Courtesy of the IU Athletics channel on YouTube:

Surrounded by coaches, family and friends, Victor Oladipo will sign a Letter of Intent with Indiana at 3 pm today in the library at DeMatha High School in Hyattsville (MD). He is the only player expected to sign with the Hoosiers on the first day of the early signing period, which ends on November 18.

Oladipo, who committed to IU following a visit in early September, is excited to begin the next chapter of his basketball career in Bloomington.

“I feel like a weight has been lifted off my chest,” Oladipo told Inside the Hall. “I’m looking forward to playing with my future teammates and doing well this season with DeMatha as well.”

The 6-5 wing followed up his early September visit with a trip to Hoosier Hysteria in October to watch Indiana kick off its season. And he could return to Bloomington to take in a game this season if his schedule with DeMatha allows.

“It was fun,” Oladipo said of Hoosier Hysteria. “I’m looking forward to going back up there again and spending time with my teammates and the fans. I’m going to get both schedules and compare both of them and see if I can get out there for a game.”

You can read Indiana’s release on the Oladipo signing, with comments from Tom Crean, by clicking here.

Previously on ITH:

+ Victor Oladipo joins Indiana’s 2010 class (September 7, 2009)

+ Maurice Creek, Victor Oladipo and a lot of dunks (September 7, 2009)

+ Victor Oladipo has arrived in Bloomington (September 3, 2009)

We’ve had a couple of requests for a list of expected visitors for Hoosier Hysteria. It’s important to caveat this list as being fluid. A few recruits could end up not attending and there are probably a few that will show up that are not listed below:

2010 class

• Victor Oladipo, DeMatha (MD), IU verbal
• Ge-Lawn Guyn, Scott County (KY)

2011 class

• Austin Etherington, Hamilton Heights (IN), IU verbal
• Matt Carlino, Bloomington South (IN), IU verbal
• Spencer Turner, Bloomington South (IN)
  

2012 class

• Hanner Perea, Birmingham Central Park Christian (AL)
• Jared Drew, Lawrence Central (IN)
• Jeremy Hollowell, Lawrence Central (IN)
• Kellen Dunham, Pendleton Heights (IN)
• Kellon Thomas, Southport (IN)
• Peter Jurkin, Charlotte United Faith Christian (NC)
• Ron Patterson, Broad Ripple (IN)

2013 class

• Darryl Baker, Jeffersonville (IN)
• Darryl Hicks, Shelby County (KY)

Prior to Thursday, 2010 DeMatha (MD) wing Victor Oladipo hadn’t had a chance to tour the Indiana campus. After an official visit to Bloomington that began Thursday and ended Saturday, Oladipo informed the IU staff earlier today that he was ready to become a Hoosier.

“It was official today,” Oladipo told Inside the Hall of his decision. “It just felt like it was perfect for me. The atmosphere and how Coach Crean leads his workouts. How they practice at a high tempo and do everything at a high energy type of level. That’s definitely how I play and how I practice. I just felt like that’s where I belong.”

Oladipo joins Jacksonville (FL) forward David Williams as the second member of the 2010 class. The 6-4 wing said a big factor in his decision was the consistency with which Indiana recruited him.

“Indiana’s been wanting me since December,” he said. “They’ve been consistent with me. They kept telling me how much they wanted me and coming to all of my games. They wanted me the most. And I felt like that was a sign saying, you need to go there.”

Oladipo also pointed to his relationship with freshman guard Maurice Creek and the fact that IU is known as a basketball school as two other important factors in his decision.

“That’s my big brother,” Oladipo said of Creek. “I’ve know him for a long time.”

And the campus?

“The campus is huge. It’s one of the biggest campuses I’ve seen so far. It’s beautiful. It’s like a basketball atmosphere everywhere you go. I drove around in the cart when Coach Crean was showing me around the campus and every second we were waving at someone. It’s a basketball town. That’s perfect.”

Oladipo on his game:  “I definitely play above the rim and like going to the basket. And I like dunking, too. I’m ready to work on my outside game. It’s good but it needs to be more consistent. I’m also working on my ball handling. It’s good but it needs to be perfect. I’m just ready to work and get better.”

Update: Here’s a video feature from the Washington Post on Oladipo:

As you know, 2010 DeMatha wing Victor Oladipo was in Bloomington over the weekend for an official visit. He was spotted at the football game and now a video has surfaced on YouTube of Oladipo throwing down some dunks with Maurice Creek.

Not bad, my friends. Not bad.

{HT: Basketblog}

While the IU football team prepares to kick off the season against Eastern Kentucky, the basketball staff is hosting class of 2010 guard Victor Oladipo for an official visit.

Oladipo, a 6-4 guard from DeMatha Catholic High School in Maryland, is also considering Notre Dame, Charlotte, N.C. State and Clemson. Rivals.com rates him No. 133 overall in his class.

Under the NCAA’s rules for an official visit, a prospect cannot remain in town for longer than 48 hours, so we’ll do our best to catch up with Oladipo after his trip to Bloomington commences on Saturday.

For now check out a highlight video of Oladipo, set to “Eyes Open” by Trip Lee, after the jump.

(more…)

The limited inventory of scholarships isn’t putting the brakes on the pursuit of 2010 talent from the IU basketball staff. Here’s a look at a tentative schedule of visitors in the coming weeks:

+ Kyrie Irving, 6-2 guard, St. Patrick’s (NJ): Adam Zagoria reported late Thursday night that Irving (pictured) will give Duke a visit on September 25 and that a visit to Bloomington will take place, but a date has not been set.

+ Moses Morgan, 6-5 wing, Palo Verde (NV): The son of Winston Morgan, a former IU player, will visit on September 12 according to The Courier-Journal’s Jody Demling. Morgan will also take an official visit to Arizona State and other visits could follow.

+ Stacey Poole, 6-5 wing, Andrew Jackson (FL): Indiana made Poole’s recent cut to four schools according to Evan Daniels of Scout.com. Poole will visit Indiana and Kentucky both on the same weekend — with a trip to Bloomington on September 4.

+ Victor Oladipo, 6-4 guard, DeMatha (MD): Oladipo could cross paths with Poole as the Maryland native told Mike Pegram of Peegs.com of his plans to visit on September 4-6.

+ Brandon Mobley, 6-9 forward, Windsor Forest (GA): Mobley told the Indiana Daily Student that he’s down to the Hoosiers, South Carolina and Cincinnati and will visit in November.

+ Keep an eye on: Jelan Kendrick, a 6-6 guard from Westlake (GA) and the cousin of former IU fan favorite A.J. Moye, will reportedly take part in this weekend’s Elite Camp. Kendrick is the No. 8 player in the 2010 class on Rivals.com. 6-4 Norcross (GA) guard Jeremy Lamb is another guy to keep on the radar.