Here's our roundup of IU basketball, football and recruiting news:
Jordan Wells / Basketball Beat & Recruiting News
In case anyone missed it, we caught up with New Albany five-star guard Romeo Langford about his trip down to IU (link).
The facts are, Langford still says all three schools are even. Folks down there seemed to be thinking Kansas is a distant third, but at this point it's really speculation.
National analyst Eric Bossi also had an update on Langford (link).
My pure speculation at this point, I think IU and Vandy make a stronger case than Kansas. Just my two cents.
IU will have a couple talented visitors in Assembly Hall for the game against Purdue.
2019 La Lumiere School four-star forward Isaiah Stewart (6-8, 230 pounds, No. 32 player nationally) and Bettendorf (Iowa) four-star point guard D.J. Carton (6-3, 190 pounds, No. 51 player nationally) both plan to be there.
There are a number of strong contenders for Stewart including Duke and Notre Dame among others, but we still think IU has an outside shot here. He's also considering Purdue, who (obviously) the Hoosiers will play when he'll be here.
Carton seems to visit Iowa regularly. Not sure at this point where IU will end up in his recruitment, but getting him in-town is a start.
Other than that, little changed in recruiting. Keep an eye on the grad transfer market for guards, as the Hoosiers clearly need both talent and depth in the backcourt next year (especially if Langford does go elsewhere.)
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Stu Jackson / Basketball Beat & Recruiting News
Jordan touched on the grad transfer market a little bit, and it appears that is something Indiana is open to exploring. IU head coach Archie Miller during his weekly radio show:
"Without question. You're always on the quest to add important pieces to your program, whether that's high school kids, junior college kids, whatever it may be, it's got to be the right fit. Sometimes those graduate guys, they fill an immediate need and they don't hurt you in scholarship restrictions the following year when you're recruiting. If there's a guy out there we feel can come and jump into the fray and it makes sense in terms of who he is as a kid, a student, a player, because those guys have to fit if they're going to be here for one year. They have to be in the mix of the rotation. Without question, always trying to look at how we can become better."
So the Hoosiers are keeping the door open there, and that's how Miller will judge whether or not to take on a grad transfer.
Meanwhile, Indiana shot below 60 percent from the free throw line for the fourth straight game, and Miller believes the mix is to make that aspect of practice competitive again.
That approach involves. Ranking each player and players go against each other to advance, tournament-style. Miller also said they've tried a lot of different things and that's it's also a case of not shooting as well as they're capable of from the foul line.
Miller: "We have good shooters going to the line not making them right now. I think that's more along the lines of confidence."
In other words, Indiana's free throw struggles haven't been for a lack of trying. But perhaps an altered approach in practice will lead to better results from the charity stripe.
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Taylor Lehman / Football Beat & Recruiting News
Well, the big new in IU Football recruiting today is the commitment of 2018 cornerback Jamar Johnson. Johnson was deciding between Indiana and Washington State when he visited last weekend. He toldTheHoosier.comthat he was planning on visiting Washington State after Indiana, but he felt that Indiana was the right place for him to play and go to school. Rivals has him measured at 6-foot-2, 182 pounds, so he has great size for a cornerback, and his recovery speed and ability to close on receivers and ball carriers is pretty impressive.
Story on Jamar Johnson’s commitment:https://indiana.rivals.com/news/2018-sarasota-defensive-back-commits-to-iu
Story on Johnson from a couple weeks ago: https://indiana.rivals.com/news/2018-sarasota-safety-jamar-johnson-has-iu-in-final-two
In other news from the 2018 class, Ventura CC defensive end Kenny Turnier told TheHoosier.com that he is no longer being pursued by Indiana. Turnier has had some flashes of potential but has just two seasons of football experience and has already had a season-ending injury. This news shows that Indiana is feeling pretty well about its place with Florida defensive end Jonathan King and Garden City CC defensive end Chauncey Manac — in that respective order.
If you’re interested, here is TheHoosier.com’s story from last week on Kenny Turnier: https://indiana.rivals.com/news/juco-de-wants-to-find-football-home-looking-at-iu
Tom Allen has said he wants to add “a couple safety bodies” to the 2018 class, and looking at the scholarship, you can see why. The Hoosiers graduated a lot of safeties with significant roles this year. One recruit to watch for in this vein is Georgia defensive back Joseph Daniels. He played mostly running back in his first three seasons but made the move to cornerback as a senior. Noah Joseph has told Daniels he believes he could play either safety position. IU has not offered him yet though.
For more on Daniels, here’s TheHoosier.com’s story: https://indiana.rivals.com/news/georgia-cb-joseph-daniels-talks-possible-move-to-safety
TheHoosier.com made some extra content on 2018 early enrollee running back Ronnie Walker this week as well. The podcast includes his high school coach Ricky Irby and what he believes Walker can bring to the program, and Stu Jackson wrote up an article on what Walker believes he needs to improve on before camp starts.
Podcast: https://indiana.rivals.com/news/podcast-what-can-ronnie-walker-bring-to-indiana-
Story from Stu: https://indiana.rivals.com/news/ronnie-walker-aiming-to-become-well-rounded-back
TheHoosier.com also got in contact with 2018 IU signee quarterback Mike Penix’s high school coach Jayson Roberts this week. We asked Roberts what Penix can bring to the program and if he can compete for the starting job immediately. His answer below.
Story on Mike Penix: https://indiana.rivals.com/news/mike-penix-ready-to-compete-for-starting-job
In the 2019 recruiting class, I caught up with four-star California QB about his recent IU offer. As of right now, distance won't be a factor in the schools he's considering: https://indiana.rivals.com/news/2019-4-star-dual-threat-qb-considers-indiana-offer
Jordan Wells / Basketball Beat & Recruiting News
In case anyone missed it, we caught up with New Albany five-star guard Romeo Langford about his trip down to IU (link).
The facts are, Langford still says all three schools are even. Folks down there seemed to be thinking Kansas is a distant third, but at this point it's really speculation.
National analyst Eric Bossi also had an update on Langford (link).
My pure speculation at this point, I think IU and Vandy make a stronger case than Kansas. Just my two cents.
IU will have a couple talented visitors in Assembly Hall for the game against Purdue.
2019 La Lumiere School four-star forward Isaiah Stewart (6-8, 230 pounds, No. 32 player nationally) and Bettendorf (Iowa) four-star point guard D.J. Carton (6-3, 190 pounds, No. 51 player nationally) both plan to be there.
There are a number of strong contenders for Stewart including Duke and Notre Dame among others, but we still think IU has an outside shot here. He's also considering Purdue, who (obviously) the Hoosiers will play when he'll be here.
Carton seems to visit Iowa regularly. Not sure at this point where IU will end up in his recruitment, but getting him in-town is a start.
Other than that, little changed in recruiting. Keep an eye on the grad transfer market for guards, as the Hoosiers clearly need both talent and depth in the backcourt next year (especially if Langford does go elsewhere.)
----------
Stu Jackson / Basketball Beat & Recruiting News
Jordan touched on the grad transfer market a little bit, and it appears that is something Indiana is open to exploring. IU head coach Archie Miller during his weekly radio show:
"Without question. You're always on the quest to add important pieces to your program, whether that's high school kids, junior college kids, whatever it may be, it's got to be the right fit. Sometimes those graduate guys, they fill an immediate need and they don't hurt you in scholarship restrictions the following year when you're recruiting. If there's a guy out there we feel can come and jump into the fray and it makes sense in terms of who he is as a kid, a student, a player, because those guys have to fit if they're going to be here for one year. They have to be in the mix of the rotation. Without question, always trying to look at how we can become better."
So the Hoosiers are keeping the door open there, and that's how Miller will judge whether or not to take on a grad transfer.
Meanwhile, Indiana shot below 60 percent from the free throw line for the fourth straight game, and Miller believes the mix is to make that aspect of practice competitive again.
That approach involves. Ranking each player and players go against each other to advance, tournament-style. Miller also said they've tried a lot of different things and that's it's also a case of not shooting as well as they're capable of from the foul line.
Miller: "We have good shooters going to the line not making them right now. I think that's more along the lines of confidence."
In other words, Indiana's free throw struggles haven't been for a lack of trying. But perhaps an altered approach in practice will lead to better results from the charity stripe.
-----------
Taylor Lehman / Football Beat & Recruiting News
Well, the big new in IU Football recruiting today is the commitment of 2018 cornerback Jamar Johnson. Johnson was deciding between Indiana and Washington State when he visited last weekend. He toldTheHoosier.comthat he was planning on visiting Washington State after Indiana, but he felt that Indiana was the right place for him to play and go to school. Rivals has him measured at 6-foot-2, 182 pounds, so he has great size for a cornerback, and his recovery speed and ability to close on receivers and ball carriers is pretty impressive.
Story on Jamar Johnson’s commitment:https://indiana.rivals.com/news/2018-sarasota-defensive-back-commits-to-iu
Story on Johnson from a couple weeks ago: https://indiana.rivals.com/news/2018-sarasota-safety-jamar-johnson-has-iu-in-final-two
In other news from the 2018 class, Ventura CC defensive end Kenny Turnier told TheHoosier.com that he is no longer being pursued by Indiana. Turnier has had some flashes of potential but has just two seasons of football experience and has already had a season-ending injury. This news shows that Indiana is feeling pretty well about its place with Florida defensive end Jonathan King and Garden City CC defensive end Chauncey Manac — in that respective order.
If you’re interested, here is TheHoosier.com’s story from last week on Kenny Turnier: https://indiana.rivals.com/news/juco-de-wants-to-find-football-home-looking-at-iu
Tom Allen has said he wants to add “a couple safety bodies” to the 2018 class, and looking at the scholarship, you can see why. The Hoosiers graduated a lot of safeties with significant roles this year. One recruit to watch for in this vein is Georgia defensive back Joseph Daniels. He played mostly running back in his first three seasons but made the move to cornerback as a senior. Noah Joseph has told Daniels he believes he could play either safety position. IU has not offered him yet though.
For more on Daniels, here’s TheHoosier.com’s story: https://indiana.rivals.com/news/georgia-cb-joseph-daniels-talks-possible-move-to-safety
TheHoosier.com made some extra content on 2018 early enrollee running back Ronnie Walker this week as well. The podcast includes his high school coach Ricky Irby and what he believes Walker can bring to the program, and Stu Jackson wrote up an article on what Walker believes he needs to improve on before camp starts.
Podcast: https://indiana.rivals.com/news/podcast-what-can-ronnie-walker-bring-to-indiana-
Story from Stu: https://indiana.rivals.com/news/ronnie-walker-aiming-to-become-well-rounded-back
TheHoosier.com also got in contact with 2018 IU signee quarterback Mike Penix’s high school coach Jayson Roberts this week. We asked Roberts what Penix can bring to the program and if he can compete for the starting job immediately. His answer below.
Story on Mike Penix: https://indiana.rivals.com/news/mike-penix-ready-to-compete-for-starting-job
In the 2019 recruiting class, I caught up with four-star California QB about his recent IU offer. As of right now, distance won't be a factor in the schools he's considering: https://indiana.rivals.com/news/2019-4-star-dual-threat-qb-considers-indiana-offer
