Here's our roundup of IU basketball, football and recruiting news.
Jordan Wells / Basketball Beat & Recruiting News
Hope you guys enjoyed all our FORUM Tipoff coverage. It was a great event and we learned a lot. Still a couple things left to come from the event but I’ll get them out by the end of the weekend.
A couple of main recruiting notes to know this week:
2019 Center Grove four-star forward Trayce Jackson-Davis (6-9, 210 pounds) moved up from the No. 48 player nationally to the No. 28 player after impressing at the FORUM Tipoff. He continues to get better every time we see him.
IU is still in great position here but as we’ve said all along, if big boys come calling it’s going to get interesting. And they’re starting to come - TJD added a new offer from UCLA. An assistant from that school was spotted at Southport.
The UK’s, Dukes, UNC’s and Kansas’s of the world may not have seen TJD play. It will be interesting to see how news of his development leaks out, and if someone from these programs makes their way to evaluate him this winter.
Maybe they wait until spring. And then how TJD plays in the spring will be very important. He doesn’t seem to be in any rush to make a decision, but it wouldn’t be surprising if by like next summer he’s ready.
2018 five-star guard Romeo Langford (6-4, 185 pounds, No. 6 player nationally) dominated in a matchup against Fort Wayne North Side and 2019 four-star forward Keion Brooks. It was an awe-inspiring performance, he scored from all three levels, played terrific defense. It was just a joy to see.
Our national analyst Eric Bossi noted he thinks Vanderbilt and Kansas have pushed ahead in this recruitment (link). There’s still time for that to change, but, that’s his latest. Doesn’t mean IU is out of it - they’ll continue to recruit him.
Still seems like Langford is the main/immediate focus for 2018, with TJD a priority for 2019. The sooner TJD decides he’s ready to wrap things up, the better for IU’s chances, just my opinion.
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Stu Jackson / Basketball Beat & Recruiting News
Learned a little bit more about Indiana's structure when it comes to practice and preparation from Archie Miller's radio show Thursday night.
Each assistant coach is responsible for specific opponents, but they also are in charge of core player groups. Those groups consistent of 3-4 players, and the assistant coach in charge of that group is responsible for a total understanding of what each of those players is going through every day, from home life to academics to health to basketball. It helps when, for example, a player has had three tests prior to practice and the coach who is part of their core group is responsible for saying something like, "he's going to be out of gas, you may want to give him a little bit of a break." So Miller and this staff are making a very concerted effort to get to know the players.
When it comes to skill development, Miller believes each coach has the ability to develop "everything." Assistant coach Ed Schilling primarily works with the guards along with associate head coach Tom Ostrom, while assistant coach Bruiser Flint works mainly with Indiana's frontcourt players. But because each coach has the ability to develop "everything," it can be interchangeable, too.
Meanwhile, Miller on Thursday estimated 85-90 percent of Indiana's base defense is installed. On offense, Indiana is "always a work in progress." Miller said the staff won't add much from this point on in order to focus on what's already been established.
Football Beat & Recruiting News
The early signing period is just five days away, and Indiana's class is beginning to get the finishing touches.
IU added 2018 two-star Florida defensive back Devon Matthews and 2018 New York running back Stevie Scott this week to push the class to 21. For now, that leaves four spots available for the 25-man class.
We learned this morning that 2018 four-star Missouri safety Dallas Craddieth plans to visit Indiana in January and sign with whichever school he chooses in February. He's got an official visit to Illinois this weekend and told our Illinois site that Illinois, IU and Iowa are at the top of his list at the moment. Have to think Indiana will save a spot for him or find a way to make room for him in this class as he remains one of their top targets.
The Hoosiers are also still looking to add one more quarterback to the class. They extended an offer 2018 four-star Florida quarterback Michael Penix Jr. following his official visit to IU on Sunday. 2018 three-star Arkansas quarterback Gerry Bohannon remains a target as well.
Stay tuned for our national signing day coverage next week.
Jordan Wells / Basketball Beat & Recruiting News
Hope you guys enjoyed all our FORUM Tipoff coverage. It was a great event and we learned a lot. Still a couple things left to come from the event but I’ll get them out by the end of the weekend.
A couple of main recruiting notes to know this week:
2019 Center Grove four-star forward Trayce Jackson-Davis (6-9, 210 pounds) moved up from the No. 48 player nationally to the No. 28 player after impressing at the FORUM Tipoff. He continues to get better every time we see him.
IU is still in great position here but as we’ve said all along, if big boys come calling it’s going to get interesting. And they’re starting to come - TJD added a new offer from UCLA. An assistant from that school was spotted at Southport.
The UK’s, Dukes, UNC’s and Kansas’s of the world may not have seen TJD play. It will be interesting to see how news of his development leaks out, and if someone from these programs makes their way to evaluate him this winter.
Maybe they wait until spring. And then how TJD plays in the spring will be very important. He doesn’t seem to be in any rush to make a decision, but it wouldn’t be surprising if by like next summer he’s ready.
2018 five-star guard Romeo Langford (6-4, 185 pounds, No. 6 player nationally) dominated in a matchup against Fort Wayne North Side and 2019 four-star forward Keion Brooks. It was an awe-inspiring performance, he scored from all three levels, played terrific defense. It was just a joy to see.
Our national analyst Eric Bossi noted he thinks Vanderbilt and Kansas have pushed ahead in this recruitment (link). There’s still time for that to change, but, that’s his latest. Doesn’t mean IU is out of it - they’ll continue to recruit him.
Still seems like Langford is the main/immediate focus for 2018, with TJD a priority for 2019. The sooner TJD decides he’s ready to wrap things up, the better for IU’s chances, just my opinion.
------------
Stu Jackson / Basketball Beat & Recruiting News
Learned a little bit more about Indiana's structure when it comes to practice and preparation from Archie Miller's radio show Thursday night.
Each assistant coach is responsible for specific opponents, but they also are in charge of core player groups. Those groups consistent of 3-4 players, and the assistant coach in charge of that group is responsible for a total understanding of what each of those players is going through every day, from home life to academics to health to basketball. It helps when, for example, a player has had three tests prior to practice and the coach who is part of their core group is responsible for saying something like, "he's going to be out of gas, you may want to give him a little bit of a break." So Miller and this staff are making a very concerted effort to get to know the players.
When it comes to skill development, Miller believes each coach has the ability to develop "everything." Assistant coach Ed Schilling primarily works with the guards along with associate head coach Tom Ostrom, while assistant coach Bruiser Flint works mainly with Indiana's frontcourt players. But because each coach has the ability to develop "everything," it can be interchangeable, too.
Meanwhile, Miller on Thursday estimated 85-90 percent of Indiana's base defense is installed. On offense, Indiana is "always a work in progress." Miller said the staff won't add much from this point on in order to focus on what's already been established.
Football Beat & Recruiting News
The early signing period is just five days away, and Indiana's class is beginning to get the finishing touches.
IU added 2018 two-star Florida defensive back Devon Matthews and 2018 New York running back Stevie Scott this week to push the class to 21. For now, that leaves four spots available for the 25-man class.
We learned this morning that 2018 four-star Missouri safety Dallas Craddieth plans to visit Indiana in January and sign with whichever school he chooses in February. He's got an official visit to Illinois this weekend and told our Illinois site that Illinois, IU and Iowa are at the top of his list at the moment. Have to think Indiana will save a spot for him or find a way to make room for him in this class as he remains one of their top targets.
The Hoosiers are also still looking to add one more quarterback to the class. They extended an offer 2018 four-star Florida quarterback Michael Penix Jr. following his official visit to IU on Sunday. 2018 three-star Arkansas quarterback Gerry Bohannon remains a target as well.
Stay tuned for our national signing day coverage next week.
