Indiana HS SENIOR STARS for 2009

With the state of Indiana being a recruiting hotbed nationally, the eyes of many college coaches are on this years' senior class. There are several athletes already committed to D1 schools, and there are several that are still open in their recruitment. Here's a quick look at some of the top players in the state and what their college plans are, as well as a few of the top undecided seniors. Most of the decided seniors have signed their letters of intent in the early signing period.

Point Guard

Jordan Hulls (6'0"; Bloomington South HS)- Indiana University
Tommy Kurth (6'0"; Penn HS)- Valparaiso University
Bruce Grimm (6'1"; Rochester Community HS)- East Tennessee State
Kendal Brown (5'10"; Evansville Harrison HS)- Sounthern Illinois
Matt Kenney (6'2"; Moorseville HS)- Valparaiso University
Ja'Rob McCallum (6'1"; Marion HS)- UW-Milwaukee
Jake Odum (6'2"; Terre Haute South Vigo HS)- Indiana State
Casey Coons (5'8"; Franklin Central HS)- Undecided
Larry Smith (6'4"; Lawrence North HS)- Undecided

Shooting Guard

DJ Byrd (6'4"; North Montgomery HS)- Purdue
Colt Ryan (6'4"; Batesville HS)- Evansville
Scott Wood (6'6"; Marion HS)- North Carolina State
Tyler Koch (6'4"; Winchester HS)- Wright State
Corey Clemons (6'2"; New Castle HS)- Morehead State
Jauwan Scaife (6'2"; Muncie Central HS)- Ball State
George Jones (6'2"; South Bend Clay HS)- Indiana Wesleyan University
Tommy Eggleston (6'5"; Heritage Christian HS)- Undecided

Center

Blake Metcalf (6'9"; Plainfield HS)- Albany University

Small Forward

Derek Elston (6'8"; Tipton HS)- Indiana University
Kelsey Barlow (6'6"; Cathedral HS)- Purdue University
RJ Mahurin (6'8"; Rockville HS)- Indiana State
Hayden Humes (6'7"; Valparaiso HS)- Toledo University
Chris Read (6'6"; Lawrence North HS)- Undecided
Drew Schauss (6'5"; Centerville HS)- Undecided

Power Forward

Patrick Bade (6'8"; Franklin Central HS)- Purdue University
Jeff Robinson (6'9"; Lawrence North HS)- Purdue University
Andrew Smith (6'9"; Covenant Christian HS)- Butler
Stephan Van Treese (6'9"; Lawrence North HS)- Louisville
Jordan Myers (6'8"; Forest Park HS)- Southern Illinois
Eric Beard (6'7"; Richmond)- James Madison
Dominc Nicholson (6'8"; Warren Central HS)- Undecided
Jonathan Nwannunu (6'8"; Merrillville HS)- Undecided
Errick Peck (6'7"; Cathedral HS)- Undecided
Justin Read (6'8"; North Central HS)- Undecided


As always, the state is full of talent. It may not be on par with years like 2006, with Oden and Conley and others, but these seniors have a lot to offer the coaches and teams they will be playing for in the future. Here's looking forward to what the 2008-2009 season brings!

Post-2009 Hoosier Recruiting

As promised, let's take a look at where Tom Crean's staff is turning their attention in recruiting now that the 2009 class is seemingly wrapped up. With the self-imposed sanctions upheld by the NCAA, IU will have limited scholarships to work with after having to immediately rebuild the program from shambles with two sizeable classes. IU will lose only former walk-on Kyle Taber to gradutation, and there is always a likelihood that some players will not return. With that said, the belief is that Crean would like to add three players for the 2010 class. Here are some of the options that Coach Crean has, players on IU's recruiting radar who have mutual interest.

Kids with HIGH Interest in IU

Kyrie Irving (6'1" PG/SG, St. Patrick's HS, NJ)- Irving is a consensus top 50 player. He is a 'tweener as a player, and is more of a scoring guard with handles rather than a pure point man. Irving has visitied IU unofficially and has high interest in the Hoosiers. His pursuit by IU began, again, with Coach McCleod's connections in New Jersey. Crean has made Irving one of his top priorities in this class. The Hoosiers' main competition for Irving is coming from Villinova, Memphis, Notre Dame, Kansas, and Pittsburgh.

Brandon Mobley (6'9" PF, Windsor Forest HS, GA)- A versatile big man with superior athleticism, Mobley seems to fit nicely in to the Tom Crean mold for bigs. Brandon claims to be ambidextrious, able to score with either hand effectively around the rim. Mobley calls Indiana his clear leader, and was tempted to commit to them before his mother asked him to wait and test the recruiting process a bit more. He is an under-the-radar type of kid, but is expected to rise in the rankings, and his ability is apparent by schools like Cincy, Clemson, Georgia, and Memphis courting his services. He played on the same AAU team as current IU commit Christian Watford, so he hears good things about IU from him. Again, Mobley has forged a connection with Roshown McCleod, which is one of the main things IU has going for them in his recruitment.

Aaron Cosby (6'4" SG, Jeffersontown HS, KY)- Cosby, another unofficial visitor to IU, has high interest in the Hoosiers, as well as Tubby Smith's Minnesota Golden Gophers. The former UMass commit visited Bloomington for Hoosier Hysteria this fall, and was very impressed. Besides offers from these two teams, he has offers from Oklahoma State, Miami (OH), and Western Kentucky, and interest from several high profile schools.

Kids with MODERATE Interest in IU

Lavonte Dority (6'3" PG, Foreman HS, IL)- Dority at one time called IU his leader. He has an offer from the Hoosiers and is looking at several other schools, including DePaul, Illinois, Wisconsin, and others.

Stacey Poole (6'3" SG, Jacksonville Raines HS, FL)- Poole has an IU offer, and is looking at the three top state schools, and other schools in the south. He is a top 100 player.

Robert Goff (6'9" PF, Cowley County C.C., KS)- The former Broad Ripple standout, now a JUCO option, is another guy the Hoosiers are interested in. His grades and overall raw skill set forced him into the JUCO route, but his development is good enough to intrigue top teams. The thought is that Goff would love to return home to Indiana to play for the Hoosiers, but he will probably be one Crean will wait around on.

Donnie Hale (6'8" PF, New Albany HS, IN)- Hale is a very versatile player, who can defend player much bigger with his Tayshaun Prince-like reach. He is very slight of build and will have to get stronger. IU's main competition for Hale will be Purdue and Xavier.

Kids with LOW Interest in IU, or LONGSHOTS

Harrison Barnes (6'6" SF, Ames Senior HS, IA)- With offers from national powers like Duke, UNC, Kansas, Texas, and UCLA, the rebuilding Hoosiers will be hard pressed to steal Barnes, a top 5 talent, away from these perennial contenders.

Josh Smith (6'10" C, Kentwood HS, WA)- Smith, with offers from EVERYONE, is another top 5 talent. He has an NBA ready body, although he could slim down a bit. He has an array of post moves with which he physically overpowers the competition. It will take a miracle to get him off the West Coast.

Ray McCallum (6'2" PG, Detroit Country Day HS, MI)- Once a shoe-in to be a Hoosier as the son of the former IU assistant of the same name, the younger McCallum will be tough to get into the candy striped pants. It is clear that his dad left IU on less than great terms, so bridges will have to be rebuilt on this one. He is a top 100 talent who is currently favoring Kansas and his dad's (and Eli Holman's) new school, Detroit.

Other Indiana Kids with IU Interest

Jesse Berry (6'1" PG, Lafeyette Jefferson HS, IN)- Berry, who poured in 51 points in his season opener, is on IU's radar.

Jordan Manuel (6'8" SF, Pike HS, IN)- Manuel, the TC Howe Academy transfer, is a versatile player who can do a little bit of everything. He will find a D1 home, but IU is a longshot.

DeShaun Thomas (6'6" SF, Ft. Wayne Bishop Luers HS, IN)- Thomas, an Ohio State commit, has wavered in the past on his verbal pledge to Thad Matta's Buckeyes. He is currently solid with his choice, but the nature of verbals are dicey, and Thomas is a top ten talent who Tom Crean would love to have.

IU Recruiting Picture

Tom Crean's first recruiting class at the helm of IU's storied basketball program is officially (almost) in the books, and to call it a rousing success would be an understatement. The six-man haul pulled in by Crean, while under self-imposed sanctions remaining from the Kelvin Sampson regime, will form the bedrock foundation that the Hoosiers will build around in the coming years. The class has a little bit of everything, and is ranked by national recruiting services as a consensus top5-8 class. The six recruits, now officially signed with IU, are Bobby Capobianco (6'8" PF, Loveland HS, OH), Maurice Creek (6'5" SG, Hargrave Military Academy, VA), Derek Elston (6'8" SF/PF, Tipton HS, IN), Jordan Hulls (6'1" PG, Bloomington South HS, IN), Bawa Muniru (7'0" C, Mount Zion Academy, NC), and Christian Watford (6'8" SG/SF, Shades Valley Tech Academy, AL).
Watford, the highest rated of the group, is a Tracy McGrady-esqe player, who combines great size with superior atleticism, and is able to play multiple postitions with versatility. Creek, a powerfully built two-guard who can score in bunches, with compete immediately for PT upon arrival in B-town. (As will all these guys, really). Elston is an under the radar type of guy, due to missing most of this years' AAU circuit with a knee injury. Many believe he'll again blow up on the national scene during his senior year. He is more of a 3 than a 4 on the college level right now until he gets stronger, but with his surprising athleticism and great motor, expect him to be on the floor a lot. The big bruiser from the Cincy area, Capobianco, was Crean's first recruit and was on the verge of committing to him while at Marquette. He is a prototypical Big 10 post player with great strength, desire, but also with a very soft touch from distance. Muniru, a late addition to the class, provides much needed size and a defensive presence IU is lacking this year, for those of you who've been watching (cough....Chaminade....ahem....). Hulls is my personal favorite in this class. A Bloomington kid who chose to stay home despite many rival offer from Big 10 schools including Purdue, and heavy interest from ACC power Duke, he epitomizes all a Hoosier should be. A tough-nosed, selfless leader, he will follow in the steps of other great IU lead guards like Dane Fife, Michael Lewis, Isiah Thomas, and others. For a long time, it was tough for analysts and on-lookers to see his true talent and worth, but it came out this summer on his AAU team, ironically, in his absence. The loaded Indiana Elite AAU Team, featuring such studs as Bobby C., Stephan Van Treese (Louisville),and Mason Plumlee (Duke), was without Jordan's services while he played with his high school team in an alternate tourney. During his absence, the Elite team struggled mightily, losing games they typically dominated. Because of this, Hulls has shot up the recruiting ranks, finding himself in many national top 100 lists.
The groundbreaking class may not be altogether wrapped up, however. There are some indications that Crean would like to add another player during th spring signing period. There are many names floating around as to who the seventh man could be, and some of the most likely possibilities are Dominic Cheek, Angus Brandt, DaShonte Riley, and an extreme and somewhat painfully ironic longshot in Demarcus Cousins. Cheek, a five star guard from Bob Hurley's powerhouse St. Anthony's HS, was very high on IU, at one time wanting to take an official visit to Bloomington, but his interest has cooled as of late. However, he did not sign in the early period, so there's hope. Also, he is very close with IU assistant coach Roshown McCleod, so that is a positive connection. Brandt, a 6'9" Aussie post product, has also lost his once high interest in IU. Hoosier fans may cringe and have visions of Ben Allen chucking three's when they think of Aussie ballers, but Brandt is a true post banger. Again, he did not sign early, so ground could be regained in his recruitiment. Riley has just come back on the recruiting scene. Long committed to Georgetown, he decided not to sign with the Hoyas, instead opting to reopen his recruitment. He had IU interest prior to his previous verbal, so that is another option. The last ironic option is Cousins, who is a UAB commit, and another kid who has an olmost familial bond with former IU coach, Mike Davis. The saga surrounding Cousins committment to UAB is puzzling, to say the least. It appears he wants to stay home and play in Birmingham, but is leveraging his lofty ranking (top 5) to get Davis job security, and himself peace of mind. There are rumblings that Davis wants to leave and replace lame duck Mark Gottfried at his alma mater, Alabama. Cousins wants his letter of intent to include a clause that would allow him to cut ties with UAB and follow Davis should he leave. UAB is not budging, so Cousins is waiting to sign. A mess, right? If something falls through with Davis, which is not a real stretch of imagination, IU could swoop in for his services. Cousins had IU in his top 3 before declaring for the Blazers, so it's another longshot option.
That is the future of IU hoops! Adding these 6 (maybe 7) kids to the Cream and Crimson, with the addition of Georgetown transfer Jeremiah Rivers, to the current crew should provide a great team to root for.
Check back later to see where IU and Crean are turning their attention to in terms of recruiting in the coming years!

Welcome to the hoops blog

Hey guys. This is my first attempt at blogging, which my wife and her sister Erica put me up to. I have a lot of interests, but basketball coaching and recruiting is what I am really passionate about, so this blog will be mostly about those types of things. I forsee me writing a lot about the high school basketaball scene in the great state of Indiana, specifically the Indianapolis area where I coach, and about my favorite sports teams like the Hoosiers, Colts, Pistons. Maybe I'll write about the teams I despise, too, like the Illini and Boilers (sorry Marla!).
As the basketaball season opens in Indiana, I am most interested in the 2A class, since that is where I coach. It's going to be an unbelievably competitive class this year, more than any other I can recently remember. For starters, the two teams in last years' State Finals return their studs and look stronger than ever. Ft. Wayne Bishop Luers, last years champs, return their main man, Deshaun Thomas, an Ohio State commit. They look to dominate the northern half of the state pretty easily, IMO. But the runners-up, Winchester, look really tough, too. Tyler Koch returns, fresh off a verbal to Brad Brownell's Wright State squad, looking to get revenge for last year's questionable ending to the 2A title game. Their regional will be a difficult one to get out of, however, where they will likely match up against Heritage Christian from Indy. They return several key players from last years' sectional winning team, including Tommy Eggleston (15.6 ppg) and Morgan Cook (12 ppg). They also add one of the top freshman in the state in Joel Smith, a 6'6" guard who pays for the AAU D1 pipleine, Indiana Elite. There is also Tipton, who will be fun to watch with 6'8" Derek Elston, an IU recruit who Coach Tom Crean has to be excited about seeing in the cream and crimson. There are many other quality squads like Cardinal Ritter, Washington (Indy), Centerville, and others who will make 2008-2009 a really fun year in Indiana's 2A class.
We'll see where the season goes!