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Class of 2013 Intro: Point Guards

by in Recruiting | June 22nd, 2011

June 15 marked the first day that college coaches could contact prospects in the class of 2013 by phone and with that, we were able to get a better idea of some of the names on the Indiana radar. Over the next few weeks, we’ll take a closer look at three different segments of the 2013 class: point guards, scoring guard/wings and big men.

Currently, Indiana has one scholarship (plus an oversign) to distribute in 2013, but due to potential early entries to the NBA and other forms of attrition, it’s possible the Hoosiers could add more than one recruit to a class that already includes Collin Hartman and Devin Davis Jr.

With Yogi Ferrell scheduled to hit campus in the fall of 2012, Indiana may opt not to add a point guard in this class, but here’s a detailed look at the point guard crop for 2013:

Josh Newkirk
Word of God Academy (NC)
School List: Appalachian State (offer), Arizona (offer), Clemson, East Carolina, Georgetown, Indiana (offer), North Carolina, North Carolina State (offer), Providence, Seton Hall, Virginia Commonwealth, Wake Forest

Newkirk is the only 2013 point guard with an Indiana offer, which is why he is at the top of list. But is he the most realistic option for the Hoosiers? Probably not. He could prove extremely difficult to wrestle away from hometown North Carolina State, who recently picked up a commitment from his high school teammate Torian Graham (class of 2012).

As for his on the court prowess, we’ll have to rely on this brief scouting report from ESPN: “A reclassified member of 2013, the strength of his game has always been his ability to get by players. He easily transitions from scorer to playmaker and can do both. He owns a presence at his position and the kind of head strong game you want out of a playmaker.”

Demetrius Jackson
Mishawaka Marian (IN)
School List: Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Purdue, Xavier (offer)

Indiana’s involvement with Jackson has started to heat up in recent months and with only the offer from Xavier to-date, the opportunity for the Hoosiers to make a move is there. He’s expected to take an unofficial visit to Bloomington this summer and offered this assessment of Tom Crean and IU recently on Twitter: “Just got off the phone with Tom Crean, man is he a good guy. Really like him. Great program really building something special.”

You can watch video of Jackson over on his recruit profile page and the book on the Mishawaka guard is that he attacks the lane relentlessly off the dribble. He’s a bit streaky from the perimeter, but can fill it up if he gets going. Even as his MBA Select team was beaten in three straight games at the adidas May Classic, Jackson exhibited high-level hustle and intensity.

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Recruiting notebook: Indiana calls on 2013 prospects

by in Recruiting | June 15th, 2011

Wednesday marked the first day college coaches could begin making phone calls to class of 2013 prospects and it was a busy day in Bloomington as the Indiana staff reached out to several prospects on our 2013 Recruiting Board.

Here’s a rundown of the uncommitted prospects that Indiana called today, in no particular order of significance:

Detroit Community (MI) wing Byron “Bo” Zeigler confirmed to Inside the Hall that the Indiana staff called him and Florida also got in touch with Zeigler.

Hamilton Southeastern guard Zak Irvin told Inside the Hall that he talked to all four members of the Indiana coaching staff in the early afternoon. Irvin also picked up offers from Butler and Michigan. Other schools that called: Baylor, Cincinnati, Tennessee and Xavier. Georgetown and Marquette also reportedly called as did Illinois and Purdue.

Mishawaka Marian point guard Demetrius Jackson confirmed to Inside the Hall that he heard from Tom Crean. Michigan, believed to be one of Jackson’s top schools, did not extend a scholarship offer.

Cleveland Benedictine forward Mark Williams confirmed to Inside the Hall that he talked to the IU coaching staff. Williams also told Inside the Hall he heard from Cincinnati, Central Michigan, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Belleville (IL) wing Malcolm Hill told Inside the Hall that he missed a call from the Indiana coaching staff early in the afternoon, but planned to talk with the staff later in the day.

Chicago Hope Academy (IL) point guard Jalen James confirmed he heard from Illinois, Indiana, Florida State and Michigan via his Twitter account.

Ft. Wayne New Haven wing V.J. Beachem told UMHoops that Butler, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Purdue and Tennessee were in contact.

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Indiana in the mix for rising point guard Jalen James

by in Recruiting | May 9th, 2011

Illinois Wolves director and coach Mike Mullins is no stranger to coaching elite Division I talent, particularly at the guard position.

The Wolves have produced several notable alums, including Evan Turner of the Philadelphia 76ers and Demetri McCamey, who recently finished up a stellar career at Illinois.

As Indiana looks for point guard help for its 2013 recruiting class, the Hoosiers have been in touch with Mullins about another member of the Wolves’ program, Jalen James of Chicago Hope Academy.

“Coach Buckley and I talked. We’ve had Coach Buckley and Coach Crean recruit plenty of our players before,” Mullins told Inside the Hall at the Spiece Run ‘N Slam All-Star Classic. “Jalen’s been recruited by most of the Big Ten already. I think Tim (Buckley) has been looking for someone else in that class for another point guard option.”

The 6-foot-2, 180-pound James is beginning to emerge on the national scene with his strong play this spring on the AAU circuit.

Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan and Northwestern were in to see James during the most recent open period and Baylor and Cleveland State have already extended scholarship offers.

“He’s a kid that came from a very little school that didn’t get a lot of publicity,” Mullins said. “I think he’s going to be a pretty good player. He has good size, frame and skills.”

Mullins said James has improved in several areas, including becoming more of a vocal leader, since last fall.

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Indiana looking at 2013 point guard Jalen James

by in Recruiting | May 3rd, 2011

With a pair of wings — Collin Hartman and Devin Davis Jr. — already on board, Indiana continues to look for point guard help for its 2013 recruiting class.

Word of God (NC) Josh Newkirk surfaced on the radar a couple of weeks ago and this week, Illinois Wolves director Mike Mullins tweeted that Indiana is beginning to show interest in Chicago Hope Academy’s Jalen James.

Add IU to schools on 2013 PG Jalen James

The 6-foot-3 James is considered a pure point guard, but is only in the beginning stages of the recruitment process.

“He’s just going through the process,” James’ brother, Jonathan, told Inside the Hall on Tuesday. “It’s new. He’s basically just focusing on AAU. He won’t make a decision until his senior year.”

The list of schools showing interest in James is lengthy. According to James and his brother, Baylor and Cleveland State have offered and DePaul, Dayton, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, Tennessee, Wisconsin and Xavier have all expressed interest.

Rivals.com listed him among the 2013 players from Illinois that will receive strong consideration for the top 150 when the rankings expand.

But despite the early offers and attention, James has no favorite and is focusing on improving his game this spring and summer.

“I’m working on my jump shot. Strength wise, I’m trying to get bigger and also work on my speed,” James, who is working out at Chicago’s Attack Athletics, said on Tuesday.

Another significant part of the Chicago point guard’s game is defense, which he said was the first thing he was taught in basketball.

“Ever since I was younger, I was shorter than everybody,” he said. “So I had to get my points off of steals, that’s why I love defense so much. I was really the shortest player when I was younger, but I hit a growth spurt, so now it’s just carried on with me. I just love defense.”

Video of James after the jump

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