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2016 forward De’Ron Davis “very interested” in Indiana

Justin Albers
by in Recruiting | April 29th, 2013

042913hdfIt didn’t take long for Indiana to notice De’Ron Davis.

The Hoosiers were the first to offer Davis a scholarship last July, and it’s safe to say he’s an early priority for Indiana in the 2016 class.

Associate head coach Steve McClain was in Denver to watch Davis play with his Colorado Hawks 16-under team on Friday at the Mile High Classic, and Davis noticed. The Hawks fell in Sunday’s championship game by four points.

It was the second straight weekend McClain watched Davis as the Hawks were in Dallas for the adidas Exclusive Run for the first April evaluation period.

“I’m very interested in them,” Davis, who plays at Overland High School, told Inside the Hall on Sunday night. “It was pretty exciting to see them there. It’s cool to have them after me.

“Indiana was my first offer. It does mean a lot, but right now I’m not really focused on any of my offers or schools that are on me right now just because I have a long journey and I’m trying to stay focused on the task at hand.”

Davis, a 6-foot-8, 220-pound forward, is one of the top ranked rising sophomores nationally and has continued to develop his game.

Last fall, he was invited to USA Basketball’s Developmental National Team mini-camp in Colorado Springs. Several IU targets participated with Davis, including Tyus Battle, Bryant Crawford, Marcus Derrickson, Eron Gordon, Marcus LoVett, Malachi Richardson, Elijah Thomas and Diamond Stone.

He provided Inside the Hall a brief summary and analysis of his playing style for those who haven’t seen him play.

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Recruiting Roundup: EYBL Hampton

Alex Bozich
by in Recruiting | April 29th, 2013

042813This weekend marked the second of two April evaluation periods, and the premier event was session two of the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) in Hampton at the Boo Williams Sportsplex.

Tom Crean, associate head coach Tim Buckley and assistant Kenny Johnson were on hand at different points throughout the weekend tracking James Blackmon Jr. and various prospects being recruited for 2014, 2015 and beyond.

Here’s a rundown of how many of the names on the IU radar performed over the weekend:

· James Blackmon Jr., Spiece Indy Heat: If his efficiency numbers are any indication, Blackmon Jr. might be underrated nationally. Through nine EYBL contests, his effective field goal percentage is 60.2 and he’s scored in double figures in every game. In Hampton, the future IU guard averaged 14.0 points and 2.6 rebounds as Spiece Indy Heat finished 4-1.

· Theo Pinson, CP3 All-Stars: One of IU’s top recruiting targets in the 2014 class, Pinson continues to contribute in a variety of areas on the EYBL circuit. He shot 47.8 percent in Hampton and averaged 13.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 2.8 steals and 1.6 blocks as CP3 All-Stars went 4-1. Pinson told reporters over the weekend that he’ll trim his list next month and is considering North Carolina, Duke, Kentucky, Indiana, Georgetown, Louisville, Florida State, North Carolina State and Wake Forest.

· Trevon Bluiett, Spiece Indy Heat: After averaging 18.7 points in the first EYBL session, Bluiett filled it up even more in session two, averaging 21.4 points on 47.8 percent shooting. He didn’t shoot it particularly well from three (38.2 percent), but hit close to 93 percent of his free throws and also averaged 4.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists.

· Ahmed Hill, Southern Stampede: Indiana remains active in Hill’s recruitment, but his list is still lengthy at this point. Southern Stampede had a tough weekend, dropping all five contests. Hill averaged 14.8 points and 3.4 rebounds and mentioned the Hoosiers prominently in this update with 247 Sports:

It was rough sledding for the Southern Stampede over the weekend, but there is no denying the talent of Hill. An electric athlete, Hill also has great body control when attacking the rim.

Looking for a school where he has a great relationship with the head coach, Hill had the likes of Tom Crean, Billy Donovan, Leonard Hamilton and Mark Fox watch him play at various times over the weekend. Hill listed Indiana, Kansas, Connecticut, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Texas and Marquette as the schools recruiting him the hardest.

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2014 guard Brandone Francis calls IU offer “a blessing”

Alex Bozich
by in Recruiting | April 26th, 2013

042613scvFollowing his MVP performance in the 17-and-under division at last weekend’s adidas Exclusive Run in Dallas, 2014 Arlington Country Day (Fla.) guard Brandone Francis has seen his stock rise significantly over the past week.

A 6-foot-5, 200-pound guard who can score and handle the ball, Francis was tracked closely by associate head coach Steve McClain in Dallas and Tom Crean watched him on Wednesday at high school.

On Thursday, the Hoosiers extended a scholarship offer to the rising guard, who plays AAU for Florida Elite.

“It’s a dream. I never thought I’d have a scholarship offer from Indiana,” Francis told Inside the Hall. “I think it’s the hard work that I’ve put in the gym. People didn’t really know about me.

“I showed people that hard work pays off and that hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard. It’s a blessing.”

Originally from La Romana, the third largest city in the Dominican Republic, Francis came to the United States in the ninth grade and was not ranked by any of the major recruiting services coming into last weekend.

That is expected to change quickly, but Francis believes that his game still has plenty of room to grow. He missed time with a knee injury and wrist injury over the past year, but is now fully healthy.

“The sky is the limit. I want to be great,” he said. “I want to show people that I’m better than a lot of players [ranked] in front of me. I just want to show what I can do, go to college, get my degree and make my mother proud. I just want to show everybody what I can do on the court.”

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2015 point guard Bryant Crawford remains high on IU

Alex Bozich
by in Recruiting | April 25th, 2013

042513hdfIndiana’s recruiting presence in the D.C.-Maryland-Virginia area, also known as the DMV, has been strong since Tom Crean arrived in Bloomington in the spring of 2008.

It’s only grown stronger over the past 11 months with the hiring of assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Kenny Johnson. One player the Hoosiers have made a priority from D.C. in the 2015 class is Gonzaga Prep’s Bryant Crawford.

At 6-foot-2 and 175-pounds, Crawford had the opportunity to take over the point guard duties this past high school season after Nate Britt, a North Carolina signee, transferred to Oak Hill Academy for his senior season.

Crawford handled the responsibilities well, averaging 8.6 points for a team that finished 27-5 and went undefeated in WCAC regular-season play.

After missing his freshman season with a fractured tibia, it was a chance for the young guard to show he was capable of being a leader.

“I tried to be more vocal and give my teammates constructive criticism,” he told Inside the Hall of his sophomore season at Gonzaga. “We fell a little bit short and didn’t finish how we wanted to, but everything else was good.”

With a strong summer of AAU with Team Takeover in 2012 and his play at Gonzaga as a sophomore, recruiting interest has picked up for Crawford. Maryland recently offered, joining Indiana, Georgetown, Connecticut, Seton Hall, SMU and Penn State, among others.

Indiana was one of the first offers for Crawford and remains high on his list.

“They’re recruiting me pretty hard. I talk to them often. I saw them at open gyms, practices and games,” Crawford said. “The coaches there have showed they believe in me and they want me a lot. They have faith in me and just want to see me improve and become better as a player and as a person.”

He’s already taken a pair of unofficial visits to Bloomington. The first was last August when IU offered a scholarship and the second was for Hoosier Hysteria, which was an experience that made an impact.

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After monster junior season, Blackmon Jr. looks forward to big summer

Justin Albers
by in Recruiting | April 24th, 2013

IPSAC110061aIndiana will have several capable scorers on its roster next season and a few good outside shooters. But the Hoosiers will likely lack a true all-around scorer who can create offense in a multitude of ways.

That’s what they’ll get when James Blackmon Jr. arrives on campus with the class of 2014. Blackmon Jr., an Indiana commit currently attending Bishop Luers High School in Fort Wayne, is a lethal offensive threat, and he can create from nearly anywhere on the court.

Blackmon Jr.’s outside shooting continues to improve — he was 10-of-23 from beyond the arc in four games at the Nike EYBL session one in Los Angeles last weekend — and he has always possessed to ability to get to the rim and score. When Blackmon Jr. gets to Bloomington, the ability to shoot the 3-pointer could be what sets him apart.

“The 3-point shot is always something I’ve been good at, probably one of the best parts of my game,” Blackmon Jr. told Inside the Hall. “I think at IU I’ll be an all-around scorer and my 3-point shot will be something that people will know me for.”

If there was any doubt Blackmon Jr. has fully recovered from the torn ACL he suffered in February 2012, he wiped those away with a terrific junior season. Blackmon Jr. averaged 33.4 points per game and led Luers to a sectional championship.

Last weekend in Los Angeles in front of Tom Crean and assistant coach Kenny Johnson, he averaged 19.0 points and 4.8 rebounds in four games and shot 53 percent from the field.

He said he’s still working a bit on his explosiveness, but otherwise feels good about his game.

“I’m pretty healthy there,” Blackmon Jr. said of his knee, “but there’s always things that I look for to improve because if I’m not working on my knee strength it can always happen again. I always try to keep that in mind, that I have to keep doing things that prevent injury.”

Blackmon Jr., ranked 47th by ESPN.com in the 2014 class, made his college decision all the way back in September of 2010. Now that he’s committed, though, he’s tried to play the role of recruiter when he sees other Indiana targets at various AAU events.

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2015 guard Malachi Richardson a high priority for IU

Alex Bozich
by in Recruiting | April 23rd, 2013

042213scbIndiana spent a considerable amount of time recruiting class of 2015 Roselle Catholic (NJ) guard Malachi Richardson during the high school season and the pursuit has intensified this spring.

Richardson, a 6-foot-6, 180-pound wing, is regarded as one of the top shooters nationally and helped lead Roselle to the NJSIAA Non-Public B championship and the 2013 NJSIAA Tournament of Champions title.

With the on-court success has come attention from a slew of high majors, including Indiana, Kansas, Ohio State, Georgetown, Maryland and Miami (FL), to name a few.

But no school is pushing harder than IU.

“They’ve been recruiting me heavily,” Richardson told Inside the Hall. “I watched them a lot this past season. I love the coaching style and the way he [Tom Crean] coaches and everything he does with his program. I love the way they get up and down and feed the bigs. But also, they still run sets through their guard play.”

Indiana offered Richardson in early December and watched him several times during the high school season including a mid-January game at Roselle and also at the Flyin’ to the Hoop in Dayton, Ohio.

Richardson, who is ranked No. 20 nationally by ESPN.com and averaged 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game as a sophomore, noted that he continues to build a strong relationship with Crean and assistant coach Kenny Johnson.

“My relationship is great with both coaches. I give them calls every few weeks,” he said. “We keep in touch. We talk about a lot of different things — the program, the campus and different things like that.”

Richardson played the state tournament with an injured wrist, which he didn’t discover was fractured until after the season. He’s currently in a cast, but expects to return in time for the third Nike EYBL session, which takes place May 10-12 in Dallas, Texas. Richardson will play for Team Final.

When he returns, he hopes to show his well-rounded game.

“I would say my jump shot is a big part of my game,” Richardson said. “But I’m also working on getting to the basket, putting the ball on the floor a lot more than I did and also playing better defense and rebounding.”

Indiana has recruited high character kids since Crean took over the program in the spring of 2008 and Richardson is no exception, according to his high school coach, Dave Boff.

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Scouting notes: 2013 Derby Festival Basketball Classic

Alex Bozich
by in Recruiting | April 22nd, 2013

042113dncLOUISVILLE, Ky. — One of the final opportunities to watch five of IU’s 2013 signees before they arrive in Bloomington in early June came over the weekend at Freedom Hall in the 2013 Derby Festival Basketball Classic.

The all-star game has become a regular stop for IU recruits in recent seasons as Cody Zeller, Victor Oladipo and several others have participated. Inside the Hall was in attendance at Wednesday’s closed practice, Thursday’s night of the future stars event at Floyd Central and Friday’s game, which was won by the black team featuring all five IU signees, 124-113.

Here are game statistics, observations and scouting notes on all five guys:

· Troy Williams – 21 points (9-13 FG, 2-2 3PFG, 1-1 FT), five rebounds (two offensive), four assists, two turnovers, one block in 18 minutes

Williams walked away with MVP honors for the black team and there’s a good argument to made that he was the best player on the floor on Friday. That wasn’t the case in Wednesday’s closed practice as he forced some shots and didn’t finish particularly well around the rim. Williams was once ranked as high as No. 6 nationally in the 2013 class and he’s an elite athlete that gets into the lane and finishes plays with dunks. While the setting of an all-star game doesn’t lend itself to defense or rebounding being areas of focus, Williams has the tools to be very good in both areas. He’s a long, high motor player with the ability to score in a variety of ways, which should earn him minutes from day one in Bloomington.

· Collin Hartman – 7 points (2-7 FG, 1-5 3PFG, 2-2 FT), four rebounds (all offensive), two steals, one assist in 18 minutes

Hartman’s forte is perimeter shooting, but it wasn’t his week to excel in that area. He struggled in the 3-point contest and in the game, but all was not lost as he found other ways to make an impact. Hartman was active on the glass with four offensive rebounds and also had two steals. Health has been an issue for Hartman over the past year as he battled concussions and also a wrist injury that forced him to miss time during the past high school season. He said he’s ultimately emerged stronger from missing time and said that unlimited gym access is what he’s looking forward to most in college. With work in the weight room, there’s potential for Hartman to grab a role as early as next season.

· Luke Fischer – 12 points (5-7 FG, 2-3 FT), six rebounds (three offensive), three steals, two blocks, one assist, one turnover in 17 minutes

Fischer is often compared to Cody Zeller and it’s a comparison that makes some sense because of their similar games and build. Zeller probably has a solid two inches on Fischer in shoes, but much like the former IU All-American, the Wisconsin native is a sound post player who understands how to play the game. Fischer was efficient all week in Louisville and didn’t need the ball thrown to him to make an impact. His footwork and ability to catch the ball are both very good and while he’s probably not the athlete Zeller is, he finishes well through contact and runs the floor hard. He’s also a very good passer who can come out to the high post and find his teammates. Like most incoming players, adding strength to prepare for the rigors of the Big Ten will be key, but the tools are present for Fischer to play significant minutes early.

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