
A note on Jaren Jackson Jr. His lead recruiting at Notre Dame, Anthony Solomon, was hired recently to the Georgetown staff. Of course that's the alma mater of Jaren Sr.
Side note - Jackson finished third overall in blocks per game during the EYBL series (2.1 bpg).
Four-star point guard target Matt Coleman from Virginia is in no hurry and has a long list of schools he posted here
Well done video interview with Coleman
Fort Wayne's Malik Williams was another Hoosier state 2017 prospect who traveled to Louisville this week for a quick unofficial. He's expected to choose between the Cards, Michigan State, Iowa, Indiana and Purdue.
In this week's podcast mentioned Jordan Tucker as maybe the most under the radar potential early get for Indiana from the Class of 2017. He finished EYBL up well for the NY Rens, landing among the top 15 overall in number of made 3-point field goals.
Tucker is ranked No. 41 overall and the 6-foot-7 prospect got a late invitation this week to participate in the upcoming USA Basketball U18 training camp in Colorado Springs, Co.
Rumor of late is Syracuse is very strong with Tucker, a product of White Plains, New York.
--------------
You have the transcript of the media Q&A with coach Crean as well as video with the three players and Fred Glass. All later along with Derek Elson and Chuck Martin spoke to the crowd at Huber Farms on Wednesday. Here a few snippets not earmarked for a later story:
Coach Crean on where things stand now for the recent graduates:
On Ryan Burton:
"Ryan Burton, he just got back from an eight week trip overseas as part of the Kelley School of Business. I've not met many people that are carrying almost a 4.0 in college but when you meet Ryan Burton you can say you've met one because he's carrying about a 3.98.
"He worked as hard as anybody that was on scholarship and when he was called upon at certain times, there he was knocking it down. In the Rutgers game when we were trying to figure out our way without James (Blackmon), there he is knocking down two threes in the corner. That is how championships get won."
On Max Bielfeldt:
"I wish he would continue to play but he has such a mind for business, that he's going to go into the business world. There's a guy who made 11 threes in his career at Michigan and he came to Indiana and made 29 in one year. He kept getting better, better and better."
On Nick Zeisloft:
"He's going to go workout for the Dallas Mavericks on June 17. I think if you would have asked Nick if he was going to get an opportunity to work for a pro team a couple years ago, he probably wouldn't have seen that in his cards.
"--a guy at Illinois State that was really only known for his outside shooting to a guy that came in and was one of the most efficient offensive players in the country (per) the KenPom offensive efficiency ratings over the two years that he was with us."
On Yogi Ferrell:
"I don't think it will be a matter of being drafted, I think it will be a matter of teams trading up to draft him."
"I wish some of these agents that are representing some of the other guys getting a bit more attention as draft prospects, would allow their guy to be matched up with Yogi in some of these workouts. He's not getting all of those match-ups right now. "
"He's a two-time Big Ten championship winner and huge part of what we do at Indiana. I think you'll be watching him in the NBA for a long time."
He also had some notable comments on early graduation/pro departures:
"We've had seven players graduate in three years. We've had five get their masters in four. We've had everybody that has used their eligibility at Indiana and at Marquette, graduate."
"The ones (recruits) that come in and say 'I'm only staying one year--we probably have a harder time convincing them that you need to unpack your bags. When you come in and say 'I want to leave when I'm ready to go' -- We're real good with those guys."
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Derek Elston on decision to return to Indiana:
"Right before I took this job. I was headed home and never forget, a late night, and I text Yogi. I said 'Yogi, now come on. I have an opportunity to come over here and play again, (continue) to call myself a professional basketball player. Do I hang it up for this job?' He hit me back right away. If you know Yogi, that doesn't happen. He does not text you back right away. But he texted me back right away and he said 'This year is going to be something special.'
"That was all I needed to know. I know what I went through, what we all went through with Yogi and I knew if there was one guy on the team that I was coming to and knew the process and what it was going to be like, it was going to be Yogi. So as soon as he said that, I took this job."
-------------
Thomas Bryant on why he came back:
"Coach Crean saw something in me that I didn't really see in myself and that is probably the reason that I am coming back. All of the fans of Hoosier nation and coach Crean believing in me and knowing I had to get better and being totally real with me. I love that when somebody believes in you like that you try to stay with them."
Bryant then was asked by coach Crean to comment on each member of the incoming recruiting class:
On former teammate and IU signee Curtis Jones
"Curtis Jones is a great point guard and a two guard. Has some height on him, very versatile. Can jump out of the gym and can shoot the ball tremendously well."
On Deron Davis:
"De'Ron is another big man that is kind of like me. Plays with enthusiasm. Has a passion for the game, wants to win. We're friends and highly competitive towards each other so I am really happy that he is coming here."
On Devonte Green:
"Devonte is another guy that I played AAU with and he's a sharpshooter, a tremendous athlete. He can really shoot that basketball."
On Grant Gelon:
"He's quiet when you go up to him on the floor. I think he doesn't want to make any of us mad by saying something but he's a great teammate. All he wants to do is win. I like seeing that in his eyes. I remember when he came to play with us one time in open gym he wasn't asking for the ball and just running up and down the court and I was like, ''hey, come on, be aggressive. Call for the ball.' He got the ball that first time and launched it up and didn't even hit rim. He ended making about three of those that day, and I was like, wow."
On Freddie McSwain:
"His passion for the game of basketball is just like mine, if not even more. That guy can jump out of the gym. If you thought OG could jump, wait to you see this guy."
----------------------
The Hoosiers picked up their fourth commit in the 2017 class when Florida linebacker Thomas Allen gave the staff his verbal pledge earlier in the week. The standout from Plant H.S. in Tampa is the son of defensive coordinator Tom Allen. The younger Allen has played both OLB and MLB in his high school career and the Hoosiers are recruiting him to play MLB. He spoke with Peegs.com about why he chose IU the night before he made his decision public and you can check out that story here.
-----
Football camp season gets started next Thursday at IU and it will run until the 19th. This will be an important time for recruiting as dozens of targets will be on campus for visits and/or to work out in a camp for the coaching staff. One player that has told Peegs.com he will be making a trip to Bloomington to check out the IU program during camp week is Florida prospect Michael Ziemba. The standout from Lake Mary H.S. will be at Indiana on June 17th and June 18th. Ziemba is from the same high school as current Hoosier Nick Westbrook. Here is the story we did on Ziemba.
-----
The Hoosiers are recruiting the state of Florida hard and a couple other products from the Sunshine State that have been offered by IU are receiver Angelo Gonzalez and defensive back Naytron Culpepper. Both prospects are from South Florida around Miami and both are being heavily recruited. Here is the story we did on Gonzalez, and here is the story we did on Culpepper.
-----
Louisiana is not a state that IU has recruited heavily under Kevin Wilson, but it is a state where they have offered prospects from down there from time to time. One recruit from Louisiana that the Hoosiers have offered for 2017 is defensive lineman Troy James. D-line is a big priority in the 2017 class and James is someone the staff seems to be pretty high on. Peegs.com spoke to James this week and you can check out that story here.
-----
Indiana like tight ends that can used as blockers in the run game and as receivers in the passing game and one prospect at that spot they are after is Reese Leitao from Oklahoma. The three-star recruit is the son of DePaul basketball coach Dave Leitao. He told Peegs.com that he hopes to get down to Bloomington this summer for an unofficial visit. You can read what else Leitao had to say in this story that we did on him this week.
-----
Here is the list of prospects that picked up an offer from the Hoosiers in the last week:
2017 Illinois DL Josh Maize
2017 Texas OL Grant Polley
2017 Texas DB Josh Thompson
2018 Texas DB Atanza Vongor
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The preseason honors continue to pile up for Indiana offensive lineman Dan Feeney. The Illinois native has already been named a preseason All-American, and this past week he was named the top offensive guard in the nation by Lindy’s Sports. Feeney is not the only IU player to receive some preseason accolades. You can read about those players and about Feeney in this release from IUHoosiers.com.
-----
Earlier this week was the IU event at Huber Farms down in Southern Indiana and at the event Athletic Director Fred Glass met with the media and he talked about football ticket sales for the upcoming season. He said that at this point season ticket sales are higher than they were at any point last year. Mike Pegram did a story on this and you can check that out here.
-----
It was announced this week that former Indiana standout Antwaan Randle El is on the ballot for the 2017 College Football Hall of Fame induction. The National Football Foundation put out a release on this and you can read that here.
-----
Here is a link from the official site for the Washington Redskins that shows former IU quarterback Nate Sudfeld at a Redskins community relations event. It is a cool video that shows Sudfeld hanging out and playing football with some kids at the event.
