Recruiting

Recruiting Roundup: Nike EYBL Los Angeles

by Alex Bozich in Recruiting | April 22nd, 2013

042113ewer This weekend marked the first of two April evaluation periods, and one of the nation’s top events was session one of the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) in Los Angeles.

Tom Crean 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: Indiana’s lone commitment in the 2014 class had a terrific weekend in Los Angeles. Blackmon Jr. averaged 19.0 points and 4.8 rebounds and shot 53.4 percent from the field. Blackmon’s high scoring game of the weekend (21 points) came in a 72-69 loss to Team Texas Pro, which features five-star point guard Emmanuel Mudiay. Spiece Indy Heat finished the weekend 2-2.

· Theo Pinson, CP3 All-Stars: Pinson (pictured), who is one of IU’s top recruiting targets in the 2014 class, had a tough weekend shooting the ball as he hit just 32.6 percent of his shots over four games. His weekend averages were 12.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 steals, 1.5 assists and one block per game. Pinson, who has already taken an official visit to Bloomington, has Indiana in his top three schools.

· Trevon Bluiett, Spiece Indy Heat: Bluiett’s weekend ended prematurely as he did not play in Sunday’s game after suffering a knee sprain. In three games, the Park Tudor senior-to-be averaged 18.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.0 steals and shot 47.1 percent from behind the 3-point line. Bluiett worked in an unofficial visit to UCLA following the EYBL event.

· JaQuan Lyle, Spiece Indy Heat: As is typically the case with Lyle, he found ways to fill the statsheet besides simply scoring the ball. Over four games, the combo guard averaged 7.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.8 steals. His turnover numbers, however, were a bit high at 3.5 per game. Lyle’s list of schools remains at six with Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Louisville, Ohio State and Tennessee in the running.

· Elijah Thomas, Team Texas Elite: Thomas, who we profiled back in January, is one of the elite players nationally in the 2015 class. His list of suitors is full of the nation’s elite programs and Thomas played well in Los Angeles, averaging 15.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 19.8 minutes per game. One area where the 6-foot-9, 225-pound Texas big man didn’t excel was the free throw line, where he hit just 12-of-25 attempts for 48 percent.

· Phil Booth, Team Takeover: Booth, who took an unofficial visit to Bloomington for the Michigan game last February and said he expects to be back this fall for an official visit, left Los Angeles with Team Takeover unbeaten in EYBL play at 4-0. Booth averaged 10.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.5 steals in 22.0 minutes per game.

Continue reading this post »

Tags: James Blackmon Jr., Theo Pinson

3 Comments »

Goodluck Okonoboh “very intrigued” by Indiana offer

by Alex Bozich in Recruiting | April 19th, 2013

041913sd As a former AAU teammate of 2013 signee Noah Vonleh, Indiana has tracked Goodluck Okonoboh closely for quite some time.

But that interest took the next step earlier this month as Tom Crean and assistant coach Kenny Johnson traveled to Wilbraham and Monson Academy near Boston to watch Okonoboh work out and extended a scholarship offer.

Okonoboh has earned a reputation as one of the premier shot-blockers in the country and the IU staff has made him a priority in its recruiting efforts for the 2014 class.

“I know he was very impressed with Coach Crean, as was I,” Wilbraham and Monson coach Chris Sparks told Inside the Hall this week. “He’s a professional in every sense of the word. Having a chance to watch them play this year and then also getting a chance to talk to him some more and meet him, I think he’s very impressed with them and also very intrigued by their interest and flattered.”

Originally a member of the 2013 class, Okonoboh reclassified to 2014 to work on his game and his body so that he’ll be ready to contribute from day one in college.

It’s a move that is paying major dividends for Okonoboh’s development, according to Sparks.

“I think his game has really evolved at this point from not only being a threat on the defensive end, but also the offensive end,” his coach said. “He’s been extremely focused in the offseason and determined to improve his game on the offensive end, being a threat inside and out. He’s also had a big improvement in his body. He’s put on some weight and his explosiveness has even improved a little bit. He’s becoming more of a complete player.”

At 6-foot-9 and 220 pounds, Okonoboh, born in 1994 to Nigerian parents, is an imposing figure in the paint that can change games by altering and blocking shots. Off the court, according to Sparks, he shares a lot of similarities with his close friend Vonleh as a quiet and humble kid.

“He laughs a lot, he’s got a great smile. He’s just got a really good personality,” Sparks said. “But on the court, it’s like a switch goes off. As a coach, it’s such a pleasure to be around because he’s so focused and determined.”

Continue reading this post »

Tags: Goodluck Okonoboh

44 Comments »

IU among top three schools for Theo Pinson, father says

by Justin Albers in Recruiting | April 19th, 2013

071912 Theo Pinson, a 2014 recruit from Greensboro, North Carolina remains “very high” on Indiana and currently has the Hoosiers in his top three schools, according to his father, Theo Pinson Sr.

“Yeah, they definitely would,” Pinson Sr. said of Indiana being in the top three. “He likes them. They’re up there right now.”

Pinson is ranked 13th in the 2014 class by ESPN.com and also has offers from Duke, Florida State, Georgetown, Kentucky, Louisville, Memphis, North Carolina and Ohio State. The Hoosiers offered a scholarship last May and have recruited Pinson diligently ever since.

Pinson Sr. said he son will likely make his college decision sometime in the fall.

“With school and AAU starting up, we don’t really have time for much else right now,” Pinson Sr. told Inside the Hall. “He’s just focusing on that for now.”

Pinson, a 6-foot-6 forward, attends Wesleyan Christian Academy in High Point, North Carolina. He already made an official visit to Indiana the weekend of the Michigan game that was featured on ESPN’s College GameDay in February. It was his second trip to Bloomington after making an unofficial in the summer of 2012.

He doesn’t currently have any other visits scheduled and likely won’t take anymore until the fall.

“It was great,” Pinson Sr. said of the official visit to IU. “It was the Michigan game. It don’t get too much better than that. It was awesome.”

As a junior, Pinson led Wesleyan Christian to its first state championship in 20 years, capturing the NCISAA 3A crown with a 59-49 win over Greensboro Day.

Continue reading this post »

Tags: Theo Pinson

13 Comments »

Incoming class sees opportunity for early minutes

by Alex Bozich in Recruiting | April 18th, 2013

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — With two starters graduating and two departing early for the 2013 NBA Draft, no Big Ten team will have more production and experience to replace next season than Indiana.

The Hoosiers lose four 1,000-point scorers in Christian Watford, Cody Zeller, Jordan Hulls and Victor Oladipo, and a key reserve in Remy Abell, who opted to transfer for his final two seasons.

Those five, along with Derek Elston, accounted for 72.1 percent of Indiana’s scoring and 65 percent of its rebounding.

If IU is to again compete for a Big Ten championship and advance to the NCAA Tournament, its six-man recruiting class, headlined by four ESPNU Top 100 recruits, will be a major factor. Rather than dwelling on who is leaving, the tone the incoming group is projecting this week at the Derby Festival Basketball Classic is one of opportunity for early minutes in what should be a fierce competition.

“It opens up spots for everyone on the team now,” Luke Fischer, who was recently named Mr. Basketball in Wisconsin, said Wednesday. “Fighting for playing time is going to be real tough for anyone coming in or staying.”

With Yogi Ferrell the projected starter at point guard and Will Sheehey, who Tom Crean has often called a “sixth starter,” also figuring to move into the lineup, up to three starting spots and other rotation spots will be up for grabs.

“I look at it like, the people who left, they could have helped us,” Stanford Robinson, who spent his senior season at Findlay Prep, said. “But at the same time, that’s good for me as well because it’s time for me to show people what I can do.”

The offseason development of both Robinson and Fischer, along with the size and versatility of five-star forward Noah Vonleh, could be paramount to next season’s success. The Hoosiers are short on ball handlers in the backcourt and also lack proven size on the front line.

Robinson, who has spent most of his prep career at the two-guard position, is preparing himself for college as a point guard and said he benefitted greatly from working alongside Washington signee and McDonald’s All-American Nigel Williams-Goss at Findlay.

Continue reading this post »

Tags: Luke Fischer, Noah Vonleh, Stanford Robinson, Troy Williams

81 Comments »

2013 guard Jaren Sina commits to Seton Hall

by Justin Albers in Recruiting | April 17th, 2013

Point guard Jaren Sina, a 2013 recruit Indiana made a late push at, announced on his Twitter account this afternoon that he has committed to Seton Hall.

Sina was scheduled to make a visit to Bloomington later this month.

Sina had narrowed his list to three recently with Indiana, Seton Hall and Northwestern still in play. He was let out of his commitment to Northwestern when head coach Bill Carmody was fired.

The Hoosiers pursued Sina as a likely backup option behind freshman Yogi Ferrell. Both Victor Oladipo and Cody Zeller declared for the NBA Draft last week and Remy Abell announced he will transfer. That leaves Indiana right at the scholarship limit for next year, as of now.

Tags: Jaren Sina

32 Comments »

Report: Jaren Sina has scholarship offer from IU

by Alex Bozich in Recruiting | April 14th, 2013

041413weq Indiana already has six signees in its 2013 recruiting class, but Gill St. Bernard’s (N.J.) point guard Jaren Sina could make it seven for the Hoosiers.

In an interview last night at the Jordan Brand Classic Game, Sina told The Star-Ledger that he’s still considering four schools — Alabama, Indiana, Northwestern and Seton Hall.

Sina, who was selected to play in the Jordan Brand regional game, did not play because of an injury.

Indiana was late to the party on Sina, but his conversations with coach Tom Crean have been positive and a scholarship offer has been made.

“Coach Crean has been recruiting me pretty heavy these last couple days,” Sina told The Star-Ledger. “Especially with [guard Remy Abell] transferring out of the program. He’s been on me pretty hard. We gotta see what happens with that. I was supposed to meet with him a couple days ago. Things happened with the schedule with the visit, but I’ll have a chance to sit with him I think.”

Sina originally committed to Alabama in January of 2011, but re-opened his recruitment in October of 2011 and signed a Letter of Intent with Northwestern last fall. He was then granted a release from Northwestern after the school fired Bill Carmody.

As a senior at Gill St. Bernard’s, Sina averaged 21.2 points and 9.1 assists per game. He’s rated a four-star prospect by ESPN.com.

Following the departures of Cody Zeller and Victor Oladipo to the NBA and the decision to transfer by Remy Abell, Indiana is currently at 13 scholarship players for next season.

Tags: Jaren Sina

83 Comments »

Q & A: Noah Vonleh at McDonald’s All-American media day

by Ryan Corazza in Recruiting | April 2nd, 2013

CHICAGO — 2013 IU signee Noah Vonleh touched on a range of topics at McDonald’s All-American media day this afternoon at the United Center.

What follows is an edited interview with the versatile, five-star forward during a one-on-one session with Inside the Hall.

On his role next season at IU: “Coach Crean talked to me a little bit. Me and Troy Williams will probably end up being a couple of the main scoring options because they’re losing Victor (Oladipo), Christian Watford, Jordan Hulls and possibly Cody Zeller. So they’re going to need people to come in and score and be ready to go to war.”

On his relationship with Williams and Stanford Robinson: “I played against Stan at LeBron camp. I played against Troy at NBA camp, LeBron camp. I’ve played against those guys a lot. We talk a little bit. We were watching some of the (Indiana) games and we text each other and talk about how we can’t wait to be together next year.”

On potentially having to shoulder a big role as a freshmen: ”It’s going to be tough going in there as a freshmen, but I’m ready to take it. I’m ready to take on whatever’s thrown at me.”

On his current height and weight: ”I’m 6’9″. I think I’m still growing a little bit. Every time I come to events like this, everybody’s like: “Oh, you got a little bit taller.” I’m 225 (pounds), I’d say.”

On his schedule after the Jordan Brand game and Nike Hoop Summit and before he heads to Indiana: ”I’ll just be in the gym, trying to finish school off strong. I’ll be lifting because Indiana sent me a plan. Just working on my skills, trying to get better, and then I’ll be up in Bloomington the second week of June. (The weight-lifting plan) is some upper body one day, lower body the next day. I think they’ll send up a workout soon for strength and conditioning.”

Continue reading this post »

Tags: Noah Vonleh

66 Comments »