Here's our roundup of IU basketball, football and recruiting news:
Jordan Wells / Basketball Beat & Recruiting News
This might have been one of the slowest recruiting weeks of the year. No games so no (significant) visitors on campus, nothing new in terms of any recruitments changing. Just nothing new to report, folks.
We did run our weekly update on how some of the signees and recruits are playing. You can see that here - https://indiana.rivals.com/news/hoops-recruit-roundup-december-26
Here’s video of Rob Phinisee in one of those games:
Also some video of Jerome Hunter in one of those games. Several dunks, including a silly off the backboard dunk at the end:
We do plan to check up on New Albany five-star guard Romeo Langford again in January, so maybe soon. Not sure what date yet, but we set a goal to see him once every month.
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Stu Jackson / Basketball Beat & Recruiting News
Eight days between games is quite rare, but Indiana was back practicing on Dec. 26 after players got the holiday weekend off to go home and visit with their families. Tonight, the Hoosiers host Youngstown State at 8 p.m. ET on BTN.
Health-wise, everyone is in good shape according to IU head coach Archie Miller. No players are on minutes restrictions, nor have they dealt with colds or any other seasonal ailments that come around this time of year.
On Thursday night, we learned a little bit more about redshirt freshman forward Race Thompson's progress. I know many of you had asked about him at some point over the last month, and he's basically continued to work with Director of Athletic Performance Clif Marshall to get stronger.
Some highlights of those comments from Miller:
"Race is about as improved as a player as we have on our team.
"... Race has gotten into the the best shape of his life. He's stronger up top, he's developed his legs, his lower body. ... He's given us another guy that's physical. ... He's really blossomed here in the last month, I give a lot of credit to his work ethic and I also give a lot of credit to Clif Marshall."
Miller said he doesn't envision Thompson as an "above the rim" guy, but Thompson will get better as he gets older. Miller also said Thompson has shown some range with his shooting.
Basically, you get the sense that Thompson won't necessarily be an All-Big Ten player in his first year of live on-court action, but he will be able to contribute in some capacity right away.
Football Beat & Recruiting News
No announcement yet regarding Miami graduate transfer center Nick Linder, but it's our understanding that he's still expected to become a Hoosier.
Meanwhile, one definitive and one potential defensive end targets have emerged this week for IU. After 2018 three-star Miami (Fla.) Southridge defensive end Randy Charlton wound up signing with Central Florida last week, Indiana offered 2018 three-star Avon (Conn.) Old Farms defensive end Casey Rodgers on Tuesday. A day later, 2018 three-star Tampa Bay (Fla.) Tech weakside defensive end Jonathan King late Wednesday night decommitted from Oregon and reopened his recruitment.
The 6-foot-5, 240-pound Rodgers has taken visits to Ohio State (Dec. 8) and Alabama (Dec. 15) but does not hold an offer from either school.
So far, the schools he's received offers from are California, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Rutgers, Temple, Vanderbilt and Western Michigan.
King, meanwhile, had been committed to the Ducks since June 8, but with the program going through a coaching change - head coach Willie Taggart took the same position at Florida State earlier this month - the move isn't entirely surprising. Oregon's search remains ongoing with co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Mario Cristobal still serving as interim head coach.
The 6-foot-3, 230-pound King has held an IU offer since Jan. 24 and hails from the same high school as IU's 2018 four-star quarterback signee Michael Penix Jr.
King also has offers from Arizona, Cincinnati, Florida, Iowa State, Marshall, Maryland, Mississippi, Mississippi State, North Carolina, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Rutgers, South Carolina, South Dakota, South Florida, Tennessee and UCF. Arkansas and Florida State have shown interest.
On Thursday, Georgia Tech sophomore linebacker T.D. Roof announced he was transferring to Indiana. His father resigned as Georgia Tech's defensive coordinator to take a co-defensive coordinator position with North Carolina State, so perhaps the uncertainty of fitting in with the new defensive coordinator's scheme played a role in his departure.
Still, Roof will be a valuable addition to the Indiana defense. He was a three-star athlete out of high school and Rivals' No. 96 player in the state of Georgia in the Class of 2017. He had 17 tackles (two for loss) and two sacks in 11 games as a freshman this season, with both sacks coming in the same game. He was actually offered by IU during his recruitment process, so there's a sense of familiarity there between him and linebackers coach William Inge.
Since Roof played this year, he'll have to sit out the 2018 season in accordance with NCAA transfer rules but will have three seasons of eligibility remaining. Roof was a business administration major at Georgia Tech, and assuming he continues those studies at IU's Kelley School of Business, Indiana should be a great fit for him.
Jordan Wells / Basketball Beat & Recruiting News
This might have been one of the slowest recruiting weeks of the year. No games so no (significant) visitors on campus, nothing new in terms of any recruitments changing. Just nothing new to report, folks.
We did run our weekly update on how some of the signees and recruits are playing. You can see that here - https://indiana.rivals.com/news/hoops-recruit-roundup-december-26
Here’s video of Rob Phinisee in one of those games:
Also some video of Jerome Hunter in one of those games. Several dunks, including a silly off the backboard dunk at the end:
We do plan to check up on New Albany five-star guard Romeo Langford again in January, so maybe soon. Not sure what date yet, but we set a goal to see him once every month.
---------
Stu Jackson / Basketball Beat & Recruiting News
Eight days between games is quite rare, but Indiana was back practicing on Dec. 26 after players got the holiday weekend off to go home and visit with their families. Tonight, the Hoosiers host Youngstown State at 8 p.m. ET on BTN.
Health-wise, everyone is in good shape according to IU head coach Archie Miller. No players are on minutes restrictions, nor have they dealt with colds or any other seasonal ailments that come around this time of year.
On Thursday night, we learned a little bit more about redshirt freshman forward Race Thompson's progress. I know many of you had asked about him at some point over the last month, and he's basically continued to work with Director of Athletic Performance Clif Marshall to get stronger.
Some highlights of those comments from Miller:
"Race is about as improved as a player as we have on our team.
"... Race has gotten into the the best shape of his life. He's stronger up top, he's developed his legs, his lower body. ... He's given us another guy that's physical. ... He's really blossomed here in the last month, I give a lot of credit to his work ethic and I also give a lot of credit to Clif Marshall."
Miller said he doesn't envision Thompson as an "above the rim" guy, but Thompson will get better as he gets older. Miller also said Thompson has shown some range with his shooting.
Basically, you get the sense that Thompson won't necessarily be an All-Big Ten player in his first year of live on-court action, but he will be able to contribute in some capacity right away.
Football Beat & Recruiting News
No announcement yet regarding Miami graduate transfer center Nick Linder, but it's our understanding that he's still expected to become a Hoosier.
Meanwhile, one definitive and one potential defensive end targets have emerged this week for IU. After 2018 three-star Miami (Fla.) Southridge defensive end Randy Charlton wound up signing with Central Florida last week, Indiana offered 2018 three-star Avon (Conn.) Old Farms defensive end Casey Rodgers on Tuesday. A day later, 2018 three-star Tampa Bay (Fla.) Tech weakside defensive end Jonathan King late Wednesday night decommitted from Oregon and reopened his recruitment.
The 6-foot-5, 240-pound Rodgers has taken visits to Ohio State (Dec. 8) and Alabama (Dec. 15) but does not hold an offer from either school.
So far, the schools he's received offers from are California, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Rutgers, Temple, Vanderbilt and Western Michigan.
King, meanwhile, had been committed to the Ducks since June 8, but with the program going through a coaching change - head coach Willie Taggart took the same position at Florida State earlier this month - the move isn't entirely surprising. Oregon's search remains ongoing with co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Mario Cristobal still serving as interim head coach.
The 6-foot-3, 230-pound King has held an IU offer since Jan. 24 and hails from the same high school as IU's 2018 four-star quarterback signee Michael Penix Jr.
King also has offers from Arizona, Cincinnati, Florida, Iowa State, Marshall, Maryland, Mississippi, Mississippi State, North Carolina, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Rutgers, South Carolina, South Dakota, South Florida, Tennessee and UCF. Arkansas and Florida State have shown interest.
On Thursday, Georgia Tech sophomore linebacker T.D. Roof announced he was transferring to Indiana. His father resigned as Georgia Tech's defensive coordinator to take a co-defensive coordinator position with North Carolina State, so perhaps the uncertainty of fitting in with the new defensive coordinator's scheme played a role in his departure.
Still, Roof will be a valuable addition to the Indiana defense. He was a three-star athlete out of high school and Rivals' No. 96 player in the state of Georgia in the Class of 2017. He had 17 tackles (two for loss) and two sacks in 11 games as a freshman this season, with both sacks coming in the same game. He was actually offered by IU during his recruitment process, so there's a sense of familiarity there between him and linebackers coach William Inge.
Since Roof played this year, he'll have to sit out the 2018 season in accordance with NCAA transfer rules but will have three seasons of eligibility remaining. Roof was a business administration major at Georgia Tech, and assuming he continues those studies at IU's Kelley School of Business, Indiana should be a great fit for him.
