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Archive for August, 2007

Eli Holman is ineligible … for now

by in Media | August 31st, 2007

holman.jpgFrom the “well, we were hoping this wouldn’t happen, but certainly aren’t surprised that it did” file comes the news that for the here and now, new California recruit Eli Holman has not yet been cleared by the NCAA Clearinghouse. IU is flying to the Bahamas without him.

T. Hutch from the Indy Star has the details:

Indiana University freshman center Eli Holman has not been cleared yet by the NCAA Clearinghouse and will not go with the team today to the Bahamas.

The IU basketball team is scheduled to depart today for a four-game exhibition tour in the Bahamas.

IU said today that Holman is enrolled and attending classes, but could not participate in team activities until he has been fully processed through the NCAA Eligibility Center.

In early August, when IU’s freshmen and junior college transfers participated in a summer barnstorming tour, Holman told The Star that he had been cleared to play.

It’s no secret Holman struggled with grades and test scores before coming to IU, so again, this isn’t a huge surprise. And as Chris Korman at the HT tells us today, this doesn’t exactly mean he’s ineligible, just that he hasn’t been cleared yet. Perhaps even more than Eric Gordon, I’m really looking forward to seeing Holman play this year. (Shocking, I know.) He put up some insane numbers in high school and might be a perfect addition down low to help out D.J. He’s my wild card, for sure.

We’ll see how this one shakes down soon enough.

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Hoosiers to tip-off Friday in Bahamas

by in Media | August 30th, 2007

Bahamas(Update: Read the full release regarding the trip by clicking here.)

Coach Sampson and his 2007-2008 Indiana Men’s Basketball team will leave tomorrow afternoon for their trip to the Bahamas.

Here’s a look at the scheduled games:

• Friday, Aug. 31: Bahamas Select, 8:30 p.m.

• Saturday, Sept 1: Guatemala, 2 p.m.

• Sunday, Sept. 2: Commonwealth Bank Club, noon

If anyone can give me a scouting report on these teams, please, feel free. The last one sounds like they’re from a YMCA league. And in case you’re wondering how important these games are to Coach Sampson, here’s what he had to say about the trip last week in a press conference:

“I don’t think these games are that important. I don’t put a lot of value on these games. I’m going to try to let everybody play an equal amount of time if possible. I may even let some of the assistant coaches coach some of the games and I’ll sit and watch. There are a lot of different ways to approach this. The value of this is the ten practices, not the games.”

“I have no idea who we are playing. I know we are going to play four games. There are probably 50 schools around the country that are doing this during the summer. I know Clemson and Old Dominion and I was told there are going to be five or six teams that are going to be in the Bahamas at the same time we are.”

“I want to see the new guys play as much as possible. There is a good chance that D.J. is not going to lead us in minutes down there…I know what he can do. It’s probably good that Lance is getting to do this, just to get him some confidence coming off his surgery. The games are what they are. We are going to try to win the games, but the scores are what they are. How we play is more important.”

“Our video guys will go down there with us and we will get all of it on film and be able to come back and watch it and point some things out and make some strides from there.”

Sadly, myself, E and R will not be making the trip. However, the Herald Times will be making the trip and will have live coverage all weekend, so that will be worth reading if you’re into meaningless exhibition games like I am.

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Don’t read ESPN.com for recruiting information

by in Recruiting | August 29th, 2007

ESPNWhile surfing the Web late this afternoon, I came across the ESPN College Basketball page and noticed there were some free Insider items (yipee!).

Apparently not enough people are subscribing to Insider, because I’ve noticed quite a few free previews lately. If the content I stumbled across today is any indication of what you get for $39.95 per year, I can see why no one is lining up to subscribe.

First, Bob Gibbons has ranked his top 13 recruiting classes for 2008 to-date. That’s all fine and dandy, except for the fact that he didn’t list IU. You know, the school that has commitments from two consensus top 30 players (Devin Ebanks and Bud Mackey) and one of the best shooters available (Matt Roth) in the country. Apparently that’s only good enough to be listed under the “Other top early recruiting classes.”

I was willing to give them a pass and let it go, but this next discovery just baffled me. Ebanks, a consensus top 15 recruit by any recruiting service worth mentioning, didn’t make the cut for the ESPN 150. You know, the same guy that just played in the Boost Mobile Elite 24 Hoops Classic and was compared to Tracy McGrady and Kevin Durant. Just a hunch, but I’m guessing he deserves to be somewhere on this list.

So, thank me in advance for this warning. And to those of you who actually paid to read this, ask for a refund.

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Sampson wasting no time with Gordon

by in Media | August 28th, 2007

gordon.jpgAlmost as soon as Eric Gordon made his commitment to IU official, I wondered how his addition would jive with the veterans on the team. Regardless of his considerable talent, Gordon remains a freshman with no experience at the college level, and it is interesting, if not a bit silly, to think that a hardline guy like Kelvin Sampson might wait and phase Gordon in over the early part of the season, rather than anoint him before the season started.

Turns out, I was being silly. Sampson has made Gordon “the guy” already:

He has been a practicing Division I basketball player for less than 12 hours, but Eric Gordon does not hesitate for a second. When he is open, in rhythm, in the structure of the Indiana offense, he shoots. He knows exactly who he is.

IU coach Kelvin Sampson told Gordon before practice began: “Don’t defer. Play like you’re the guy.” No one here is kidding anyone. Gordon already is wearing a crimson jersey in practice, and in case it’s not clear what that signifies, it’s the same color as star center D.J. White has on his back.

Good to see that Gordon is a starter from day one. There’s no doubt D.J. White will continue to be the de facto team leader, but sometimes experience is trumped by sheer talent, of which Gordon has an incredible wealth. Hopefully he and D.J. can balance those responsibilities to the team’s greater benefit as the season picks up.

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Devin Ebanks impressive at Boost Mobile Elite Classic

by in Recruiting | August 27th, 2007

Devin EbanksDevin Ebanks took place in the Boost Mobile Elite 24 Hoops Classic this past Friday night at Rucker Park and walked away a winner as his White Team defeated the Orange Team, 169-164. Suffice to say, not much defense was being played.

Ebanks teamed with another IU target, Mount Vernon (NY) forward Kevin Jones as well as Brandon Jennings (Arizona), Samardo Samuels (Louisville) and Tyreke Evans.

Slam Magazine was there to break down the action and here’s what they had to say about Ebanks, who finished with 18 points:

Devin Ebanks, 6-9 wing, St. Thomas More (CT), 2008, committed to Indiana: A skilled, oversized wing in the Durant/McGrady mold, Ebanks’ smooth jaunts to the rack were remarkable. Combine that with his outside J and the Queens native had a more than respectable outing.

This is the type of praise we’ve already heard for Ebanks and just reinforces the fact that he’s going to be a flat out stud the minute he arrives on campus next fall. The fact that he’s being compared to Kevin Durant and Tracy McGrady makes me even more excited to see him in person.

I wasn’t able to find any stats for Jones, but Jennings finished with 19 points and 23 assists, Evans scored 30 points and Samuels added 21 points.

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Writer expands on his Garcia to Memphis prediction

by in Recruiting | August 27th, 2007

Angel GarciaKelin, an avid reader of Inside the Hall, shot an e-mail over to Dan Wolken regarding his story where he predicted East Chicago Central’s Angel Garcia will attend Memphis.

He’s been kind enough to share his e-mail and the response he received from Wolken with all of the readers, so thanks are in order for that.

First, here’s what Kelin sent over to Wolken:

Dan-

As an Indiana guy I think you are way off on the Garcia prediction. IU has no one at his position after this year and the style of play will vastly change given the type of players we have in this year’s class and next year. With Eric Gordon, Jamarcus Ellis and other “transition type” players, the days of the motion offense are gone. Yes Calipari produces NBA guys…lets not forget Dajuan Wagner! I think Memphis has a shot but the reasons you are stating really don’t hold the weight. I am for certain Indiana will receive far more national exposure than Memphis over the next few years, including this year. Being an Indiana kid, I think Angel knows that.

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