Going to get on a soap box here to start things. Not really normal but these aren't normal times. For those going to the game tomorrow, please don't boo. Whatever is going to happen is almost for sure set in stone right now. Booing or whatever the result of the game tomorrow is not going to change things. And it comes across as booing of young amateur athletes, which can have ramifications.
This will be the last game in Assembly Hall probably for some players, for the cheerleaders, other people associated with the program. Don't make it a nightmare experience.
----------
For the second time last night, O.G. Anunoby and Jefferson City got the best of Juwan Morgan and Waynesville. This time in the Class 5 District 10 final on a neutral court in Camdenton, Missouri. A jumper with under two seconds left by Kamari Balton gave the Jays the win, 39-37. Jefferson City had been down five midway through the final period.
O.G. sent me a text this morning saying "we had to lockdown" defensively to get the victory.
The two Indiana signees basically neutralized each other, tying for game high honors with 16 points apiece.
Jefferson City moves to 18-8 with the win and will play against Wednesday night in the sectionals against Blue Springs South (25-2) at State Fair Community College in Sedalia. Tip-off is at 6 p.m. local time.
Morgan's career is over and Waynesville finishes at 19-7. The Tigers came in ranked 10th in the state.
Postgame stories
Waynesville Daily Guide
Jefferson City News Tribune
While both of these players don't really solve the lack of size issue for Indiana next season, I think they both have the chance to be very good defensive players, which is obviously something Indiana really, really needs. The KenPom.com defensive efficiency rating for IU has fallen now to 229th nationally.
-----------
Former Hoosier Christian Watford has a long move to make as he was traded this week by the Maine Red Claws of the NBDL to the Reno Bighorns. Watford has been a regular starter for the Red Claws, averaging 12.0 points and 6.0 rebounds over 27 games.
----------
UPDATE: 2015 center Thomas Bryant will visit Indiana on Saturday, according to his coach at Huntington Prep. He has a break in his schedule and this weekend worked out for him.
------
So what about that environment? Certainly has been a week that will go down as one of the more memorable.
The only hard news on the future leadership of the program is what Fred Glass has said to the H-T and ESPN this week.
Wish I could tell you exactly what was going to happen and cite sources and so forth. Instead you just get my educated opinion. That being that my gut is both sides are looking to part ways amicably, in what may best be described as a Tubby Smith type separation. Maybe unique to situations with rabid fan bases and big buyout contracts. A push to create an environment that helps make for a respectable landing spot.
------
Here is our football report:
The Hoosiers are hosting another junior day this weekend
and it will be happening tomorrow when the basketball team hosts Michigan
State. Peegs.com has confirmed more than 10 visitors and you can see that list
here.
A number of the recruits visiting are guys that are high
up on the recruiting board for the IU staff. Carmel linebacker Noah Burks is an
in-state prospect that the staff is recruiting pretty hard and would love to
get.
Kiante Enis from Winchester is another in-state prospect
that has an early IU offer and he looks like a guy that could project at a few
different positions on either offense or defense.
Tim Hart from Memphis, Tennessee is one of the top
linebackers in the country and his offer list reflects that. He has picked up
several SEC offers and the fact that IU is getting him on campus for an
unofficial is big.
Peegs.com saw Thomas MacVittie at the Best of the Midwest
Combine and he is an athletic QB that throws the ball pretty well. He plays at
Moeller H.S. in Cincinnati which is a very good program. He told us this week
that Indiana is a school he has a very high level of interest in.
Ohio RB Chantez Moss told Peegs.com last night that IU is
one of his top schools along with Cincinnati. This will be his first trip to
Bloomington so it is a good chance for the Hoosiers to solidify their standing
with him.
Cameron Odom is a teammate of Moss at Bedford H.S. in
Bedford, Ohio and he told Peegs,com that IU offensive coordinator Kevin Johns
is very high on him. He also told us that he really likes Indiana.
Fellow Ohio native Zach Sandwisch is a LB from Toledo
that has picked up a handful of MAC offers to go along with offers from
Illinois, Iowa and West Virginia.
Brandon Jones and Carter Nicoli are teammates from
Hickman H.S. in Columbia, Missouri. Jones is a TE/DE that IU likes as a TE, and
Nicoli is a QB but he has also played WR in the past and he could be a guy that
projects as an athlete in college.
Illinois TE Noah Turner is someone that is pretty
familiar with IU as his uncle played football for the Hoosiers and he has a
number of other family members that have either attended IU or are currently
going to school there.
Amani Jones and Amir Watts are teammates at Phillips H.S.
in Chicago that have already picked up several offers. Jones is a linebacker
and Watts is a defensive lineman.
Hopefully the weather will cooperate and all the recruits
scheduled to visit are able to make it.
----
Peegs.com has been in touch with a handful of other IU
targets over the last week and we have done updates on where things with their
recruiting and their interest in the Hoosiers.
One prospect we spoke to was Indianapolis Pike LB Aaron Jones
after his attended the Best of the Midwest Combine last month. Jones does not
have an offer from you and will most likely have to earn one this summer at a
camp. You can read what he had to say here.
Another prospect we got in touch with recently is St. Louis RB Tre Bryant. The talented back was in Bloomington last month for a junior day and that is when picked up an offer from IU. He told Peegs.com in this story what he thought of the visit and what he thinks of the IU program.
One of the top players for the Hoosiers in the 2016 class regardless of position is Brownsburg athlete Toks Akinribade. The three-star recruit could be an outstanding RB or LB at the college level but it looks like IU is leaning towards him as a running back. He told us that IU is in very good shape with him.
This post was edited on 3/6 11:44 AM by MattWeaver
This will be the last game in Assembly Hall probably for some players, for the cheerleaders, other people associated with the program. Don't make it a nightmare experience.
----------
For the second time last night, O.G. Anunoby and Jefferson City got the best of Juwan Morgan and Waynesville. This time in the Class 5 District 10 final on a neutral court in Camdenton, Missouri. A jumper with under two seconds left by Kamari Balton gave the Jays the win, 39-37. Jefferson City had been down five midway through the final period.
O.G. sent me a text this morning saying "we had to lockdown" defensively to get the victory.
The two Indiana signees basically neutralized each other, tying for game high honors with 16 points apiece.
Jefferson City moves to 18-8 with the win and will play against Wednesday night in the sectionals against Blue Springs South (25-2) at State Fair Community College in Sedalia. Tip-off is at 6 p.m. local time.
Morgan's career is over and Waynesville finishes at 19-7. The Tigers came in ranked 10th in the state.
Postgame stories
Waynesville Daily Guide
Jefferson City News Tribune
While both of these players don't really solve the lack of size issue for Indiana next season, I think they both have the chance to be very good defensive players, which is obviously something Indiana really, really needs. The KenPom.com defensive efficiency rating for IU has fallen now to 229th nationally.
-----------
Former Hoosier Christian Watford has a long move to make as he was traded this week by the Maine Red Claws of the NBDL to the Reno Bighorns. Watford has been a regular starter for the Red Claws, averaging 12.0 points and 6.0 rebounds over 27 games.
----------
UPDATE: 2015 center Thomas Bryant will visit Indiana on Saturday, according to his coach at Huntington Prep. He has a break in his schedule and this weekend worked out for him.
------
So what about that environment? Certainly has been a week that will go down as one of the more memorable.
The only hard news on the future leadership of the program is what Fred Glass has said to the H-T and ESPN this week.
Wish I could tell you exactly what was going to happen and cite sources and so forth. Instead you just get my educated opinion. That being that my gut is both sides are looking to part ways amicably, in what may best be described as a Tubby Smith type separation. Maybe unique to situations with rabid fan bases and big buyout contracts. A push to create an environment that helps make for a respectable landing spot.
------
Here is our football report:
The Hoosiers are hosting another junior day this weekend
and it will be happening tomorrow when the basketball team hosts Michigan
State. Peegs.com has confirmed more than 10 visitors and you can see that list
here.
A number of the recruits visiting are guys that are high
up on the recruiting board for the IU staff. Carmel linebacker Noah Burks is an
in-state prospect that the staff is recruiting pretty hard and would love to
get.
Kiante Enis from Winchester is another in-state prospect
that has an early IU offer and he looks like a guy that could project at a few
different positions on either offense or defense.
Tim Hart from Memphis, Tennessee is one of the top
linebackers in the country and his offer list reflects that. He has picked up
several SEC offers and the fact that IU is getting him on campus for an
unofficial is big.
Peegs.com saw Thomas MacVittie at the Best of the Midwest
Combine and he is an athletic QB that throws the ball pretty well. He plays at
Moeller H.S. in Cincinnati which is a very good program. He told us this week
that Indiana is a school he has a very high level of interest in.
Ohio RB Chantez Moss told Peegs.com last night that IU is
one of his top schools along with Cincinnati. This will be his first trip to
Bloomington so it is a good chance for the Hoosiers to solidify their standing
with him.
Cameron Odom is a teammate of Moss at Bedford H.S. in
Bedford, Ohio and he told Peegs,com that IU offensive coordinator Kevin Johns
is very high on him. He also told us that he really likes Indiana.
Fellow Ohio native Zach Sandwisch is a LB from Toledo
that has picked up a handful of MAC offers to go along with offers from
Illinois, Iowa and West Virginia.
Brandon Jones and Carter Nicoli are teammates from
Hickman H.S. in Columbia, Missouri. Jones is a TE/DE that IU likes as a TE, and
Nicoli is a QB but he has also played WR in the past and he could be a guy that
projects as an athlete in college.
Illinois TE Noah Turner is someone that is pretty
familiar with IU as his uncle played football for the Hoosiers and he has a
number of other family members that have either attended IU or are currently
going to school there.
Amani Jones and Amir Watts are teammates at Phillips H.S.
in Chicago that have already picked up several offers. Jones is a linebacker
and Watts is a defensive lineman.
Hopefully the weather will cooperate and all the recruits
scheduled to visit are able to make it.
----
Peegs.com has been in touch with a handful of other IU
targets over the last week and we have done updates on where things with their
recruiting and their interest in the Hoosiers.
One prospect we spoke to was Indianapolis Pike LB Aaron Jones
after his attended the Best of the Midwest Combine last month. Jones does not
have an offer from you and will most likely have to earn one this summer at a
camp. You can read what he had to say here.
Another prospect we got in touch with recently is St. Louis RB Tre Bryant. The talented back was in Bloomington last month for a junior day and that is when picked up an offer from IU. He told Peegs.com in this story what he thought of the visit and what he thinks of the IU program.
One of the top players for the Hoosiers in the 2016 class regardless of position is Brownsburg athlete Toks Akinribade. The three-star recruit could be an outstanding RB or LB at the college level but it looks like IU is leaning towards him as a running back. He told us that IU is in very good shape with him.
This post was edited on 3/6 11:44 AM by MattWeaver
