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Report: D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera back on the board

by in Recruiting | December 26th, 2010

Update: Smith-Rivera told Greg Rosenstein of The Indiana Daily Student that’s he’s considering the following schools: Florida, Miami, Kentucky, Louisville, Kansas and Ohio State.

When asked about IU, here’s what DSR told Rosenstein: “Maybe they’ll continue to recruit me, but who knows. I really like the atmosphere there and they’ve shown a lot of love.”

—

According to a report by Brian Snow of Scout.com, 2012 North Central guard D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera has decided to re-open his recruitment.

Smith-Rivera committed to Xavier back on October 24, which was not exactly surprising given the relationship he had built with both Chris Mack and assistant coach Travis Steele.

The 6-3, 210-pound guard spoke openly in the past about his desire to play with two of his AAU teammates, Hanner Perea and Peter Jurkin, but it’s unclear how the Hoosiers might fit into his recruiting picture this time around.

Smith-Rivera, rated the No. 25 prospect nationally by Rivals.com and No. 22 nationally by Scout.com, described himself as “wide-open” to Kyle Neddenriep of The Indianapolis Star.

Indiana currently has commitments from Perea, Jurkin, Yogi Ferrell and Ron Patterson for its 2012 class.

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  • Kelin CreDavis

    I am going to go with WOW on this and I was on again off again with DSR but he has proven to be unstoppable this season, I would not have a problem at all with him being Hoosier if IU is still interested. And when I mean he has been unstoppable this season, that is an understatement.

  • Casey

    Good player, but let’s focus on our needs. We don’t NEED him.

  • Anonymous

    Refresh my memory— 2 guard, right? Or is he a combo guy?

  • Anonymous

    Refresh my memory— 2 guard, right? Or is he a combo guy?

  • Anonymous

    Refresh my memory— 2 guard, right? Or is he a combo guy?

  • jgongora86

    If we get em it means that a couple of the players from the 2009 class will be asked to forgo their scholarship. I don’t think it’s happening, but I do like his play. Priority list.
    1. shooting guard
    2. starting center
    3. backup point guard.

  • jgongora86

    If we get em it means that a couple of the players from the 2009 class will be asked to forgo their scholarship. I don’t think it’s happening, but I do like his play. Priority list.
    1. shooting guard
    2. starting center
    3. backup point guard.

  • Bleeding Crimson

    jgongora86, are you just talking 2012? Our biggest need right now is to shut down the lane. Chandler first. If we have room then we take whoever. I love DSR and bring him on but not at the post expense.

  • superhoops

    A five star prospect and some here say we don’t need him or bring on someone else? You got to be kidding me. What happened to all those, we need to close the borders, we need Indiana kids, blah, blah, blah people posting here before? Now we don’t need him? Amazing. Let coach figure it out. If he wants him or not that’s fine with me. Just comical to read comments here sometimes.

  • jgongora86

    I was thinking 2012. But I think having a five is important as well.

  • Anonymous

    Hmmm….and the recruiting plot thickens. If memory serves me right he pretty much plays shooting guard and even plays some small forward doesn’t he ?

    While he has been better than most people thought he would be this year in HS it is still just that and at the next level he will need a much better handle and outside shot since it will be considerably harder for him to power his way to the rim when he is going against much better talent every time he steps on the court for a game. Our two most glaring needs are at PG and at the 5 spot, IMHO. If Crean thinks he can help us at the PG than I say sign him but something tells me that he will not be able to help us in that area and by the time we spend a year finding that out for sure, Yogi, a for sure true PG, will be on the scene and Jordy will be a senior.

    To me what this boils down to is, while he may be a great athlete, we should only bring him on board if we cannot bring in help at the PG or 5 spot for next year and only if it does not hinder us in signing Harris and or Hollowell. Just as he has suddenly become available again one never knows when someone that stands a much better chance of helping us at the PG spot or a true 5 may become available.

    Regardless of the situation I think we should not rush into anything with DSR until we see what else shakes out. Crean seems willing to wait on Harris and Hollowell to make a decision so DSR should dictate at least the same amount of time.

    What is up with all the players giving verbals to Xavier and then backing out of them. Makes me wonder if there is something going on there that has not come out yet.

  • MillaRed

    If Gary Harris has IU high on his list, this may encourage him to pull the trigger. I would be happy with one or the other. Or both if its possible.

  • MillaRed

    If Gary Harris has IU high on his list, this may encourage him to pull the trigger. I would be happy with one or the other. Or both if its possible.

  • Anonymous

    Yeah, I don’t understand someone knocking DSR and saying we need another 5 in our 2012 class when we’re bringing in both Jurkin and Perea. Since we’ll be dealing with a large exodus of 09 talent after 2012 there will certainly be room on the roster for a player like DSR. Players like Patterson, Ferrell, and DSR are the sort of penetrating guards that will make the dribble drive offense run much more smoothly.

  • Anonymous

    Yeah, I don’t understand someone knocking DSR and saying we need another 5 in our 2012 class when we’re bringing in both Jurkin and Perea. Since we’ll be dealing with a large exodus of 09 talent after 2012 there will certainly be room on the roster for a player like DSR. Players like Patterson, Ferrell, and DSR are the sort of penetrating guards that will make the dribble drive offense run much more smoothly.

  • Anonymous

    Oops, typed out my thoughts thinking he was 2011 and not 2012.

    Too much Xmas spirit(s), please excuse.

  • Anonymous

    Oops, typed out my thoughts thinking he was 2011 and not 2012.

    Too much Xmas spirit(s), please excuse.

  • jgongora86

    I think I’m missing something. Isn’t DSR a point guard? If he is a shooting guard then by all means go after the guy, but I don’t think he would want to play second fiddle to Yogi.

  • Kelin CreDavis

    Out of all the 2012 kids that are mentioned often…Harris, Hollowell, and DSR…DSR is the one who is having a huge season and leading his team. How this relates to IU ….not sure but what I do believe….IU is wing loaded in a few classes, to the extent, Harris or Hollowell, great talents…but Etherington, Patterson, Sheehey, Davis, Oladipo, Hartman….and then consider a Blueitt could make getting a DSR not a bad alternative. He is a combo guard that can play the point, he is a Kelvin Amayo type…big bully type of guard. All I can say is, he made me a believer when he poured in 36 vs Teague.

  • Casey

    Clicked like instead of reply the first time, but so far I haven’t seen anyone knock DSR. We all have our own varying opinions. I’m sure Crean will recruit him once again, but many sensed that Crean had higher priorities before DSR committed to Xavier and my guess is that he still won’t be at the top of the list. We’re not where we were 2yrs ago. We have glaring holes in our line up for the next few years and my hopes are that Crean fills those first.

  • Anonymous

    Are you saying that he is playing point on his HS team or that he is capable of playing the point on his HS team ? Is he capable of playing the point at the next level ? Not disagreeing with you just asking a specific about the kid.

  • Kelin CreDavis

    He is handling the ball alot more this year. Still not playing point in h.s. but fully capable of doing so in college. Reminds me of Xaviers pg, former IU recruit Hollowell. This year he has shown he is healthy, scores mid range, off the dribble, finishes with either hand, and makes F/T. NC coaches preaches defense and he is a very good defender, will keep other guards out of the lane with his size.

    His game is different from Yogi, more power, than speed. Looks to score more.
    I think they could coexist in the same backcourt. DSR won’t wow you with wow plays, you will look up and he has 25pts and 6rebounds.

  • Casey

    Have you looked at our schollies? I know how attrition works, but I’d rather have Gary Harris and a true center first.

  • Windycityshowdown

    Jurkin is a true center.

  • Windycityshowdown

    DSR is a combo guard. Zeller may not be considered a center, but the dude is 6 foot 11. He can handle the 5 and when he needs a rest you have Jurkin.

  • Windycityshowdown

    I want him. I want him the same as I want Harris and Hollowell. I don’t know if CTC wants him though. He has been a man among boys this year.

  • dfitz

    Would love to have him as long as we have a backup for the 1 and 5. If he can play PG or we have both taken spots care of… great! You never know about injuries or made up NCAA rules.

  • Casey

    Yep and thats our only 5. Zeller may be a 7ftr, but he didn’t come to IU to be our center. I’m hoping for a deep tourney run within the next few years. I think in order for that to happen we’ll need an additional option at the 5.

  • Anonymous

    I know Zeller isn’t a true center, but with Zeller, Jurkin, and Perea on the back line I think the interior defense will be much-improved. Don’t get me wrong, adding Chandler to that trio can’t hurt, but I still say someone who can run the point helps this team more than anyone else at this juncture. In ’12 you’ll have Hulls, who many have expressed a desire to see playing off the ball, and Yogi. In ’13 Hulls is gone–there has to be someone else. Maybe that’s Patterson, I don’t know, but I trust Kelin’s assessment because he’s been pretty accurate with his observations of HS guys in the past.

  • N71

    By nature with the level of talent that’s headed to Bloomington the roster is going to be turning over more quickly due to guys going to the NBA early. Watford for example may feel the tug by year end. A 5 star recruit from Indianapolis, assuming he’s a good guy and student, should almost have a golden ticket if he wants to play at IU, a birth right almost. The jury was out on DSR due to his injury and a perspective he topped out early, that he could not possibly get that much better. Well, he is over his injury AND he is getting better. Harris is great as we know but came into the picture somewhat due to DSR’s injury. I don’t think we could go wrong if it’s DSR and not Harris or both at the expense of a post player. They are both potential dominant Big Ten players. If either does not end up at IU we better hope it’s not at another Big Ten school.

  • MillaRed

    Mike this kid is capable of playing at a high level regardless of where you put him. We run the 3-guard lineup, he can bring it up the floor, he can shoot, drive, dish from the 2 or 3. Doesn’t matter. He’s a top 25 kid, grab him if you can. We can worry about where he is or isn’t in the lineup later.

  • Anonymous

    I don’t think true centers are really super necessary at the college level. Neither Cousins nor Sullinger are really true 5′s. The 4/5 combination works in college and I believe we have that in Zeller and Perea. While they may not defend centers, and so we need a backup C to soak up fouls, they will strengthen our post defense greatly with their lateral quickness and ability to help.

    I think our guard situation will look better next year (Hulls is slowly finding his aggression in the college game) with Oladipo and Sheehey a year older. But it’s more vital for our offense to have a strong performer at backup PG than backup C. We have that for sure in 2012 with Hulls/Ferrell or Ferrell/Hulls but if we have a guy like DSR at SG that year honing his ballhandling skills he might be able to run the second team in 2013.

    I like Harris a bunch as well. I just don’t see any reason to knock a talent like DSR. I would be thrilled with either signing.

  • Casey

    DSR is a flat-out stud. I just don’t think he’ll suit up in the candy stripes.

  • JerryCT

    I agree and understand why we argue about a 5 or a 4 or PG etc. But winning is never that simple.

    We just played and lost to 2 teams that do not regularly get HS players as highly touted as we do.

    However I hope CTC looks first at character/attitude to represent IU and then whether the player , regardless of position, has the athletic ability to “grow into” the college game.

    CTC will decide and he will make the right call

  • Aceman_Mujezinovic_07

    You know Kelin, nobody seems to be asking the real questions that news like this makes you wonder about?

    1) What the heck is going on with CBB recruiting these days? Seems players are about as fickle as a sixth grade girl anymore. Is there something going on that’s causing this trend?

    2) Does this make the Chandler commitment/de-commitment thing any less scary for IU? What’s going on over there at X that would cause so many guys to get skiddish about their commitments?

    There has to be more to this story . . . has Chris Mack decided to move on? Is there something going on that could be considered illegal in the eyes of the NCAA and these players don’t want to get snagged in it?

    For some reason this makes me wonder if Chandler and DSR are talking and have decided they want to go somewhere else? Is that IU or somewhere else???

    Interesting topic.

  • BFowler

    Why can’t Xavier hang on to these guys? First Chandler, now DSR? Is there something weird going on, or do they realize that they now want to play for the state school in state? I have always liked DSR, but I have to ask again (just like Chandler), why the commit and de-commit? Nothing has changed at Xavier since the commitments (very much unlike a coaching change at a school they REALLY wanted to play for -EJ-). Just makes me wonder why they decided Xavier was not for them now? Is it like a jilted girlfriend? “I’m gonna date somebody else to make you jealous.” Did Xavier cool on them? Are they high maintenance, prima donnas? Bottom line, you can only have 13 scholarship player at any given season, so the best 13 should be on the team.

  • BFowler

    Why can’t Xavier hang on to these guys? First Chandler, now DSR? Is there something weird going on, or do they realize that they now want to play for the state school in state? I have always liked DSR, but I have to ask again (just like Chandler), why the commit and de-commit? Nothing has changed at Xavier since the commitments (very much unlike a coaching change at a school they REALLY wanted to play for -EJ-). Just makes me wonder why they decided Xavier was not for them now? Is it like a jilted girlfriend? “I’m gonna date somebody else to make you jealous.” Did Xavier cool on them? Are they high maintenance, prima donnas? Bottom line, you can only have 13 scholarship player at any given season, so the best 13 should be on the team.

  • BFowler

    Just posted the exact same comment/question. I am with you, what is going on at X?

  • BaseballBuc

    So I have jaw surgery and all hell breaks lose. Colts lose 2 games, DSR decommitts. Still don’t feel he’s Hoosier bound but we’ll see.

  • JerryCT

    Off topic but maybe more relevant are some items over on Scoop.

    Crean says:

    1) probably needs to go unconventional and small like 4 wings and a guard
    2) we need to play 40 min of sound basketball ……….. ( no s__t )
    3) loves the attitude of this team

    I will be curious to see what changes we see tonight and if the confidence is better at home.

    Also 2 articles have IU 9th in the B10 below Michigan. I am not surprised after watching them play but I have to believe we can beat them.

  • Aceman_Mujezinovic_07

    I don’t know man. Seems to me, if memory serves me correctly, that X had another de-commitment before Chandler some time ago? Even if that’s not the case, there has to be something going on there?

  • MillaRed

    Note that Elston will be a senior in 2012 too. (will Capo be on the roster? ouch)

    From where I am standing, the real need at C or PF is the 2013 class. And I mean a good one. Like top 50.

  • MillaRed

    I think you are on track with the girlfriend but maybe it’s another scenario. Really like her, take her out of a few dates, then realize she isn’t who she thought she was.

    Furthermore, maybe Chandler isn’t as flaky as we thought he was. I find it hard to believe this is a coincidence.

  • Aceman_Mujezinovic_07

    That makes no sense whatsoever! Elston played great in that UNI game and then was injured or gassed in the Colorado game but what would lead him to believe that putting more of our anemic guards on the floor would actually help us. I’m okay with it I guess if it’s Will, Vic, Hulls, JR, and Watford because at least we may have a chance down low and to rebound with those athletes on the foor, but I still think our best lineup is Hulls/Vic/JR/Watford/Elston right now with Sheehey the first off the bench and Jones/Creek/Roth to spell them for short periods of time.

    I was thinking about the whole “offensive liability” thing and got to thinking about past teams and current good teams. Not all five guys on the floor have to be big threats to score as long as they’re moving the ball and shutting down the other team!

    I would love to see him come out with a lineup like the one I’ve listed above but I’d be okay with the 4 guard lineup I’ve named above.

    I’m just tired of getting off to slow stars because we have our three slowest guards on the floor together. If CTC puts Jones, Hulls, and Creek on the floor together to start this game we’ll get to watch Taylor Battle as he appears to be moving at the speed of light while our guards are stuck in the quicksand.

  • MillaRed

    Jerry I think the real news in recent CTC interviews is his confession that “the bench should have played more in Vegas.” This is what we all were ripping him for last weekend. I give him credit for going public with it.

  • Aceman_Mujezinovic_07

    Here’s a quick article on Chandler, his relationship with IU, and his suffering academics.

    http://www.zagsblog.com/2010/12/07/chandler-recruitment-remains-in-flux/#more-43652

  • MillaRed

    Goodness Aceman stop the bleeding bro. Stop the bleeding!

    CTC actually said he “may” need to go to a 4-wing lineup “if the situation dictates it in any particular game.” It isn’t where the offense is headed on a daily basis.

  • Aceman_Mujezinovic_07

    I just don’t see the need to “go small” unless the situation ABSOLUTELY calls for it because then you aren’t using one of your 7 best talents. Right now I see our 7 best players (all-around) as:

    Watford
    Hulls
    Elston
    Rivers
    Oladipo
    Sheehey
    Jones

    Then I would say that our best subs are Creek, Roth, Pritchard, and Moore.

    That’s according to what I’ve seen all year. If you go small then you are taking one of your best players off the floor when you don’t need to. Now, if the team you are playing is killing you because that “big” can’t keep up then, sure, go small. But I don’t understand why CTC would come to that conclusion after Vegas? I agree with you (below) that his recognition that “the bench should have played more” is much more important than “going small”.

    That’s all I’m saying.

  • jgongora86

    Thanks for the link. The more I see IU being taken advantage of down low, the more I’m realizing we might need this guys services. Can anyone be honest and answer my question. Has he dropped in rankings because of others gaining on talent or is it because of his academic issues?

  • Aceman_Mujezinovic_07

    I think it’s more because of the academic/de-commitment issues!

    He’s been solid on the court this season and his talent is still very high level!

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