Welcome to The Hoosier Insider, our weekly insider roundup of the latest IU basketball and football news, notes & recruiting. Let's get to it:
Jordan Wells / Basketball Beat & Recruiting News
Indiana never stops recruiting, but it’s pretty obvious momentum has slowed up a lot for the time being.
Stu Jackson / Basketball Beat & Recruiting News
Indiana is off to a 2-0 start, sitting at No. 6 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll and No. 5 in the USA TODAY Coaches' poll. However, despite shooting up in the ranks - up five from their preseason spot in the AP poll and seven from their preseason spot in the coaches' poll - the theme with this team is continuing to get better and improve.
Not every game will be a game like Kansas, and that was evident with the UMass Lowell game Tuesday night. Defensively, Indiana's had a few lapses but seems intent on getting them fixed.
Up until the North Carolina home game in the Big Ten-ACC Challenge Nov. 30, you'll probably see a lot of experimentation with different lineups on the court. The starting lineup will be the same, but IU is or will be heavily favored in the remainder of its Indiana Classic games - vs. Liberty on Saturday, vs. IPFW in Fort Wayne Tuesday, and vs. Mississippi Valley State on Nov. 27. Indiana head coach Tom Crean said the different combinations of players used in the win over UMass Lowell was an intentional personnel decision, and expect that to continue in the games IU's expected to win big.
Junior guard James Blackmon Jr. has been on fire through Indiana's first two games and really seems to be playing with a chip on his shoulder. Don't expect that to slow down anytime soon, especially with Indiana's favorable schedule over the next 9-10 days.
Speaking of Blackmon, he and sophomore center Thomas Bryant were both named to John R. Wooden Award Watch List this week. They're two of 50 players on the list for the award, given annually to the most outstanding player in college basketball. Kind of surprised IU sophomore forward OG Anunoby didn't also make the list given all the hype, but it's not like he needs a nomination to validate his talent.
One last note - I'll be in Fort Wayne next week to cover the Indiana-IPFW game. If you see me, don't be afraid to say hi.
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Sam Beishuizen / Football Beat & Recruiting News
In just eight days, Indiana football's regular season will be over.
That's kind of sad.
But it's also kind of exciting. This is one of the best times of the year in the college world, both with IU and other schools. I'm personally excited to see how this Big Ten championship race shakes out, how the College Football Playoff looks and where in the world the Hoosiers will be bowling. There's going to be plenty to be revealed soon.
A big thing that might come out of this weekend is the bowl eligibility regardless of where or not Indiana beats Michigan. It seems like a handful of five-win teams will get into the postseason, and IU's APR has it sitting pretty. We'll have to take a look after Saturday's results, but I think it's fairly likely we get a clinching scenario figured out. So that should be fun.
Purdue weekend should be a pretty big recruiting time. So with that in mind, I figured I'd highlight five players this week that are pretty high on IU's radar. If you don't like this, let me know. I just figured we'd change it up a little bit.
This list isn't in any particular order and isn't complete by any means. It's just a few talking points.
Juan Harris, 3-star 2017 DT-- Hello again, old friend. Three times an Iowa commit, one time an Indiana commit and currently uncommitted anywhere, this three-star defensive tackle once again has IU out front. He wants to enroll at semester and will be announcing soon because of it. Seems like he's interested in the Hoosiers, and they're showing interest in return. I don't normally make predictions, but I feel like Harris is going to end up in Bloomington.
Trace Christian, 3-star 2017 running back -- If I had to pinpoint a top offensive target, Christian would be the guy. Sounds like Indiana really likes this kid, but the Hoosiers aren't alone. We haven't heard much from Christian lately, but all signs point toward IU hanging around.
DJ Edwards, 3-star wide receiver -- Indiana still needs to add a receiver or two into the mix, and Edwards would be a perfect candidate. He's got great size at 6-foot-2, 180 pounds and visited IU back in October. He's got plenty of other offers, but it appears Indiana might be one of the higher-end schools in his picture right now. He'd be a gem of a get.
Tyler Lytle, 3-star quarterback -- Lytle, currently a Colorado commit, visited Bloomington a few weeks ago and hasn't flipped. That's not the best sign for the Hoosiers that he's actually all that interested. But at the same time, he wouldn't have visited Bloomington if he wasn't having at least some thoughts about coming and playing for Kevin Wilson. This is a recruitment that has me a bit confused, and IU would sure love to have him, but the longer time passes, the less likely I see him coming to the Hoosiers.
RJ Potts, 4-star safety -- Potts is either toying with Indiana's heart or is seriously back in the picture. Perhaps the top remaining defensive target IU could realistically get, Potts visited for the Penn State game and has built a long-term relationship with IU's staff. Every update we get from him makes it seem like IU is in a good place. But eventually we're going to have to hear an answer. Picking up Potts would be yuuuuuuuuuge.
We're going to be trying to catch up with anywhere from three-six players a week or so that should be on your radar. This week we caught up with:
MJ Griffin, a 2019 cornerback who picked up an Indiana offer last week
Trey Lowe, a 2018 quarterback who I personally really like who is staying in touch with IU
David Felton, a 2017 athlete who seems to have jumped on IU's radar really late here
Ben Bryant, a 2018 quarterback who seems to be climbing up people's boards.
Hopefully we'll have a clearer picture as to where the current team stands and where the future recruits are at in about two weeks or so. A bowl game never hurt anybody.
Jordan Wells / Basketball Beat & Recruiting News
Indiana never stops recruiting, but it’s pretty obvious momentum has slowed up a lot for the time being.
- Billy Preston - His mom tweeted they are pushing for a decision this weekend. I still would guess Kansas, but the noise has been enough that it’s worth following. You just never know. The 6-9, 220-pound senior forward from Mouth of Wilson (Va.) Oak Hill Academy is ranked as the No. 8 player nationally.
- Other options - The Hoosiers stopped by a school in Phoenix to check in on a couple prospects on their way back from Hawaii. If it seems they make any serious moves on them besides just watching them, we’ll cover it.
Stu Jackson / Basketball Beat & Recruiting News
Indiana is off to a 2-0 start, sitting at No. 6 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll and No. 5 in the USA TODAY Coaches' poll. However, despite shooting up in the ranks - up five from their preseason spot in the AP poll and seven from their preseason spot in the coaches' poll - the theme with this team is continuing to get better and improve.
Not every game will be a game like Kansas, and that was evident with the UMass Lowell game Tuesday night. Defensively, Indiana's had a few lapses but seems intent on getting them fixed.
Up until the North Carolina home game in the Big Ten-ACC Challenge Nov. 30, you'll probably see a lot of experimentation with different lineups on the court. The starting lineup will be the same, but IU is or will be heavily favored in the remainder of its Indiana Classic games - vs. Liberty on Saturday, vs. IPFW in Fort Wayne Tuesday, and vs. Mississippi Valley State on Nov. 27. Indiana head coach Tom Crean said the different combinations of players used in the win over UMass Lowell was an intentional personnel decision, and expect that to continue in the games IU's expected to win big.
Junior guard James Blackmon Jr. has been on fire through Indiana's first two games and really seems to be playing with a chip on his shoulder. Don't expect that to slow down anytime soon, especially with Indiana's favorable schedule over the next 9-10 days.
Speaking of Blackmon, he and sophomore center Thomas Bryant were both named to John R. Wooden Award Watch List this week. They're two of 50 players on the list for the award, given annually to the most outstanding player in college basketball. Kind of surprised IU sophomore forward OG Anunoby didn't also make the list given all the hype, but it's not like he needs a nomination to validate his talent.
One last note - I'll be in Fort Wayne next week to cover the Indiana-IPFW game. If you see me, don't be afraid to say hi.
---------------------------------------
Sam Beishuizen / Football Beat & Recruiting News
In just eight days, Indiana football's regular season will be over.
That's kind of sad.
But it's also kind of exciting. This is one of the best times of the year in the college world, both with IU and other schools. I'm personally excited to see how this Big Ten championship race shakes out, how the College Football Playoff looks and where in the world the Hoosiers will be bowling. There's going to be plenty to be revealed soon.
A big thing that might come out of this weekend is the bowl eligibility regardless of where or not Indiana beats Michigan. It seems like a handful of five-win teams will get into the postseason, and IU's APR has it sitting pretty. We'll have to take a look after Saturday's results, but I think it's fairly likely we get a clinching scenario figured out. So that should be fun.
Purdue weekend should be a pretty big recruiting time. So with that in mind, I figured I'd highlight five players this week that are pretty high on IU's radar. If you don't like this, let me know. I just figured we'd change it up a little bit.
This list isn't in any particular order and isn't complete by any means. It's just a few talking points.
Juan Harris, 3-star 2017 DT-- Hello again, old friend. Three times an Iowa commit, one time an Indiana commit and currently uncommitted anywhere, this three-star defensive tackle once again has IU out front. He wants to enroll at semester and will be announcing soon because of it. Seems like he's interested in the Hoosiers, and they're showing interest in return. I don't normally make predictions, but I feel like Harris is going to end up in Bloomington.
Trace Christian, 3-star 2017 running back -- If I had to pinpoint a top offensive target, Christian would be the guy. Sounds like Indiana really likes this kid, but the Hoosiers aren't alone. We haven't heard much from Christian lately, but all signs point toward IU hanging around.
DJ Edwards, 3-star wide receiver -- Indiana still needs to add a receiver or two into the mix, and Edwards would be a perfect candidate. He's got great size at 6-foot-2, 180 pounds and visited IU back in October. He's got plenty of other offers, but it appears Indiana might be one of the higher-end schools in his picture right now. He'd be a gem of a get.
Tyler Lytle, 3-star quarterback -- Lytle, currently a Colorado commit, visited Bloomington a few weeks ago and hasn't flipped. That's not the best sign for the Hoosiers that he's actually all that interested. But at the same time, he wouldn't have visited Bloomington if he wasn't having at least some thoughts about coming and playing for Kevin Wilson. This is a recruitment that has me a bit confused, and IU would sure love to have him, but the longer time passes, the less likely I see him coming to the Hoosiers.
RJ Potts, 4-star safety -- Potts is either toying with Indiana's heart or is seriously back in the picture. Perhaps the top remaining defensive target IU could realistically get, Potts visited for the Penn State game and has built a long-term relationship with IU's staff. Every update we get from him makes it seem like IU is in a good place. But eventually we're going to have to hear an answer. Picking up Potts would be yuuuuuuuuuge.
We're going to be trying to catch up with anywhere from three-six players a week or so that should be on your radar. This week we caught up with:
MJ Griffin, a 2019 cornerback who picked up an Indiana offer last week
Trey Lowe, a 2018 quarterback who I personally really like who is staying in touch with IU
David Felton, a 2017 athlete who seems to have jumped on IU's radar really late here
Ben Bryant, a 2018 quarterback who seems to be climbing up people's boards.
Hopefully we'll have a clearer picture as to where the current team stands and where the future recruits are at in about two weeks or so. A bowl game never hurt anybody.
