Here's our roundup of IU basketball, football and recruiting news:
Jordan Wells / Basketball Beat & Recruiting News
All the recruiting talk this week is around TJD and his decision not to sign in the early period.
We had a story from Corey Evans on this here - https://basketballrecruiting.rivals.com/news/signing-late-is-the-plan-for-trayce-jackson-davis
Contrary to many fans panicking, this doesn’t mean IU is falling behind in the recruitment. It just meant TJD isn’t ready to make a call yet, and MSU is maybe more of a threat than initially anticipated.
It doesn’t help that several fans tweeted at him with things like “forget him, ready to move on.” Not sure what folks are thinking when they do this.
I’ve had a FutureCast pick in for IU for a while, and no reason to change that yet based on this choice.
This decision does leave the window open, though, for Michigan State to come from behind.
Keion Brooks also took an official visit to North Carolina last weekend.
Could see IU, Kentucky or Michigan State for Brooks. Maybe UNC, but it seems to far away in the end.
Closing on TJD would be a nice help here for the Hoosiers.
The best thing IU can do right now is win on the court. The play wasn’t the best last year, but the team did get better as the year went on, and it was only Archie’s first season.
IU’s done a great job recruiting these kids and building relationships, selling what the program can be.
Proving it on the court would be a nice boost.
-------
Stu Jackson / Football Beat & Recruiting News
Starting to get a clearer picture of the offensive line after talking to a few prospects this week.
The biggest news is that 2019 3-star Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) offensive tackle Kaleb Boateng is back in the mix with Indiana after IU offensive line coach Darren Hiller visited his school and spoke with his coach during the bye week. Communication had all but discontinued after Boateng put out a top 3 of Maryland, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, but now it has ramped back up.
Boateng told me last night the staff likes his versatility as someone who can play all five positions. They're also pitching him on playing time with the program expected to lose eight of their offensive lineman over the next three years. He's looking to officially visit the weekend of Nov. 30 or Dec. 7.
Indiana also offered 2019 3-star Georgia offensive guard Nick Pendley, who said he's looking to visit IU soon. He's lining up official visits to Mississippi State and USC right now but is also looking to visit IU.
Right now, Boateng is the top target among high school prospects.
Among junior college prospects, 3-star Iowa Western Community College offensive tackle Myron Cunningham is the top target but still has yet to schedule an official visit to IU.
One JuCo prospect who has is Jay Williams from Grossmont College, who will be on campus the weekend of Nov. 30.
Indiana is also looking at the JuCo ranks for a defensive lineman, offering Riverside (Calif.) City College defensive end Nick Figueroa. IU offered during the bye week but he told me he hasn't heard from the staff since, so the relationship there is developing slowly.
Beyond the offensive line, there's some uncertainty surrounding 4-star Indy Warren Central wide receiver David Bell and his official visit to Indiana in December. He told Josh Helmholdt earlier this week that officials to Ohio State (Nov. 23), IU (Dec. 7) and Iowa (Dec. 14) are not locked in yet. This comes on the heels of a late offer from Auburn last month and interest from Florida and UCLA. However, Bell did say Ohio State, IU and Iowa are the three schools that will "likely" get his remaining officials after take OVs to Penn State and Purdue already, but it will still be worth watching.
Jordan Wells / Basketball Beat & Recruiting News
All the recruiting talk this week is around TJD and his decision not to sign in the early period.
We had a story from Corey Evans on this here - https://basketballrecruiting.rivals.com/news/signing-late-is-the-plan-for-trayce-jackson-davis
Contrary to many fans panicking, this doesn’t mean IU is falling behind in the recruitment. It just meant TJD isn’t ready to make a call yet, and MSU is maybe more of a threat than initially anticipated.
It doesn’t help that several fans tweeted at him with things like “forget him, ready to move on.” Not sure what folks are thinking when they do this.
I’ve had a FutureCast pick in for IU for a while, and no reason to change that yet based on this choice.
This decision does leave the window open, though, for Michigan State to come from behind.
Keion Brooks also took an official visit to North Carolina last weekend.
Could see IU, Kentucky or Michigan State for Brooks. Maybe UNC, but it seems to far away in the end.
Closing on TJD would be a nice help here for the Hoosiers.
The best thing IU can do right now is win on the court. The play wasn’t the best last year, but the team did get better as the year went on, and it was only Archie’s first season.
IU’s done a great job recruiting these kids and building relationships, selling what the program can be.
Proving it on the court would be a nice boost.
-------
Stu Jackson / Football Beat & Recruiting News
Starting to get a clearer picture of the offensive line after talking to a few prospects this week.
The biggest news is that 2019 3-star Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) offensive tackle Kaleb Boateng is back in the mix with Indiana after IU offensive line coach Darren Hiller visited his school and spoke with his coach during the bye week. Communication had all but discontinued after Boateng put out a top 3 of Maryland, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, but now it has ramped back up.
Boateng told me last night the staff likes his versatility as someone who can play all five positions. They're also pitching him on playing time with the program expected to lose eight of their offensive lineman over the next three years. He's looking to officially visit the weekend of Nov. 30 or Dec. 7.
Indiana also offered 2019 3-star Georgia offensive guard Nick Pendley, who said he's looking to visit IU soon. He's lining up official visits to Mississippi State and USC right now but is also looking to visit IU.
Right now, Boateng is the top target among high school prospects.
Among junior college prospects, 3-star Iowa Western Community College offensive tackle Myron Cunningham is the top target but still has yet to schedule an official visit to IU.
One JuCo prospect who has is Jay Williams from Grossmont College, who will be on campus the weekend of Nov. 30.
Indiana is also looking at the JuCo ranks for a defensive lineman, offering Riverside (Calif.) City College defensive end Nick Figueroa. IU offered during the bye week but he told me he hasn't heard from the staff since, so the relationship there is developing slowly.
Beyond the offensive line, there's some uncertainty surrounding 4-star Indy Warren Central wide receiver David Bell and his official visit to Indiana in December. He told Josh Helmholdt earlier this week that officials to Ohio State (Nov. 23), IU (Dec. 7) and Iowa (Dec. 14) are not locked in yet. This comes on the heels of a late offer from Auburn last month and interest from Florida and UCLA. However, Bell did say Ohio State, IU and Iowa are the three schools that will "likely" get his remaining officials after take OVs to Penn State and Purdue already, but it will still be worth watching.
