I would say Creek is the most talented. However, our frontcourt was even worse then the backcourt last year. So, Watford will make a huge impact. He also creates mismatches that Williams and Story couldnt.

Anybody got the date on Hoosier Hysteria yet?

October 16. It's always the Friday closest to October 15th.

I don't see it being Hulls just because he's got Rivers in front of him on the depth chart.

Elston is a bit of a blackhorse candidate - if he could average 12 and 8 and play tough D inside he might have the biggest impact, but that's asking a lot for a freshman big.

As for the Creek/Watford question, I'll hedge a bit. I imagine Creek might make the bigger impact early on but that as Watford gets comfortable during the season he may be making a bigger impact by the end. Creek's talent is enough to get points on the board immediately but Watford's size gives him the potential to create huge mismatches - once he figures out how to do that I think he can end up producing more than Creek.

I base impact on what was missing last year and who checks off the most boxes! Having said that, my impact player is Derek Elston (you may be surprised).

He checks off these boxes that were lacking last year:
Toughness - This is where I separted him from Wateford, as ELston is physcially ready for the big ten

Size - Elston is long, and has some strength to go along with the added muscle I have read about over the summer.

Rebounding - was a solid rebounder in h.s., but with added strength will be a big plus this year

Versatility - I think elston is a 3/4, has some three point range, and decent handle that could provide some match up problems.

He is one of the recruits that will be at IU for 4 years and to me has a high sealing IMO. And he is an Indiana kid who wanted to come to IU, regardless of the coach.

This is a tough one becasue. I think it SHOULD be Watford but unless TP can score, I think Watford will draw the best and most athletic defender. He will also be distracted by learning defense.

By elimination of Hulls, Bawa, Creek due to competition for PT I am going to say Capo and maybe Elston would shine early. For me I count , rebounds, defense, TO's , assists and to a lesser degree points.

I really like how Elston, Cappo, and Watford all have a nose for the ball. We will be much improved in rebounding although the group last year overachieved in that department. I guess Crean may have learned a few things from Izzo.

I hope Watford is...he is a mismatch on the floor and the "3" we didn't have last year. Creek is probably the best of the group but the late start due to the grades/SAT and the log jam in the back court may cause him to have more of an impact later in the season. I also agree that Elston can be a very nice surprise.

Any word out there on Creek and Muniru? Do we know there will be eligible this year? The lack of info. for each is starting to make me nervous.

My first thought was Creek--even with the competition for playing time--but the fact that we still don't know his status makes me wary. I want to say Watford, but I think he needs to put some more pounds on. I'm going to go with the one-two punch of Capo and Elston helping out Tom Pritchard in the post. Neither TB nor Taber were physical players, and it meant Pritchard really faded once we got to Big Ten season. Capo and Elston will bring a style of physical post play we were missing last year.

If Jeremiah Rivers were an allowed choice, though, I'd go with him. Though not a freshman, he'll bring the biggest change from last year.

Last year our biggest deficit, albeit among many, was interior play. Pritchard now has help on the inside and I've got to believe that we will be better on defensive and with rebounding as a result. We'll probably score more points in the paint as well. The freshman that will get the most minutes on the inside will probably be Elston, so I say he'll have the biggest impact.

Watford - we needed frontcourt scoring in a bad way last season. Pritchard started well, but got schemed out of a lot of games due to lack of help up front. Watford hopefully addresses that.

I'm going with Watford too. With improved guard play and more legit big men available he'll have some room to operate and His athleticism & size will make a tough match-up. I'm excited to see what all of them will do.

The most substantial impact to the program will come from a freshman starter who stays four years. I think Watford will be gone after two maybe three years. Crean seems to love recruiting high caliber guards. If he brings in Irving and Carlino the year after that, all the current guards will still be battling for PT; Crean loves competition for spots. I'm going with Elston who is a winner, consistent, a hard worker and his style of play fits the Big Ten. He looks like he can grow into a Big Ten body. It also doesn't hurt that he's from Indiana and can be an ambassador to high schools around Indiana to keep the talent close to home. So while the instant impact isn't as high as Creek or Watford, I think he'll be a bigger help to our program in the long run.

There is no question in my mind that Watford will make the biggest impact this season. Creek might be the most physically ready. Hulls has a chance to be a legend in my opinion. Defense will be a question mark at first but shouldn't take to long to make the transition. Elston's and Capobianco's grit will definitely be a major positive. When you get down to it though it will be Watford simply because of the position and how it fits in the Big Ten. An athletic 6'8" small forward with a nose for scoring is a crucial part of the puzzle. Not having that type of player last season killed us. That that type of player is also crucial for Crean to teach and play his "push the ball" style. Oh, and he is damn good.

Although I love Elston, what I have seen of Creek, and the bulldog named bobby. I believe Watford, with the mismatches that he is going to create, will have the most substantial impact. As a small forward at 6-7(ish) that is going to be difficult for a guard to defend his size, and his ability to make the trey will open up the inside for guys like capo, tp, L and bawa if the opposing team chooses to use size to guard him. Having size and length like he does should also free up the perimeter for shooters like creek (crossing my fingers), Roth, if he learns how to come off a screen and create his own shot (I'm hoping Diebler-esque) and d-bo. VJ3 should also feel the impact of Watford's presence as we saw his ability to take it to the hoop evolve throughout the season. The only question I have is his Watford's ability to drive the lane, which will be a significant factor in his impact on the 09/10 hoosiers. I would like to see him develop into an Alando Tucker type player, although Tucker was 2 inches shorter at 6-5, with Creek as his Chris Rock.

On another note, I love Hulls and I hope he proves me wrong, but I do not see him having an immediate impact with the competition for pt in the backcourt...although in the long run he will be the key to IU's success as he will be a four year player who will help the hoosiers develop their half court game which was seriously lacking this past year.

What I like about all the comments is that almost every freshman was considered in some way to have the biggest impact. That shows we are on the right track.

I think more would have been said about Bawa but he is such a mystery we really don't know. At 7ft tall and build like a house....bawa could trump everyone on the defensive end and help in rebounding if he comes in with some skills.

What hurts him and creek some, is missing this summer to workout with the team and coaches, get accustomed to campus, and getting ready for college life....but if they get eligible then I live with it.

Hey J I go to grad school at UNC and live in Durham. I've seen him a couple of times and unlike many seven footers he moves quite freely like any other ordinary person. However he is raw, so raw that I don't think he will have enough time to develop a great offensive game. I can see our point guards driving the lane, and dishing it to Bawa for an easy dunk. But he is athletic and I can see him making a ton of blocks and altering many shots. The problem is he flings his body everywhere and he needs to control that to avoid fouls ( I think he can learn this by his junior year). I hope he can become a great rebounder, because Crean, like Izzo, loves teaching kids rebounding drills. He's a good kid, but he has to learn to be mean in order to grab those rebounds. Hope this helps.

I think Creek is definetely the most polished player. Therefore he will have the most impact. Watford has sky high potential but will not star right away. I believe it will be Creek because he reminds me so much of E'twan Moore, and seeing what he did his freshman year at a lower talent level than Creek, leads me to believe Creek will have the biggest impact.

Define biggest impact, and when? Is it scoring, toughness and defense, or winning attitiude and desire to make the TEAM better? Are we talking next season or long term? Next season, with scoring, it will either be Creek or Watford, with Watford having the upper hand due to the head start and lack of others with his skill set on the roster. He will probably put up a lot of numbers because of his size at the three. I like the comments about Elston, as Pritch needed a ton of help last year. I think he and Capo can bring an interior defensive presence and toughness that was sorely needed last year.

I think that turnovers were the most glaring of our weaknesses, and Hulls can bring a lift off the bench that Mr. Moore could not last year (sorry, Daniel and family). Hulls will also be around four years (I am pretty sure), so he may have the biggest long term impact, and I think he will be a more than capable back-up for Mr. Rivers. The huge question mark is Bawa. What is he? Does he have skills? Are we getting another Tijan? Can he at least become George Leach? Todd Lindeman? Richard Mandeville? I know he will never reach Uwe Blab status. What exactly are we getting here?

I think this entire class brings the biggest impact and that is competition in practice. When I played, we got better in practice, not during the games. This group brings the most important thing of all, competition at all positions. To answer your question (as you noted in the blog itself), it depends on how you define impact. I define impact as making the entire TEAM better, that is why I would not necessarily single out one player, but if you were going to make me say just one, I think Watford is a star in the making.

Creek is Big Ten ready with that sweet jumper. If he has an eligibility issue Elston has the entire package mentally and physically to be an immedaite contributor. I think Elston will be elite by his junior year.

It's basically a trick question. Since we had only two inside players last year, the biggest impact is going to come from the addition of (hopefully) four players who can play inside. That offers help on both ends of the court. Impact doesn't necessarily mean the most talented player, nor the effort of a single player. It may well be that an outside player is the most talented on the team, but as we saw last year, without some sort of inside presence, too much of our scoring attempts come from too long a distance, and, it's too easy for opponents to score against us.

Tough question. Elston is going to be rock solid, I loved watching Hulls at Bloomington South and he is a proven winner, Creek is a very good scoring guard, Capobianco has a nose for the ball, and Bawa is a mystery. I could make a case for all of the incoming freshmen (that is a great thing). However, I am going with Christian Watford. If his offensive game can translate to the Big Ten (it should but you never know), he creates matchup problems that a lot of teams won't be able to deal with. To answer this question, I looked at who our opponents in the Big Ten would have the most trouble with. Purdue would have Hummel on him and Raymar Morgan would probably guard him for Sparty. I think every other team is going to have a difficult time guarding a 6-8 small forward that can shoot the ball like Watford can. If he can become aggressive and drive the ball, the Hoosiers would have a legitimate "matchup nightmare" on their hands. Plus, defenses will not be able to sulk off and double Tom in the post. This will make him more effective and efficient around the basket. Again, you could make an argument for any of the freshmen and that is a great thing.

Sorry to go off topic, but has anyone heard anything about j. kendrick possibly being interested in the hoosiers? I hear he's A.J. Moye's ( my favorite hoosier) cousin. He would be an awesome get. Could give logic on why we recruited williams.

I have heard that a ton over the last few days j....... It has exploded over on peegs I believe, as someone who is "family" of JK says he wants to come to IU. I have also heard Moses Morgan is ours if we want him and demling stated he is better than what is being reported.

Demling also believes Teauge is a Cardinal not a Hoosier. It is August next week and his decision I believe was coming next month.

Thanks K. A team of irving, kendrick, and watford would be sick. I have given up on the teague sweepstakes, but to even speak of irving and kendrick in 2010 is a major deal for IU and Coach Crean. By 2011 I think all Crean will focus on is Plumlee or Zeller. I do believe that Bawa ( who I've seen in person) can develop to become a major defensive threat ( not offensivee though). I think we will actually have a shot to make a deep run by 2010 and win it in 2011 ( boy i really hope this is true).

J...YOu have witheld information or I missed it......

What did you think of Bawa.....is he Tijan, Dean Garrett, Richard Madeville? If he is a solid rebounder and shot blocker I am going to love it. It isn't all about scoring....

here is a list from ESPN updated yesterday...all listing an interest in IU, thought you would like

NAME POS STATE RANK GRADE STATUS NOTES
Dominique Ferguson Power Forward IN PF #3 96 Undeclared
Kyrie Irving Point Guard NJ PG #2 96 Undeclared
Terrence Jones Small Forward OR SF #3 95 Undeclared
Vander Blue Shooting Guard WI SG #13 95 Undeclared
Moses Morgan Shooting Guard NV SG #44 90 Undeclared
Cameron Wright Shooting Guard OH SG #67 87 Undeclared
Ricardo Johnson Shooting Guard KY SG #88 85 Undeclared
Lavonte Dority Shooting Guard IL SG #123 82 Undeclared
Brandon Mobley Power Forward GA 40 Undeclared

Sidenote to sidenote...nice choice on AJ, he's my favorite too.

I saw that too and I'm strongly leaning towards it being a heartless joke...but who knows.

Why do people think Rivers will play point? I personally think he will be a wing along with Creek ( if he manages to get here!) I think Hulls will be the point from day one with Rivers going to the 2 spot. Hulls can play the 2 as well as he is a better shooter than Rivers is. Whatever scenerio, Watford should have the greatest impact with Hulls not to far behind. And let us not forget the sleeper in Bobby Capobianco.................

I think you are looking at Rivers for a few reasons. He's not as real shooter/scorer. More of a floor leader and defender. Hulls needs time. He'll need to get stronger over the next few years.

If we land Irving he is your starter at PG next season.

John I think your two guard is Verdell Jones all the way, good ball handler, 6'4 long it is his spot to lose this year....

From what I hear Teague is favoring the Cards. I have heard from reliable sources that Ron Patterson is really high on IU. CTC flew in from florida today to Ft. Wayne for the USSSA Nationals at Spiece. I happened to talk to him for a second he he said he was flying back down to florida. No one can say he isn't workin his full head off to bring IU back to a Final Four.

Hoosierboy....I agree I think we still want teague but it is a longshot.....My concern is have we lost ground on J.Davis like we lost out on D.Davis. My good feeling is, Carlino seems to be a very strong recruit that I would be pleased with.....especially if we can land Irving.

I agree From everything I have read Teague's is leaning towards Louisville. But I got a gut feeling when it comes to the 2011 class, we should think BIG. Between Plumlee, and Zeller. Then Dawson or Etherington.
Another possibility is Zach Price ,a 6-10 center, from the same high school that gave us Tom Pritchard.
One thing for sure, things are looking up at IU

Do we have 4 or 6 Freshmen? If we have 6, then 4: Watford, Creek, Elston and Hulls will each be responsible for winning at least 1 game, probably more. Capobianco may be the MVP of the group because he will really play hard every minute on the court and we will need his power upfront. But if Muniru can become a Major College 7foot center, then he will be the key to the Hoosier Resurrection. One vote for Bawa.

Bobby Capobianco. I don't believe he will lead any statistical race but look to his agressive attitude to provide the kind of on-court leadership that unites a team in knowing someone has their backs

On another track The Sporting News has gathered 157 sports "experts" and voted the top 50 coaches of all time. John Wooden is #1, Bob is 16th while Dean Smith (cough) finished 8th. read the article, see the list. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=436...

Why haven't we heard of this kid before? I have never heard Zach Prices name come up. He looks to be very good. All the reports say he is a big strong athlete. It doesn't seem that IU is going after him. This is an interesting topic.

I kooked to see if zach price had any interest in IU and could find none?

I just looked at the Hoosier Nation/Scout .com website and they list Zach Price - Lakewood, OH - under the 2011 prospects as having medium interest and an offer from Indiana.....

thanks!

This has been a quiet summer, I am trying to get use to this no drama at IU. C'mon October....

Michigan State will prolly b all over him sense they got Delvon Roe from St. Edwards. It looks like they offered him. He reminds me of Raymar Morgan. An athletic 6'8 forward. How many days untill Midnight Madness? I am in basketball withdrawal.

With so many posts, I wasn't going to join the forum because I didn't feel I could add anything that had not already been said, so I went back and tallied all the votes for the player with the biggest impact for next season. It was a difficult question to answer since it was so open ended, and a lot of people made mention of several players and never really put themselves out there, so I just took those who really went with a strong vote. Personally, I'll take Watford. We have no other players like him, I don't see how we can keep him off the court. And, he is basically competing against himself for floor time. The other guys have to compete against Rivers, Jones, Roth, and Pritchard for PT. Current tally:


Watford 9; Elston 3; Creek 1; Capo 1

I voted for Bawa

I just saw on Demling blog that Austin Rivers. Might decommit. Looking at Duke, but dad wants him to look at other options. Here's the link:http://www.courier-journal.com/blogs/demling/blog.html.
Also, can anyone tell me why we stopped recruiting Brad Beal?

That is interesting, not sure if IU would be in the picture but a backcourt of rivers and rivers would be cool

I think while Creek and Watford may be the most talented...I think Elston or Capo may have the largest impact on our team. We need someone to push Pritchard and to give him a frontcourt teammate and I think these guys will deliver. I think Jones, Dumes, Rivers, Creek, Watford and Hulls make an excellent guard/wing rotation.

Read the FULL IU staff was at Kyrie Irvings final AAU game.....nice

cool bit on the Demling blog about Victor Oladipo & his admiration for Crean and IU...he (Oladipo) sounds like the kind of player that'll blossom under Crean. I only wish he was 6-9 instead of 6-5!

I read about this kid also, just adds more interesting pieces to the puzzle....

Is it KYrie Irving and Who? (Morgan, Oladipo, etc.)
Then I read Jerimiah Davis is close to deciding.... I know IU was pursuing him but how hard?