IU Recruiting: 2011 and Beyond

With the nature of recruiting trending more and more towards "first come, first serve," Coach Tom Crean and his Hoosier staff have their attention fixed on both the near and distant future. Nowadays, you hear many young recruits singing the praises of the universities that were there first, or at least at the very beginning stages of their recruitment. Crean has already hit the ground running in 2011, securing a verbal committment from one of the top players on the West Coast, Highland (AZ) HS point guard, Matt Carlino. Carlino, however, is not the only underclassman receiving serious attention from the IU staff. Let's take a look at some of the kids in the Hoosier recruiting picture for this season's sophomore, freshman, and even eighth grade classes.

The Class of 2011

Matt Carlino - PG - Highland HS (AZ)

IU's first verbal committment in the 2011 class, Carlino is a potential top 25, five star recruit. As a coach's son, you can imagine one of the main thing that attracts college recruiters to Carlino is his heady play. But he is much more than a smart player. Carlino has an amazing blend of speed and agility, which, coupled with his high basketball IQ, make him a nightmare for opposing teams. He is also a good outside shooter with his lefthanded stroke, but that is still an area he will be working on before arrival in Bloomington. At 6'2" and still growing, Matt will have good size for his position. Before committing to IU, Carlino was weighing offers from Crean's former staff at Marquette, Arizona, Arizona State, and other West Coast schools. Hoosier fans should be very excited about his pledge.

Spencer Turner - SG - Bloomington South HS (IN)

Living in IU's backyard, Turner's shooting prowess has not slipped past the ever-watchful eye of the IU staff. He has been a frequent unofficial visitor, with Assembly Hall just down the road. Turner is a solidly built two guard who is best known for his stroke from deep. He played significant varsity minutes as a freshman, a huge accomplishment for any ninth grader in the state. Playing alongside current IU recruit Jordan Hulls should help IU's chances, should they choose to offer Turner.

Jeremiah Davis - PG - Muncie Central HS (IN)

While still a freshman, Davis made national news by garnering offers from Billy Gillespie's Kentucky program, and has followed it up with offers from IU and Ball State. He was the subject of an ESPN "Outside the Lines" report, detailing the positives and negatives of early recruiting. Another physically developed sophomore, Davis' skill lies in his ability to penetrate and create for himself and his teammates. He is a very good athlete with a developing shot.

Marshall Plumlee - PF - The Christ School (NC)

The youngest Plumlee, a Warsaw, IN, native, is considered possibly the best of the three Plumlee boys, which is high praise. His two older brothers were both nationally lauded recruits. Miles is a freshman at Duke, while middle brother Mason is finishing his senior year before heading to the Blue Devils as well. Many would be led to believe that Duke is therefore a given as Marshall's school of choice, but he insists his recruitment is open. He has early offers from IU, Purdue, and Notre Dame, and is obviously receiving interest from Duke, who typically does not offer many kids early. At 6'9" and still growing, Marshall has a nice inside/outside game for a kids who will likely top off around 7'0". I'm sure taking beatings from his two older brothers over the years has prepared him to be a highly prized, and well-deserving, D1 recruit.

Cody Zeller - PF - Washington HS (IN)

Another third brother, Cody has the genes to be a top prep player in the state. With two Mr. Basketball's as older brothers (Luke at Notre Dame and Tyler at UNC), the youngest Zeller has a lot of hype to live up to. He is, however, up to the challenge. Many IU fans cringe at the thought of whiffing on three Zeller's in a row, but there is cause for optimism. Many people close to the situation surrounding Tyler's recruitment are confident he would have ended up at IU, if not for the former coaching staff (that shall not be named). His family is a solid Chirstian family, and did not like the integrity displayed by the former head coach. With Tom Crean now at the helm, the Hoosiers stand a solid chance of landing Cody. He has been a visitor to IU unofficially, and is garnering interest from IU, Purdue, Notre Dame, and North Carolina, among others. He is long and lanky, and like his brothers, needs to pack on the pounds. His skill set can make up for his lack of bulk, but you have to believe the constant pounding of Big 10 physicality would take its toll on his slight frame.

Marques Teague - PG - Pike HS (IN)

Marques, the younger brother of Wake Forest super-soph Jeff, is another in the line of great Pike guards. He is a lightning-quick penetrator who loves to create off the bounce. He is a hounding defender with great lateral and end to end speed. Already considered a top 25 recruit, Teague is receiving national interest. He already has offers from IU, Cincinatti, Purdue, Ohio State, and Wake Forest. Marques has to like the development he sees in his brother under Dino Gaudio, so the Demon Deacons are a top threat for his services. His team struggled in their season opening loss to North Central, but he still managed 19 points in the defeat.

Michael Chandler - C - Lawrence North (IN)

Chandler is another in the string of amazing LN post players. He will be a prized recruit, already rated as a top 5 center natioanlly. He obviously has great size, but he is another that will need to gain some strength, checking in at a relatively light 210 pounds. There is some confusion about all the schools that have offered him, but Ohio State, Louisville, and Cincinatti are reported to have firm offers to him. He is also hearing from Miami, Illinois, and West Virginia. It seems like Rick Pitino is trying to build a pipeline to the Cardinals, with Stephan Van Treese and Justin Martin already in the fold. The Hoosiers are always wanting for size, so Chandler should be a top priority for them.

Ryan Taylor - PF - Lawrence North (IN)

While undersized at 6'6", Taylor is a beast in the paint due to his nasty streak and great motor. His sheer strength and determination often gets him rebounds and buckets over players much taller. He has visited Kentucky this fall for a football game, going along with current LN teammate and Widcat recruit, Dominique Ferguson. Taylor is hearing from most of the Big Ten, Cincinatti, and Kentucky.

Chasson Randle - PG - Rock Island HS (IL)

Randle is becoming a hot Midwest recruit. He claims early offers from Illinois, Iowa State, and IU. He visited IU during one of this summer's elite camps on the heels of his Hoosier offer. He needs to add strength to his frame, which is quite light. Expect the Illini to be in the lead for his services, although other teams could sneak in, as the Illini are loaded with guards for the forseeable future with guys like DJ Richardson, Crandall Head, and Joe Bertrand.

Justin Gant - PF - Terre Haute North Vigo HS (IN)

Gant is just now coming into his own as a player. He is a relentless rebounder and defender with pretty solid post moves. He had a very good summer on the AAU circuit. He is receiving early interest from all the in-state schools, and is one to keep an eye on in the future. There is always a premium on solid bigs, a lesson IU knows well.


One thing Hoosier fans have to like is the number of Indiana kids that are being recruited heavily for the class of 2011. With so much in-state talent, it has been a shame to see much of it heading to other places. Here's hoping IU can lock up some of it's own in this sophomore class.

*Check back later for updates on the class of 2012, and some 2013 nuggets as well!