Inside the Hall Twitter Mailbag: December 7
The Inside the Hall Twitter mailbag is a weekly collection of questions tweeted to us via our Twitter account, @insidethehall.
Tweet us your questions each week and we’ll answer as many as we can. Now, onward …
@mattresch writes: With Michel out and the scholarship open, is there a new target in the 2011 class Crean is likely to go after?
Alex Bozich: There’s not a new target that immediately comes to mind, but remember this: Tom Crean never stops recruiting. That is a fact. The Michel scholarship being freed up is a little complicated because if IU takes another 2011 recruit, it will affect the 2012 class and beyond. But if Crean identifies a player that fits in with the program, he’s going to do what he can to bring that player to Bloomington. I think the Michel recruitment proved that, even though it didn’t work out as IU hoped it would. Since the Hoosiers won’t technically be able to sign another 2011 recruit until the spring signing period, this is likely something that’s going to take time to develop.
@nickmryan07 writes: With UK coming up, what can IU do to avoid the slow start? The best way to rattle a young team is a quick start!
Ryan Corazza: Find its rhythm on offense immediately. Against Boston College and a few of its lesser talented foes, Indiana’s offense has been ugly early. Of course, defense is not to be overlooked. But grabbing some early confidence on the offense end to start should help them in a tough road environment. Establishing Christian Watford from the onset wouldn’t hurt either.
@MRHess writes: why is verdell’s nickname not Indiana Jones?
Zach Osterman: Because the Big Ten denied his petition to use a bullwhip on defense and out-of-bounds plays. Next question.
@pacerjon writes: what are the chances Michael Chandler ends up at IU?
Alex Bozich: Another day, another Michael Chandler question. I’m not a percentages guy, but the chances don’t seem to be very good. Chandler, for those unfamiliar with him, has rescinded verbal commitments to both Louisville and Xavier and is now back on the board. Since he’s from Indianapolis and has stated that Indiana is recruiting him, the buzz has continued on the possibility that he could join the 2011 class. He was once a five-star recruit, but has fallen considerably in the national rankings. At 6-foot-10 and a shade over 225 pounds, Chandler would provide a legitimate post presence to compliment Cody Zeller, but his academics have been talked about as a potential hurdle to overcome. He’s certainly a talented prospect, but at the end of the day, does the risk outweigh the reward? That’s a question the IU coaching staff will have to answer.
@bsider81 writes: UK plays 7 total. How does CTC take advantage of our depth? Full court pressure? Waves of 4 in 4 out subs?
Ryan Corazza: The Wildcats take care of the ball (turnover percentage: 16.8, 25th best in the nation), so I’m not sure full-court pressure is the play. And subbing Hoosiers in and all out game probably isn’t the answer either. One way Indiana may be able to combat the Wildcats only going seven-ish deep is to stay aggressive on offense and continue to get to the line at a high rate. If the Hoosiers can get a few Wildcats in foul trouble early, John Calipari may have to go a bit deeper than he’s comfortable with. It’s something that worked for North Carolina in its win over Kentucky. The Tar Heels got to the line 37 times. Four Wildcats fouled out.
@rick_park writes: Do you think Guy will stay on as student manager or will he bolt for the pros?
Zach Osterman: Tough to say. I mean, he’s obviously there for this year, but Guy-Marc Michel has a serious decision to make in the offseason. I’m presuming he would draw interest overseas pretty easily, since he’s already spent time playing there. I have no possible gauge for his NBA draft stock, so I can’t speak to that. But at the end of the day, despite how backward this whole process has seemed, that decision would still come down to the same basic question every underclassman with years left on a degree will have to ask himself next spring: Which is higher value? And I don’t think I can answer that with any education.
@nickmyryan07 writes: do you think the recent push for McGary is because the IU staff knew what was going to go down with Guy???
Alex Bozich: McGary is a prospect that has been on IU’s radar for quite some time. So to answer your question, no I don’t believe the recent push is related to the Guy-Marc Michel news. McGary, a native of Chesterton, is now at Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. He was once a member of the 2011 class, but has since re-classified to 2012 to work on his academics. UMHoops, an excellent blog about Michigan basketball, has a Q & A with McGary that’s certainly worth a read if you’re interested in learning more about him and his situation. One interesting note, in the event that you don’t click through: McGary isn’t quite sure if he’ll be a 2011 or 2012. Indiana, according to the Q & A, has offered a scholarship.
@JayHorrey writes: If Guy was an all-American quarterback at, let’s say Auburn, would he have been eligible?
Zach Osterman: Not if his situation had been the exact same, no. The Cam Newton ruling was skewed and narrow and an illustration, frankly, of a lot of the things that are wrong with the NCAA’s role in the recruiting process. But at the end of the day, Auburn/Newton found a loophole, and they dove through it headfirst. Guy’s case, while unfair, perhaps, in practice, was correctly called in a by-the-book reading of the rule. It’s not apples-to-apples, and it’s not fair, but it is what it is.
Filed to: Twitter Mailbag