Ryan profiles Cody Zeller in ESPN The Magazine

  • 11/30/2011 1:48 pm in

ESPN The Magazine: Leap of Faith

Last October, not even a visionary could have seen with certainty that Zeller would end up in a Hoosiers uniform. Recruiting analysts speculated that the Washington, Ind., native would sign with North Carolina to play alongside his brother Tyler, who was a junior there at the time. Or maybe he’d play in Indianapolis, where Butler was coming off its first national championship appearance in 2010. Instead, this year’s No. 14 recruit signed with Indiana, a program that hasn’t had a winning season since Kelvin Sampson was forced out in 2008 amid NCAA violations.

“My brothers were a big help in the recruiting process,” says Cody, whose oldest brother, Luke, played four seasons at Notre Dame. “They let me make my own decision because I’m the one who has to live with it. I was focused on finding a school that had good players and coaches. So far, I love my decision.”

Filed to: