Q & A: O.G. Anunoby talks IU commitment
Class of 2015 Jefferson City (Mo.) forward O.G. Anunoby became the second member of Indiana’s 2015 recruiting class tonight when he announced his commitment to the Hoosiers at his high school.
Inside the Hall spoke with Anunoby about the decision and a full transcript of our Q & A is transcribed below:
On why he decided on Indiana:
“I just felt it was the best fit for me. I like the coaching staff. They probably recruited me the hardest.”
On what he liked about the coaching staff:
“How much they want to get their players better. I liked that a lot.”
On how difficult the decision was and whether he went back and forth on it:
“I went back and forth a few times. It was a difficult decision, but I knew Indiana was the place for me. That’s where my heart was.”
On when he knew that Indiana was a school that he was seriously considering and what stood out on his visits:
“After the first visit (unofficial in early August). Usually on visits, the assistant coach would lead the visit and then you’d talk to the head coach at the very end. But at Indiana, it was coach (Tom) Crean leading everything. It was different there. He got my high school film, we watched all of it, he played clips and stuff and showed me where I can get better, where I’m good right now and what I can improve on. I liked that a lot.”
On his relationship with Juwan Morgan:
“I’m excited to play with him. Juwan is a good friend of mine. We wanted to play together the past couple of years on the AAU circuit. That didn’t happen, but he’s a good friend of mine and I’m happy that I get to play with him now.”
On what he’s most looking forward to about playing at Indiana:
“Just playing under the bright lights in the Big Ten. Playing for coach Crean. And wearing the candy stripes.”
On what it’s going to be like stepping into a full Assembly Hall for the first time:
“I think it’ll be crazy. A crazy atmosphere, crazy fan support. They have really good fan support.”
On how he would describe his game to someone that hasn’t seen him play:
“I’d say I’m a wing. During AAU, I didn’t really shoot the ball because on my team we had a lot of guards and they needed me to play inside and I embraced that role. In high school, I’m strictly perimeter. Well, I post up if I have a mismatch, but I’m on the perimeter a lot handling the ball and shooting a lot of 3s. I make a lot of 3s. All of my stuff comes from the perimeter. That’s where I’m most comfortable.”
On the areas he’d like to improve:
“I think I shoot the ball pretty well off the dribble, but I want to get better on the pull-up.”
On what he thought when he had a chance to watch Indiana practice on his official visit:
“I saw the players getting better. From the first day I watched practice to the second day, I saw all of the players getting better. They really pay attention to detail and it’s really intense. That’s a good thing. I like that.”
Filed to: O.G. Anunoby