Inside the Hall | An Indiana Hoosiers basketball blog » DeShaun Thomas

So, what’s the plan for 2010?

Alex Bozich — Tue, 05 May 2009 13:52:12 +0000

The surprise commitment of David Williams has left many Indiana fans trying to figure out the recruiting plan for the 2010 class. A quick glance at our scholarship numbers page shows two available spots for the 2010 class. (Three if IU wishes to oversign by one.) There’s a camp that believes that IU could hold a couple of spots for the loaded 2011 class and there are those who believe the Hoosiers will fill the two remaining spots.

Here’s a look at the names IU is recruiting for 2010:

– Kyrie Irving – Irving tops the wishlist for Indiana and several other schools because he is a versatile point guard who has the ability to make others around him better. He prominently mentions IU when speaking about his recruitment and has developed a strong relationship with Tom Crean and Roshown McLeod. Scout.com recently moved him into the top 10 of the 2010 class. IU fans will likely have a chance to see Irving in a couple of weeks as his New Jersey Roadrunners team is expected at the Adidas May Classic. Consider him the top priority in Indiana’s recruiting efforts.

– Moses Morgan – Michigan was reportedly the school to beat for Morgan until IU made a recent push for the Las Vegas guard and now the Hoosiers could be in the driver’s seat. The son of Anderson-Madison Heights product and former IU player Winston Morgan is among the top 75 players in 2010 according to Rivals.com. Jerry Meyer recently called Morgan “a physical wing prospect with a game ready for the rigors of college basketball.” Morgan plans to visit Bloomington in June.

– Dominique Ferguson – The Lawrence North forward recently trimmed his list of schools to seven: IU, Kentucky, Arizona, Texas, UCLA, Wake Forest and Florida. If you read anything into some of his recent quotes, Ferguson sounds like he wants to be the focal point at the school he chooses. Put me in the camp that would be shocked if he becomes a Hoosier.

– DeShaun Thomas – Thomas still maintains he’s committed to Ohio State and yet, the whispers continue to circulate that Indiana is in the mix. Until there’s firm evidence Thomas is ready to look around, consider him a non-factor.

– Will Barton and Brandon Knight – You can lump both of these players in the same category because as of now you shouldn’t consider them as anything more than a pipedream. But it’s never a bad thing to have the ear of elite players, right?

Other names to keep an eye on: Jacksonville, FL guard Stacey Poole, Scott County, KY guard Ge-Lawn Guyn and Harvey, IL guard Reggie Smith.

DeShaun Thomas says he’s sticking with Ohio State

Alex Bozich — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 16:00:27 +0000

In an interview with Michael Rothstein of The Ft. Wayne Journal-Gazette, Bishop Luers junior and Ohio State commit DeShaun Thomas says he’ll honor his commitment and play for the Buckeyes. This, according to Thomas, is despite pressure from teachers, friends, strangers and students to attend IU:

“It’s an every-day thing. It’s ‘Are you going to transfer? Are you going to go to IU? Why Ohio State?’ I told everybody it’s what’s best for me. It’s a lot of pressure, but I stay in my books, not worry about it too much. I’m only a junior, I got one more year and then just worry about it next year.”

Call me a blind optimist or call me crazy, but I still refuse to count Tom Crean out of this race. Thomas made his commitment to Ohio State long before Crean arrived in Bloomington and the 2010-2011 season should be big for the program. The practice facility will have opened and the Hoosiers should be in the thick of the Big Ten race. In other words, like Crean told Marquis Teague, who wouldn’t want to be a part of that kind of environment?

(Photo Credit: ESPN Rise)

Tom Crean spotted at state finals

Alex Bozich — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 17:55:03 +0000

I just got a call from a friend at the morning session of the state finals at Conseco Fieldhouse and Tom Crean is there taking in the action between Bishop Luers and Brownstown. Crean is signing autographs for IU fans and is also getting a chance to see DeShaun Thomas, one of the top juniors in the country from Bishop Luers in Ft. Wayne

Thomas verbally committed to Thad Matta and Ohio State in June of 2007, but the long standing speculation has been that the commitment may not be firm.

Last night, Crean attended the Sweet 16 games of the Midwest Regional at Lucas Oil Stadium and will likely watch Jordan Hulls and Bloomington South try to complete their perfect season against Ft. Wayne Snider later today.

DeShaun Thomas is the next big thing

Alex Bozich — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 20:11:30 +0000

If you haven’t heard the name DeShaun Thomas yet, it’s about time you get educated.

Thomas, a 6′7″, 210 lb. sophomore-to-be at Ft. Wayne Bishop Luers, is regarded by many recruiting analysts as the top player in the class of 2010 and is a prime IU target.

Last month, Thomas gave a verbal pledge to Thad Matta and Ohio State, but has since backed out of the commitment. This was certainly welcome news for Hoosier fans.

The statistics put up by Thomas during his freshman season at Luers seem to back up the hype. According to the Louisville Courier-Journal’s Jody Demling, Thomas scored more than 30 points eight times (including a school record 45) during his freshman season.

Early indications seem to be that Ohio State and Indiana are the schools to beat for Thomas. Thomas got his first college letter, as a 6′3″ sixth grader, from IU. He’s also mentioned Duke, North Carolina, Purdue and Florida as schools of interest.

When Kelvin Sampson took over the IU program, he stressed the importance of keeping the best players in state. His next big test in this department will be getting DeShaun Thomas to Bloomington in the fall of 2010.