Crean talks Verdell Jones
By Big A | May 9, 2008
With Verdell Jones now signed, sealed and delivered, IU Media Relations released the following on the guard from Champaign (IL):
Indiana University men’s basketball coach Tom Crean has announced that Verdell Jones III, a 6-4, 180-lb. guard from Champaign (Illinois) Central High School has signed a national letter of intent to attend IU and play basketball for the Hoosiers beginning next fall. He was the Champaign News-Gazette Area Player of the Year and an All-State choice as a senior.
“Verdell is an excellent addition to our recruiting class,” said Crean. “He is a great floor leader with a tremendous ability to direct an offense and he also has the ability to make plays on his own. His wingspan will make him a tough defender and we like the fact that he has played in so many big-game environments in high school and AAU ball that he will be able to compete for our program right away. We are very excited about his upside.”
You can read the full release here.
Tags: Tom Crean, Verdell Jones Posted in Recruiting |
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Hello, I would like to recruit your eighth grader
By Big A | May 9, 2008
Those of you with eighth graders, relax…I’m only kidding. Most of you know by now that Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie took a commitment last week from Michael Avery, an eighth grader from Thousand Oaks, California. And the reaction from around the country has sparked much needed conversation on how out of control this whole recruiting thing has become.
As PostmanE pointed out over at the Dagger on Y!, most eighth graders are worried about video games, not where they’re going to be attending college. Avery chose Kentucky before he picked where he’d be attending high school.
Nothing against this kid (I’m sure he likes Miley Cyrus and Playstation 3 like most other kids his age), but I just don’t see how he’s ready to make this decision at this point in his life. Why his parents even allowed him to declare this early is even more puzzling. My guess is they don’t have a fully funded 529.
From the school’s standpoint, how can a staff project the type of player a kid will be four years down the road? Some kids mature early and stop growing. Remember the kid in junior high gym class that had a mustache, posted you up and abused you down low? He was probably the same height at high school graduation.
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Crean calls Holman transfer “orchestrated”
By Big A | May 8, 2008
Indiana coach Tom Crean spoke on the record today about Eli Holman’s transfer to Detroit and instead of speaking in clichés, Crean got right down to the point. (Did I mention I love Crean already?)
Here’s what he told Chris Korman of the H-T/Hoosier Scoop:
Question: Can you say what prompted the outburst? Do you know?
Crean: I don’t know. I would say not getting the answer that he probably would have liked. It was about taking some time to go through this, but, I’ve seen now, this was totally part of an orchestration. It just was. I don’t have a lot of respect for that. I like Eli and I wish him well. I really do. In the short time we were with him, I liked him. But I don’t have a lot of respect for the way that it turned out.
Question: Did you put any conditions on Eli’s release?
Crean: No, not really. But it’s all sort of starting to play out, isn’t it?
It’s not often you hear a coach speak on the record like this, but I’m actually glad Crean stood up and put his feelings out there. And I must agree with his comment that called the transfer orchestrated. It’s certainly no coincidence that Holman ended up at Detroit. If Ray McCallum actually thought he was doing Eli a favor by bringing him to Detroit, he’s more worried about his immediate success in his new job than he is concerned for the kid. You can sense a bit of frustration in Crean’s comments and that likely comes from the fact that Holman gave the impression he wanted to stay at IU and then called a meeting out of nowhere to tell him he was leaving. Then just a few days later, he finds out he’s going to play for McCallum. I think we can all put the pieces together here.
Tags: Eli Holman, Ray McCallum, Tom Crean Posted in Media | Email This Post
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Video of Bloomington South’s Jordan Hulls
By Big A | May 7, 2008
Courier-Journal recruiting writer and friend of ITH Jody Demling produced the following video of Bloomington South senior-to-be Jordan Hulls:
I hadn’t seen Hulls play before watching this video, but he actually looks like a nice player. He can shoot it, he showed off his ability to pass and he looks scrappy, which I really like. He’s definitely a player to watch over the summer as he’ll get plenty of exposure playing with Indiana Elite.
And by the way, Chris Korman of the H-T/Hoosier Scoop is reporting that Hulls now has a Purdue offer after a visit with Matt Painter.
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Eli Holman following McCallum to Detroit
By Big A | May 7, 2008
Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press is reporting that our old friend Eli Holman is heading to Detroit to play for former Indiana assistant coach Ray McCallum:
Eli Holman confirmed his enrollment at UDM in a text message Tuesday to his high school coach, Robert Collins. “He’s an NBA player,” said Collins, the former coach at Richmond, Calif. “I think he can do a lot of good there.”
Nothing against the big man from Richmond, but I really wouldn’t call him an NBA player at this point. Potentially? Perhaps. But he’s got a long way to go before the NBA would even enter the discussion. And Detroit isn’t exactly a hotbed for producing players for the next level, either. Good luck Eli, we hardly knew ye.
Update: Detroit has issued a press release with some quotes from Eli and McCallum. Holman is the second former Hoosier to land with McCallum in the past couple of weeks as Xavier Keeling will also be a Titan. Here’s a couple of quotes:
Ray McCallum: “I’m really happy that Eli made the decision to come to UDM. I think me having been at Indiana and recruiting him was a big reason why he went there and he had a great opportunity there. But when you’re involved in a young man’s life for two years, you obviously build a relationship that he cared about and respected and he wanted it to continue. With his size, he’s an athletic player who can finish around the basket, he can block shots, he rebounds, he has good hands, he’s a good runner. I think the next phase for him is to continue to grow as a player in our practices. I’m glad he’s here with us.”
Eli Holman: “I want to thank the University of Indiana for the time that I spent there. I was treated fairly by all the people connected to the University. But, at this time, I think that it is in the best interest for me and my family to transfer to the University of Detroit Mercy. I wish the University of Indiana the best of luck. Coach Mac is a big reason why I’m here. He recruited me out of high school, and he’s been like a father figure to me. I think he’ll make an impact on the University. He’s going to put some more (championship) banners up in the arena and he’s going to get us to the NCAA Tournament. I want to help him do that. I found out right away there are some great people on this campus. I’m very comfortable with my choice.”
Note to Eli (because it obviously didn’t resonate in the year he spent in Bloomington), it’s Indiana University. That is all.
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Jordan Hulls gets Indiana offer
By Big A | May 7, 2008
John Decker over at Hoosier Nation is reporting that IU offered a scholarship to Bloomington South point guard Jordan Hulls, who is a member of the 2009 class, last night at Assembly Hall.
Hulls plays for the Indiana Elite AAU team alongside Bobby Capobianco, Stephan Van Treese, Jordan Prosser, Ray McCallum Jr., Colt Ryan, Mason Plumlee and D.J. Byrd.
Purdue and Duke are also showing interest and the 6-0, 170 lb. Hulls grew up a fan of the Blue Devils and Coach K. He’s also got offers from Evansville, Toledo, Western Michigan, Ohio and Vermont, but with the recent interest from IU, Purdue and Duke, those schools are likely out of the picture.
Hulls had a coming out party on the national scene a few weeks ago when he played against one of the top guards in 2009, John Wall, at a tournament in Pittsburgh. Friend of the blog and Courier-Journal recruiting writer Jody Demling, wrote about that performance a few weeks ago:
Bloomington (Ind.) South High School guard Jordan Hulls will never forget his recent visit to Pittsburgh, playing in an AAU basketball event for the Indiana Elite team. The 6-foot Hulls - a senior-to-be - had quite a performance, helping the team to the 17 & under title and in the process going from mid-major prospect to a hot name.
In fact, he blew up.
Hulls hit five three-pointers and had a number of other solid plays, including a behind-the-back pass in a game against North Carolina guard John Wall, considered the top Class of 2009 point guard. Indiana assistant coach Tim Buckley and Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski were both among the coaches in the stands at that game.
Hulls seems to be high on Duke and would likely jump at an offer to play in Durham, but there will also be pressure to stay at home and don the candy striped pants. He’ll either end up as a fan favorite at Assembly Hall or end up as another Duke player that nobody can stand (J.J. Redick, Greg Paulus, Steve Wojciechowski, Jon Scheyer, Bobby Hurley). Let’s hope it’s not the latter.
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Academic progress rate (APR) released by NCAA
By Big A | May 6, 2008
The NCAA released academic progress rate (APR) for all of its Division I schools today and IU ranked No. 268 out of 337 in men’s basketball. The report scores each institution through the 2006-2007 school year. The minimum score a school can achieve without losing scholarships in a particular sport is 925. IU’s score was 899. Since this only covers data through 2006-2007, IU could see a significant drop in next year’s score based on the rumored academic troubles in the program as well as the mass defections in recent weeks.
Update: After a further examination of this report (and a Hat Tip is due to Chris Korman for this revelation of footnote 3 on Pg. 1), IU has avoided losing another scholarship because “the team demonstrated academic improvement and had a favorable comparison based on other academic or institutional factors.”
Here’s a link to the complete report:
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