Jody Demling, a good friend of ITH, was just on the Front Row Ticket on 93.9 in Louisville with an update from Las Vegas and it’s not good for Hoosier fans. According to Demling, the buzz in Vegas is that Roger Franklin will end up at Oklahoma State, perhaps with John Wall, the No. 1 player in the 2009 class on Rivals.com. It’s important to remember that things change constantly in recruiting, but there’s no doubt that Travis Ford is getting it done down in Stillwater.

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.

Jerry Meyer, the national recruiting analyst for Rivals.com, had an update this afternoon from the LeBron James Skills Academy and one of his tidbits should be of interest to Hoosier fans.

Roger Franklin, a 2009 forward who’s playing this summer with Team Texas, is still high on IU despite the recent troubles with the NCAA:

“Indiana is a basketball powerhouse and right now I’m still high on them. They have a great coach in Tom Crean. And I know they have lost a lot of players, but that means there is a great opportunity to play and that’s why they are still on my list.”

Franklin is one of the most logical candidates to fill out the 2009 class and he’s exactly the type of player that IU needs. One scout told me that Franklin plays so hard that other kids often get angry at him and a couple of players told the same scout they don’t like playing against Franklin for that very reason. He’s 6-6, 217 lbs and can finish inside, but also has a developing outside game. He’s definitely a player to keep an eye on as the summer AAU tournaments move along.

(Photo Credit: Rivals.com)

– Eric Gordon completed his third and final pre-draft workout on Monday for the Los Angeles Clippers. Gordon also worked out for Seattle and New York, but the Clippers at No. 7 seem to be the most realistic option of the three. “He’s got pro 3-point range,” Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy said afterwards. {Catching the Clippers}

– Our old friend Robert Vaden came to his senses and pulled his name out of the NBA Draft on Monday. Vaden was projected as a second round pick at best by a majority of the mock drafts. {Indiana Daily Student}

– The thought of IU matching up with North Carolina in Maui just got a lot scarier. Wayne Ellington, Ty Lawson and Danny Green all pulled their names out of the NBA Draft, making UNC the overwhelming choice for preseason No. 1. {AOL FanHouse}

– 2009 commitment Bobby Capobianco was invited to the NBPA Top 100 Camp in Charlottesville, Virginia and will team up with Stephan Van Treese and Roger Franklin. Van Treese visited Bloomington on Monday and met with Indiana coach Tom Crean. {ESPN.com}