2013 Jeffersonville guard Darryl Baker met with the media following a 83-71 win over Bowman Academy last Wednesday in the IPSAC Midwest Challenge. Baker scored 16 points.
Joe Eberhardt of Inside the Hall and IndyHSHoops was there as Baker talked about the win over the defending 1A state champion, the return from a serious injury, his recruiting picture and more:
After missing his entire freshman season with a broken right leg, Jeffersonville sophomore guard Darryl Baker returned to the court for Team Southern Indiana and put together an impressive summer on the AAU circuit. Inside the Hall caught up with the 2013 guard on Tuesday and talked about his recent trip to Bloomington and a variety of other topics:
On his trip to Bloomington for the IU-Michigan football game:
“It was great. I loved it. I loved the environment. I love the coaching staff, the players. They’re great people to be around.”
On playing in open gym at Cook Hall:
“I liked it. I got to get a couple of runs in. There were some good players there from Indiana like Jeremy Hollowell and Hanner Perea, those type of guys. It was nice to get to play against them since I only see them maybe once in the summertime during AAU ball.”
On where things stand with IU from a recruiting standpoint:
“I think they’re waiting for me to come back (to offer a scholarship). I talk to Coach Crean all the time whenever I go down there and visit. He tells me I can be the next one, the next good player. He tells me I just need to work hard and keep the same attitude I have.”
On the recovery from his injury:
“I think I’m at 100 percent right now. I feel better than I had before. I don’t have any problems with my leg. Before I broke it, I had problems with it, it always hurt. Now I don’t have any problems, so I think I’m at 100 percent, maybe even better.”
On the schools actively involved in his recruitment:
“Mainly Indiana, Purdue and Xavier are the ones I talk to the most. Ohio State and Michigan State, too.”
On attending Hoosier Hysteria this year and other visits he could take this fall:
“Yes, I am going. I think I’m going to go down to Purdue sometime, whenever I call Coach Lusk back.”
On the upcoming season at Jeffersonville and the position he might play:
“I think we can do the same thing we did last year or even better. We just have to keep working hard. We’re very undersized, but we have the potential. Whatever he assigns me, I’m going to do. I want to play the two or the three. If I have to run the one, it’d be fine, I can, but the two or three is what I really want.”
Joe Eberhardt is a high school sports blogger and writer in Indiana. He created Indy Hoops Blog and contributes to the Hoosier Hoops Report. You can follow him on twitter at @IndyHoopsBlog.
The 2013 class in Indiana isn’t very big, but it’s full of talented players. This particular class is loaded with guards and wings, but lacks an elite big man. There are at least seven sure fire high-major players in this class and potential for more to emerge. If you have any questions about the rankings, feel free to address them in the comments.
10. Brenton Scott 6’0 PG (Ft. Wayne Northrop) - He’s not as highly regarded as his twin brother, but is still a good player and capable point guard. He’s more of a distributor than Bryson, looking to set up teammates rather than score the ball. He’s a solid 3-point shooter, and will fill it up if given the opportunity. He really gets after it on the defensive end and plays with a tough mentality.
9. Richard Freeman 6’7 PF (Lawrence Central) - Freeman is an athletic player with great length and bounce. He can shoot the mid-range with consistency, but I’d like to see him assert himself down low more. Added strength and aggressiveness down low would really benefit his game. His skill and production hasn’t caught up with his upside, but he’s got plenty of time to improve his game. He’s one of the better long term prospects in this class depending on his improvement and development.
8. Demetrius Jackson 6’1 PG (Mishawaka) – Jackson is a quick and smart point guard who uses his athleticism to break down the defense. He looks to set up teammates early and often which is good, but he needs to look to assert himself as a scorer as well. His shooting form is solid, but consistency can be an issue for him. As he improves his skill and relies less and less on physical talent, he’ll improve as a player.
After a big summer for Team Southern Indiana in 2009, Jeffersonville guard Darryl Baker was regarded as one of the top incoming freshman in the state. But a broken leg sidelined Baker for the entire 2009-2010 season and the 6-1 guard could only watch as his teammates knocked off No. 1 Bloomington South in the Seymour regional. Inside the Hall caught up with Baker at the adidas May Classic to get an update on his injury and his recruitment:
Around the Hall is recommended reading from the Inside the Hall crew. So go ahead, get your read on, kids.
+ Indiana will play at Boston College in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge according to our friends at The Hoosier Scoop.
+ Jordan Hulls weighs-in with his thoughts on Guy-Marc Michel, who signed a Letter of Intent last Friday.
+ Tom Crean tweeted his team’s GPA for the spring semester: A 3.16.
+ Jody Demling checks in with Jeffersonville sophomore-to-be Darryl Baker, who is healthy and ready to have a big summer.
+ Indiana is among the schools that have visited Lawrence North big man Michael Chandler, according to Kyle Neddenriep.
+ Cody Larson, the former Iowa recruit who recently chose Florida, is facing a misdemeanor drug charge.
+ Bud Mackey, who committed to IU under Kelvin Sampson, was arrested again.
+ Rush the Court reveals its post-NBA Draft deadline top 25.
+ Tournament information for this weekend’s adidas May Classic is now available.
+ Illinois picked up a commitment for its 2011 recruiting class.
Darryl Baker is back.
After missing his entire freshman season at Jeffersonville with a broken bone in his right leg, the 6-2, 190-pound Baker returned to the court this past weekend at the IndyBall.com Shootout in Indianapolis.
And Baker and his teammates did not disappoint as Team Southern Indiana Red, coached by former IU guard Sherron Wilkerson, took home runner-up honors in the Silver Bracket (16U). The 15-year old guard scored 27 points in his first game of the spring.
“He played really well,” Wilkerson told Inside the Hall of Baker’s effort in his return. “I think he’s still gotta get his conditioning back and also, mentally, he has to retrain himself to trust that leg again. I think that’s probably something he fights for a while, but it just depends on the individual how quickly it dissipates.”
Baker, who is regarded as one of the top class of 2013 prospects in the state and has visited Bloomington several times over the past year, recently received his first scholarship offer from Xavier.
He’s also hearing from the Hoosiers, Purdue, Michigan State, Ohio State and Butler and will likely split time this spring and summer between the point and off-guard positions.
But ultimately, his greatest potential might be creating opportunities from the wing, according to Wilkerson, a former Mr. Basketball and McDonald’s All-American who coached this past season at Herron in Indianapolis.
“I really like to say that he would be deadly on a wing,” Wilkerson said. “Maybe a 2 or 3. That being said, he could potentially play some point guard. But I think his strongest attribute is being able to catch it while he’s moving. I think that any time a person of his athleticism and of his strength can catch it and catch it on the move, it makes them that much more difficult to guard and it doesn’t allow the defense to set up as quick.”
