Tom Crean appeared on the Big Ten Network earlier tonight and talked about four of recruits who signed earlier today – Bobby Capobianco, Derek Elston, Jordan Hulls and Maurice Creek. According to the Hoosier Scoop, Christian Watford sent in his paperwork this evening and Bawa Muniru is expected to sign tomorrow. Here’s the video from the BTN:
Signing day Q & A: Jody Demling
by Alex Bozich in Recruiting | November 11th, 2008
The early signing period starts Wednesday and Inside the Hall caught up with Jody Demling of The Courier-Journal to get the scoop on Indiana’s class.
Jody’s radio show, “Sports Night,” will air a recruiting special Tuesday at 6PM that will feature interviews with Jordan Hulls, Bobby Capobianco, Christian Watford and Derek Elston. Fans in the Southern Indiana/Louisville area can hear the show on 93.9 FM and streaming is available here.
Inside the Hall: IU’s 2009 class is top five nationally by just about every recruiting service out there. Where do you rank Tom Crean’s first fall signing class and tell us what kind of impact fans can expect from this group.
Jody Demling: There might not be a top five or 10 guy in the class, but when you look at it as a whole this is a really, really good class and the Hoosier fans should be excited. I was talking with a couple of the guys this week and the theme that coach Crean must be preaching is “pieces to the puzzle” because several mentioned that phrase. But I think it’s so true, this group is six pieces to the Indiana puzzle that Crean is trying to put together and they all seem like perfect fits for the program.
ITH: Christian Watford is the big name in the class, but a lot of fans haven’t had a chance to see him play since he’s from Birmingham. What’s the scouting report on Watford and is he the best player in IU’s class?
JD: Christian is the highest ranked guy in the class and will be a solid addition to the Hoosier program. He has a body ready for the college game, is a solid shooter and can play a number of positions. But I personally think when it’s all said and done that Maurice Creek will be the best of the bunch. I love his game and his determination.
Q & A: Maurice Creek
by Alex Bozich in Media | August 7th, 2008
Today we take a break from the Top 10 countdown as Inside the Hall caught up with 2009 commitment Maurice Creek for a Q & A. Creek committed to Indiana in early May and will play at Hargrave Military Academy this winter.
On his relationship with Coach Crean and the decision to attend Indiana:
“Me and Coach Crean had a good relationship when he was at Marquette. He talked to me about things other than basketball and we built a good relationship. He moved to Indiana and he called me and said nothing’s going to change because he moved to Indiana. That’s what made me make my decision.”
On when he plans to visit Bloomington:
“I haven’t been to Bloomington yet but hopefully I can get there in early September when I start my senior year.”
On the decision to attend Hargrave Military Academy for his senior season:
“I know a couple of players that are going there and it’s close to home. My parents can see a couple of my games. That’s the school that will put me in the best situation.”
Maurice Creek video
by Alex Bozich in Media | August 3rd, 2008
Jody Demling of The Louisville Courier-Journal shot video of Indiana commitment Maurice Creek in Las Vegas a couple of weeks ago and it’s definitely worth checking out. Because of geography, Creek is the least visible of the four commitments from the 2009 class for IU fans, but he’s probably the biggest difference maker of the group.
Who will fill the last scholarship for 2009?
by Alex Bozich in Recruiting | July 24th, 2008
Tom Crean, Bennie Seltzer and Tim Buckley (and perhaps the third assistant) are in Las Vegas this week watching parts of three different AAU events. The burning question that IU fans are still pondering: Who will fill the last available spot for the 2009 recruiting class?
The most likely candidates: Roger Franklin, Chris Braswell, Christian Watford and Stephan Van Treese. IU appears to be in solid standing with Franklin and Watford. The staff is looking hard at Braswell, who is playing AAU with Maurice Creek. Braswell has reclassified from 2008 to 2009 and will play alongside Creek next season at Hargrave Military Academy. And the latest we’ve heard on Van Treese is that it’s a long shot he’ll end up in Bloomington.
Based on what we know about all four players, the two most likely to end up in candy stripes seem to be Franklin and Braswell. Watford does have an unofficial trip planned to Bloomington, but the recruiting machine known as Memphis is reportedly out in front for his services. (And wherever there’s Memphis, there’s usually Worldwide Wes.) Perhaps his visit can swing momentum towards Indiana.
Put yourself in the staff’s position: Of these four guys, who is your main target and why? Do you want the guy who flat out goes after it every time he takes the floor in Franklin? Is Braswell, a 6-8 bruiser, your guy? Or maybe it’s Christian Watford, an athletic wing who can score in variety of ways? Or does the fact that Van Treese is from Indiana still lead you to believe that he should get an offer? Thoughts in the comments, por favor.
Around the Hall: Assistants speak, Hardy, Keady, Sampson, one-and-done
by Alex Bozich in Media | May 15th, 2008
– Tim Buckley, Bennie Seltzer, Jayd Grossman and Brian Barone addressed the media on Tuesday and The Indiana Daily Student was all over it. Still no word on the third assistant, but perhaps this guy deserves a look?
– Terry Hutchens tackles several topics on his blog, including (but not limited to): Verdell Jones, Maurice Sutton, big men and Rick Greenspan.
– Former Purdue coach and Big Ten Network studio analyst Gene Keady is baffled by what Kelvin Sampson did at IU. Note to Gene: we’re in the same boat as you.
– Rick Bozich of The Louisville Courier-Journal agrees with Bob Knight and writes that the one-and-done rule was one of the worst things to happen in college basketball. In case you missed it, PostmanE had an interesting piece on The Dagger @ Y! a few days ago about O.J. Mayo and the one-and-done rule.
– Ben Homrig of The Indiana Daily Student encourages former IU basketball and football player James Hardy to get it together. Hardy, meanwhile, is calling the recent altercation with his father a mixup and has apologized. Try to stay on the good side of Commissioner Goodell, Mr. Hardy.
– The new Rivals 150 is out for 2009 and Derek Elston is No. 96, Maurice Creek is No. 136 and Bobby Capobianco is No. 138. What should this mean to you? Absolutely nothing.
– Quinn Buckner is ‘living in the now,’ according to The South Bend Tribune. I’m really not sure what that means, but you can read about it here.
