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Barnstorming Tour wrapup from New Albany

by in Media | August 2nd, 2007

gordon5.JPGWe’re jammed pack with content for you over the next few days and a great time was had by all at the first stop of the Barnstorming Tour at New Albany High School. Among those we were able to interview tonight: Lance Stemler, Armon Bassett, Bud Mackey, Jordan Crawford and Jamarcus Ellis. So look for content regarding each of them over the next few days, starting tomorrow.

I was able to honor some of your requests for questions and I’ll be sure to include the answers where applicable.

As far as my closing thoughts for the evening, I’ve got quite a few to share with you. First off, Eli Holman has qualified and will suit up for the Hoosiers next season. That’s great news because the Richmond (CA) product will be a factor once the Big Ten season rolls around. His offensive game isn’t spectacular, but he can finish and he’ll help a great deal defensively because of how long he is.

DeAndre Thomas has dropped about 30 pounds since his arrival in Bloomington. He’s doing quite a bit of cardio work to shed the pounds.

Eric Gordon was spectacular once again. He showed why he is the top incoming freshman in the land. He’s also looking a bit stronger in the upper body since we last saw him in the Jordan Brand All-American game. For those of you who haven’t seen him in person, it’s a real treat and IU is fortunate to have a player of his caliber.

Jordan Crawford played well and since it was the first time I saw him, it’s the first time I can pass real judgment on the Hargrave Academy product. He’s got excellent court vision and gets up and down the floor very well. I expect he’ll contribute immediately.

Jamarcus Ellis was my favorite interview of the night. The Juco Player of the Year can score, rebound and pass. He’s definitely the slasher that IU needs. Most importantly, he’s a good kid who came to IU for the right reasons.

Brandon McGee is a blue collar player that does a lot of different things well. He likes to go inside and mix it up and he can also handle the ball a bit on the perimeter if need be.

Bud Mackey seemed thrilled to be at the game and he enjoyed the love from the IU fans. The lefty from Scott County should be a top contender for Mr. Basketball in the state of Kentucky.

And last, but certainly not least, Ray McCallum Jr. impressed me with his exceptional quickness. He’ll only be a sophomore at Bloomington North, but he’s already a high major target.

I hope you enjoyed the live blog coverage and make sure to check back over the next few days. There will certainly be plenty to talk about.

On Deck: Thursday’s recruit game

by in Media | August 1st, 2007

iu.jpgAfter a couple of phone calls and some investigation, I’ve got a pretty good grasp of the festivities that will be taking place Thursday night at 7 PM at New Albany High School. Tickets will be sold at the door beginning at 6PM for $7 each.

Playing for the IU recruit team will be Eric Gordon, Jamarcus Ellis, Eli Holman, DeAndre Thomas, Brandon McGee and Jordan Crawford. Joining them will be Bloomington North sophomore-to-be Ray McCallum Jr. and 2008 verbal Bud Mackey from Scott County (KY).

They’ll square off with a team of locals from the Southern Indiana area. Of note for those in the New Albany area are current New Albany players Braydon Hobbs and Spencer Shannon. Logan Jones (committed to Valparaiso) from Madison will also participate.

It’s an excellent opportunity to get a first hand look at what’s on the horizon this upcoming season for Indiana Basketball so I encourage any of you in the area to come on out. For those who can’t attend, we’ll have a live blog, pictures, interviews (time permitting) and notes from the event.

FanHouse ranks IU No. 8 in its Premature BlogPoll

by in Media | July 13th, 2007

hoosiers.jpgBecause it’s never too early to start talking about rankings — or having some of your own for that matter — let me direct you over to FanHouse. Its college hoops bloggers have compiled a “Premature Hoops BlogPoll” for the upcoming men’s basketball season.

The poll ranked 26 teams. IU came in at No. 8 on the list.

How good will Eric Gordon be? Tell me that and I’ll tell you how good Indiana will be.

Gordon, one of the nation’s best incoming freshmen, verbally committed to Illinois before changing his mind and heading to Indiana, and that changed the balance of power in the Big Ten as well as assuring that things will get heated when the Hoosiers visit Champaign.

But Gordon isn’t all Indiana has. D.J. White, a 6-foot-9, 250-pound shot blocker and a very tough presence inside, is back, as is guard Armon Bassett, who showed a great deal of promise as a freshman last season. Although the Hoosiers will miss the departed Roderick Wilmont, this team should be significantly better than it was last year.

It’s a quick analysis for sure, but it gets the job done — save for a JaMarcus Ellis mention. (Which a commenter altered them to under the post.) As far as other Big Ten school are concerned, FanHouse ranked Michigan State at No. 9. Other than that, no other Big Ten schools made the cut.

I’d think that once the preseason AP poll drops, IU will be somewhere in the No. 7 to No. 14 range.

Thoughts anyone?

Tentative IU recruit barnstorming tour dates

by in Schedule | July 7th, 2007

Eric GordonGet out your calenders and save the date. Six incoming IU players (Eric Gordon, Jamarcus Ellis, Eli Holman, Jordan Crawford, Brandon McGee and DeAndre Thomas) will be coming to a gym near you for the annual IU recruit barnstorming tour.

Tentative dates, but no times or locations, have been announced:

  • August 2: New Albany
  • August 3: Batesville
  • August 7: North Daviess
  • August 9: Muncie

There will also be a stop in Indianapolis. We’ll have more details as soon as they become available.

Among the things we’ll be interested in seeing:

  • Is Jordan Crawford ready to step in and contribute immediately?
  • Is Jamarcus Ellis the slasher and playmaker that IU desperately needs?
  • Has DeAndre Thomas trimmed down enough to be a factor? What do we have in Brandon McGee and Eli Holman?
  • Is Eric Gordon really THAT good? Wait, we already know the answer.

(Via The Hoosier Scoop.)

July 10th update: According to a report on Peegs, there will be a game August 4th in Fort Wayne. Additionally, the game in New Albany will be held at New Albany High School. Normally that game is held at IU Southeast.

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