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2016 guard Vijay Blackmon making his own name

Alex Bozich
by in Recruiting | May 7th, 2013

050613shcxThe easy on-court comparison for class of 2016 guard Vijay Blackmon is his older brother, James, who committed to Indiana back in the fall of 2010 and is a member of the program’s 2014 recruiting class.

They share similar builds and can do many of the same things on the floor.

But it might not be the best comparison off the court according to their father, James Blackmon Sr., their high school coach and a former McDonald’s All-American who played at Kentucky.

“It’s so funny, you can have three or four kids and they can have different personalities,” Blackmon Sr. said over the weekend at the Spiece Run-N-Slam in Fort Wayne. “James and Vijay are totally different. Vijay has some qualities that James doesn’t have. James has some qualities that Vijay doesn’t have.”

“I’d say I’m more of a laid back type of guy,” James Blackmon Jr. says. “Vijay is always talking when he gets home about his games non-stop.”

As a freshman at Class 2A Ft. Wayne Leurs, Vijay joined his brother in the starting lineup and helped lead the school to a sectional crown. He averaged 12.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.4 steals per game.

Next year, he’ll play at Class 4A Marion, which recently hired Blackmon Sr., an alum, to rejuvenate a program that hasn’t had a winning season since 2008-2009. It’s a challenge the whole family is looking forward to.

“It’s a good opportunity for my dad and I want to play for him,” Vijay noted. “So I’m going to go with him.”

“It’s going to be an emotional feeling having your own kid play in the same gym that you played in,” Blackmon Sr. said. “Within that atmosphere and that environment, I knew how it was when I played. We had 6,000 people in that gym and the tradition was really strong. Marion is a little down now. If we can generate some energy back in there, it will be pretty exciting.”

The growth of Vijay’s game could be a big factor in just how far the Giants can come next season.

At 6-foot-2 and 165 pounds, adding strength in the offseason is an important goal for him and one that his older brother says he’s attacked head on so far in the offseason.

“He’s been developing ever since the high school season got over, working on his shot and working on his strength,” Blackmon Jr. said. “I think he’s gotten a lot stronger as you can see out there.”

Vijay got the opportunity to travel with the Spiece Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) team for the April evaluation periods to gain some experience in that environment, but was back on the court last weekend at the Spiece Fieldhouse playing with his 15-and-under team.

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One-on-one with 2014 commit James Blackmon Jr.

Alex Bozich
by in Recruiting | May 6th, 2013

IPSAC110061aJames Blackmon Jr. is putting together a fantastic spring with Spiece Indy Heat as the class of 2014 Indiana commit has proven himself as one of the nation’s most efficient perimeter scorers in Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) play.

At this weekend’s Hensley Memorial Run-N-Slam Classic in Fort Wayne, Inside the Hall went one-on-one with Blackmon Jr. as he watched his younger brother Vijay.

A full transcript of our Q & A is available below:

Inside the Hall: First off, let’s talk about Vijay. How has he developed over the past year and what similarities do you see between the two of you?

James Blackmon Jr.: Him and I have similar games because we can play the one and the two. He’s been developing ever since the high school season got over, working on his shot and working on his strength. I think he’s gotten a lot stronger as you can see out there.

ITH: As far as how you’re feeling now, obviously you had a big junior year coming off the injury. Are you to the point now that you don’t even think about the fact that you were hurt?

JB: Yeah, I really don’t even think about it. When I’m on the court playing, I really don’t feel any different. Off the court sometimes I think about how long I was out. Now that I’m back, it’s just great because I had to sit out and watch. That’s kind of helped me be more hungry on the court.

ITH: Besides the rehab and getting stronger, is there anything else that, from being out all of that time, you were able to get better at?

JB: Being on the sidelines, I thought that I was going to come in and be a little rusty and my timing was going to be off, but actually when I came back I was better at that. That kind of surprised me.

ITH: You’ve played well in the first two EYBL sessions. Just talk about what’s been going well for you there and what you’d like to do better as well.

JB: It’s a totally different game coming from my high school team where I had to score 40 for my team to be in it. But on this team, there are a lot of guys that can score the ball so that just means that guys can’t double team and it’s just one-on-one. It’s a lot easier for me to get my shot off.

ITH: Your shooting percentages have been really high. Is that just a matter of you looking for the right shots?

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Notebook: Hensley Memorial Run-N-Slam Day 1

Alex Bozich
by in Recruiting | May 4th, 2013

050413ancxFORT WAYNE, Ind. — The 20th annual Bill Hensley Memorial Run-N-Slam Classic tipped off Friday night at Spiece Fieldhouse and Inside the Hall was there to get a look at several prospects, including 2014 commit James Blackmon Jr., Trevon Bluiett, JaQuan Lyle, Eron Gordon, Vijay Blackmon, Caleb Swanigan and Carlton Bragg.

Here are our notes and observations from the first night of Spiece:

Spiece Indy Heat 17′s coast: Based on the teams this group has faced over the past two weekends in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League, tonight’s opener for Blackmon Jr., Lyle, Bluiett, Trey Lyles and company probably felt like a scrimmage.

Led by 20 points from Bluiett, Spiece crushed the Michigan Titans, 91-45. Lyle added 18 and Blackmon Jr., who looks noticeable stronger in his upper body and more explosive in transition, had 13.

Lyle said postgame that he plans to take all five official visits and make a decision this fall and Bluiett also mentioned the possibility of five officials, but also noted that he’s been so busy, he hasn’t had time to talk much about recruiting with his father and AAU coach, Reynardo.

With the return of Lyles, Spiece Indy Heat looks like a serious contender to win July’s Peach Jam.

Bragg talks about Indiana offer: Cleveland Villa Angela St Joseph (Oh.) forward Carlton Bragg (pictured) received an Indiana offer on Thursday night and the No. 24 player in the 2015 class according to ESPN.com was productive on Friday, scoring 21 points in a comfortable win for the Ohio Basketball Club 16-and-under team.

Afterward, Bragg talked about his latest offer and what the IU staff likes about his game

“I was very excited,” he said. “They like my style of play, how I run back on defense and my motor.”

Bragg also has offers from Cincinnati, Illinois, Missouri, Ohio State, Texas and others. He said he’s looking to show off his versatility this spring and summer, among other things.

“My shooting, dribbling, my defense and guarding guys that are smaller than me. Just playing defense, mostly.”

2016 big man emerging: Caleb Swanigan, a 6-foot-8, 265-pound forward who played both basketball and football at Homestead in Fort Wayne, looks like a legitimate high major post prospect.

Swanigan played with both the 15-and-under and 17-and-under Spiece Indy Heat teams on Friday and was impressive with his ability to make tough catches around the rim and finish plays. Swanigan said the interest he’s received thus far from Indiana has been in the form of questionnaires and also mentioned Purdue, Michigan State, Ohio State and Georgetown. He’s also being recruited as a football prospect by Alabama, Auburn and LSU.

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Recruiting Roundup: EYBL Hampton

Alex Bozich
by in Recruiting | April 29th, 2013

042813This weekend marked the second of two April evaluation periods, and the premier event was session two of the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) in Hampton at the Boo Williams Sportsplex.

Tom Crean, associate head coach Tim Buckley and assistant Kenny Johnson were on hand at different points throughout the weekend tracking James Blackmon Jr. and various prospects being recruited for 2014, 2015 and beyond.

Here’s a rundown of how many of the names on the IU radar performed over the weekend:

· James Blackmon Jr., Spiece Indy Heat: If his efficiency numbers are any indication, Blackmon Jr. might be underrated nationally. Through nine EYBL contests, his effective field goal percentage is 60.2 and he’s scored in double figures in every game. In Hampton, the future IU guard averaged 14.0 points and 2.6 rebounds as Spiece Indy Heat finished 4-1.

· Theo Pinson, CP3 All-Stars: One of IU’s top recruiting targets in the 2014 class, Pinson continues to contribute in a variety of areas on the EYBL circuit. He shot 47.8 percent in Hampton and averaged 13.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 2.8 steals and 1.6 blocks as CP3 All-Stars went 4-1. Pinson told reporters over the weekend that he’ll trim his list next month and is considering North Carolina, Duke, Kentucky, Indiana, Georgetown, Louisville, Florida State, North Carolina State and Wake Forest.

· Trevon Bluiett, Spiece Indy Heat: After averaging 18.7 points in the first EYBL session, Bluiett filled it up even more in session two, averaging 21.4 points on 47.8 percent shooting. He didn’t shoot it particularly well from three (38.2 percent), but hit close to 93 percent of his free throws and also averaged 4.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists.

· Ahmed Hill, Southern Stampede: Indiana remains active in Hill’s recruitment, but his list is still lengthy at this point. Southern Stampede had a tough weekend, dropping all five contests. Hill averaged 14.8 points and 3.4 rebounds and mentioned the Hoosiers prominently in this update with 247 Sports:

It was rough sledding for the Southern Stampede over the weekend, but there is no denying the talent of Hill. An electric athlete, Hill also has great body control when attacking the rim.

Looking for a school where he has a great relationship with the head coach, Hill had the likes of Tom Crean, Billy Donovan, Leonard Hamilton and Mark Fox watch him play at various times over the weekend. Hill listed Indiana, Kansas, Connecticut, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Texas and Marquette as the schools recruiting him the hardest.

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After monster junior season, Blackmon Jr. looks forward to big summer

Justin Albers
by in Recruiting | April 24th, 2013

IPSAC110061aIndiana will have several capable scorers on its roster next season and a few good outside shooters. But the Hoosiers will likely lack a true all-around scorer who can create offense in a multitude of ways.

That’s what they’ll get when James Blackmon Jr. arrives on campus with the class of 2014. Blackmon Jr., an Indiana commit currently attending Bishop Luers High School in Fort Wayne, is a lethal offensive threat, and he can create from nearly anywhere on the court.

Blackmon Jr.’s outside shooting continues to improve — he was 10-of-23 from beyond the arc in four games at the Nike EYBL session one in Los Angeles last weekend — and he has always possessed to ability to get to the rim and score. When Blackmon Jr. gets to Bloomington, the ability to shoot the 3-pointer could be what sets him apart.

“The 3-point shot is always something I’ve been good at, probably one of the best parts of my game,” Blackmon Jr. told Inside the Hall. “I think at IU I’ll be an all-around scorer and my 3-point shot will be something that people will know me for.”

If there was any doubt Blackmon Jr. has fully recovered from the torn ACL he suffered in February 2012, he wiped those away with a terrific junior season. Blackmon Jr. averaged 33.4 points per game and led Luers to a sectional championship.

Last weekend in Los Angeles in front of Tom Crean and assistant coach Kenny Johnson, he averaged 19.0 points and 4.8 rebounds in four games and shot 53 percent from the field.

He said he’s still working a bit on his explosiveness, but otherwise feels good about his game.

“I’m pretty healthy there,” Blackmon Jr. said of his knee, “but there’s always things that I look for to improve because if I’m not working on my knee strength it can always happen again. I always try to keep that in mind, that I have to keep doing things that prevent injury.”

Blackmon Jr., ranked 47th by ESPN.com in the 2014 class, made his college decision all the way back in September of 2010. Now that he’s committed, though, he’s tried to play the role of recruiter when he sees other Indiana targets at various AAU events.

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Recruiting Roundup: Nike EYBL Los Angeles

Alex Bozich
by in Recruiting | April 22nd, 2013

042113ewerThis weekend marked the first of two April evaluation periods, and one of the nation’s top events was session one of the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) in Los Angeles.

Tom Crean and assistant Kenny Johnson were on hand at different points throughout the weekend tracking James Blackmon Jr. and various prospects being recruited for 2014, 2015 and beyond.

Here’s a rundown of how many of the names on the IU radar performed over the weekend:

· James Blackmon Jr., Spiece Indy Heat: Indiana’s lone commitment in the 2014 class had a terrific weekend in Los Angeles. Blackmon Jr. averaged 19.0 points and 4.8 rebounds and shot 53.4 percent from the field. Blackmon’s high scoring game of the weekend (21 points) came in a 72-69 loss to Team Texas Pro, which features five-star point guard Emmanuel Mudiay. Spiece Indy Heat finished the weekend 2-2.

· Theo Pinson, CP3 All-Stars: Pinson (pictured), who is one of IU’s top recruiting targets in the 2014 class, had a tough weekend shooting the ball as he hit just 32.6 percent of his shots over four games. His weekend averages were 12.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 steals, 1.5 assists and one block per game. Pinson, who has already taken an official visit to Bloomington, has Indiana in his top three schools.

· Trevon Bluiett, Spiece Indy Heat: Bluiett’s weekend ended prematurely as he did not play in Sunday’s game after suffering a knee sprain. In three games, the Park Tudor senior-to-be averaged 18.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.0 steals and shot 47.1 percent from behind the 3-point line. Bluiett worked in an unofficial visit to UCLA following the EYBL event.

· JaQuan Lyle, Spiece Indy Heat: As is typically the case with Lyle, he found ways to fill the statsheet besides simply scoring the ball. Over four games, the combo guard averaged 7.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.8 steals. His turnover numbers, however, were a bit high at 3.5 per game. Lyle’s list of schools remains at six with Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Louisville, Ohio State and Tennessee in the running.

· Elijah Thomas, Team Texas Elite: Thomas, who we profiled back in January, is one of the elite players nationally in the 2015 class. His list of suitors is full of the nation’s elite programs and Thomas played well in Los Angeles, averaging 15.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 19.8 minutes per game. One area where the 6-foot-9, 225-pound Texas big man didn’t excel was the free throw line, where he hit just 12-of-25 attempts for 48 percent.

· Phil Booth, Team Takeover: Booth, who took an unofficial visit to Bloomington for the Michigan game last February and said he expects to be back this fall for an official visit, left Los Angeles with Team Takeover unbeaten in EYBL play at 4-0. Booth averaged 10.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.5 steals in 22.0 minutes per game.

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Recruit roundup: Blackmon, Hartman win sectional crowns

Alex Bozich
by in Recruiting | March 4th, 2013

IPSAC110061aThroughout the season, Inside the Hall will keep you posted on how IU’s six 2013 signees and James Blackmon Jr. are performing at their respective schools.

You can send us stats or results for this report to insidethehall@gmail.com.

2013 SIGNEES

· Collin Hartman (Indianapolis Cathedral): Nine points in sectional-opening 64-59 win over Lawrence North on Feb. 26. Twenty-one points in 55-43 sectional semifinal win over Roncalli on March 1. Sixteen points and nine rebounds in 66-50 win over Indianpolis Tech on March 2 to win sectional championship. Cathedral will play Pendleton Heights on March 9 in regionals at Southport.

· Devin Davis Jr. (Warren Central): Sixteen points and 15 rebounds in a 44-43 sectional loss to Lawrence Central on Feb. 26.

· Luke Fischer (Germantown, WI): Twenty-six points and eight rebounds in a 61-46 sectional semifinal win over Arrowhead on Feb. 28. Nineteen points and nine rebounds in a 73-59 sectional championship win over De Pere. Germantown has won 54 straight games and will play Oshkosh North in the state semifinals on March 8 at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin.

· Noah Vonleh (New Hampton Prep, NH): Twelve points and eight rebounds in a 70-69 overtime win against South Kent in the NEPSAC AAA quarterfinals on Feb. 28. Eighteen points and nine rebounds in a 71-53 loss to St. Thomas More in the NEPSAC AAA semifinals on March 1.

· Stanford Robinson (Findlay Prep, NV): Nine points in a 79-78 win over Impact Academy on Feb. 26 and 17 points, eight rebounds, three assists and a steal in a 102-67 win over Impact Academy on Feb. 27.

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