Sutton was also considering Seton Hall. He’s not among the top 150 players in the 2008 class on Rivals.com and was considered a project by many scouts I’ve talked with.

Update: Here’s what Sutton had to say about choosing Villanova.

“It came down to what God said, what God said goes. When I went to Villanova for a visit, it just felt right. I just felt comfortable with coach [Jay] Wright . . . Everything, his personality, just the way he came in, he’s just so honest. I know his track record. There is something about him I really like. I can really say that I’m going to love having him coach me for how ever many years I’m there. I’ve seen what they have done in the tournament the last few years. I would love to be part of that.”

• IU signs 7-footer, gets commitment from Hulls (Indianapolis Star)
• IU picks up Bloomington South guard (Indianapolis Star)
• Q & A with Jordan Hulls (Hoosiers Insider)
• Hulls picks IU (The Hoosier Scoop)
• Assist to Jordan Hulls’ neighbors (The Hoosier Scoop)
• The newest Hoosier: Tijan Jobe (The Hoosier Scoop)
• Hoosiers score JUCO big (Scout.com)
• Could Negedu follow Pastner to Memphis? (Tucson Citizen Wildcat Blog)
• They had to release him (CBS Sportsline)
• Bye bye Negedu? (Arizona Daily Star)
• IU offers scholarship to Central frosh (The Star Press)
• Villanova awaits word on late recruit (Philadelphia Daily News)

It seems Crean went after what was left of big men in both the high school (Maurice Sutton) and juco ranks (Jobe), and perhaps might find himself a bit handcuffed now as far as scholarships are involved if Emmanuel Negedu wants to bring his services to Bloomington. (Fingers crossed.)

Discuss the latest recruiting news amongst yourself in the comments.

Related:

• It’s official: Jobe a Hoosier (The Hoosier Scoop)

Here’s what his high school coach, Lewis Howard, told Adam Zagoria:

“He’s down to three. We’re going to know something later tonight or early in the morning. Villanova went great. He was just there for one day. He loved Indiana. Indiana was great, too.”

I’m still not sold on Sutton being much of an impact player next season, but the Hoosiers need interior depth and the big man from Maryland could be the best available talent left on the board. One person I talked to told me that Sutton would probably be about as far along in terms of development as Eli Holman, minus the defensive prowess.

Moving past Sutton, one piece of news that has generated quite a buzz is the possibility of Emmanuel Negedu getting a release from Arizona and Indiana making a play for his services. Negedu’s comments to Gary Parrish of CBS Sportsline indicate that he wants out of his LOI, but so far, Lute Olsen isn’t biting:

“I do not picture myself at Arizona anymore. I told him I want my release. He told me ‘Come visit again and see if we can change your mind and make this better. But I do not need to visit again. I need a release. Nothing can make me change my mind from getting a release. I’m strong on my decision.”

Parrish mentions Tennessee and IU as possible suitors for Negedu in his article, but there’s nothing to discuss here unless Olsen obliges with his request for a release. Here’s a highlight reel of Negedu from YouTube.

– Indiana Elite, led by Bobby Capobianco (IU), Jordan Hulls, Stephan Van Treese, Colt Ryan, D.J. Byrd (Purdue) and Mason Plumlee (Duke), won the 17-and-under title with a 80-63 win over the Michigan Mustangs. The Hoosier Scoop has a detailed recap as does Hoosier Nation.

– Demetrius Walker, a 6-4 guard, 200 lb. guard from San Juan Capistrano (CA) told reporters that Indiana is his favorite and was planning to visit with Tom Crean this weekend. However, Walker’s team changed their travel arrangements, so his meeting with Crean will have to be rescheduled, according to Chris Korman of the H-T/Hoosier Scoop. Walker is rated a 3-star recruit by Rivals and is in the 2009 class.

– Maurice Sutton told a group of reporters that he was really enjoying himself in Bloomington and based on his comments, I’d be surprised if he doesn’t end up a Hoosier. His unofficial visit will take place Monday before he flies home to Maryland. He is scheduled to visit Villanova next weekend before making a decision. That could change if Sutton decides to commit before he leaves town. Terry Hutchens had a nice piece on Sutton in Sunday morning’s Indianapolis Star and Jody Demling heard rumors that Sutton is close to a commitment to IU.

– Apparently IU is involved with Leonard Washington and quite frankly, this comes as surprise given Washington’s questionable academic reputation. He’s already reclassified from 2007 to 2008 and was reportedly involved in a couple of fights last summer at the Adidas Super 64 in Las Vegas. Jody Demling has some quotes from Washington here.

– Although Jeremiah Rivers hasn’t officially announced that he will transfer to IU, the Washington Times report likely is legitimate and Indiana looks to be in good position with the former Georgetown guard.

– Bobby Capobianco was very impressive during the AMC according to one observer I spoke with and his play this spring should help him skyrocket up the national recruiting rankings. Being committed to Indiana won’t hurt, either. Capobianco will be a fan favorite in Assembly Hall with his intensity on both ends of the floor.

– Jordan Crawford and Brandon McGee helped with score keeping for some of the games at Assembly Hall. Barring unforeseen circumstances, both figure to return next season.

– Chris Korman had a brief scouting report on Christian Watford and Jody Demling of the C-J listed Indiana, Kentucky, Louisville, Memphis and Alabama as the schools most involved for his services. No word on if Watford, a Birmingham (AL) native, has any future visits lined up to Bloomington. He’ll visit Louisville and Kentucky before heading back to Birmingham, according to Demling. Watford is the No. 47 player in the 2009 class on Rivals.com.

Sutton’s recruitment seems to have picked up after his 17-point performance at the Derby Festival Classic in Louisville. Although I’ve not seen Sutton play, I have now spoken with two different scouts who have watched him play and both told me that Sutton looks like a project. There’s no doubt Tom Crean and staff have to be given the benefit of the doubt on who they are recruiting, but Sutton likely figures into Indiana’s plan because there is an immediate need for a big man next season and he is one of the best options still left on the board.

(Photo credit: Jody Demling)

Ironically, I was just discussing Sutton on Monday night with a scout that has followed him relatively closely and I got the impression that he’s a major work in progress. He’s 6-10, but said to be very raw and unlikely to be an immediate contributor. With the lack of interior depth currently on board for next season, Tom Crean and staff are likely looking at any and all options to fill voids on the roster.

Sutton is said to be considering Kentucky, Boston College, Villanova, Syracuse and Seton Hall. Only Boston College has extended an offer to this point.