Archie Miller discusses 2018 recruiting class

  • 11/08/2017 8:07 pm in

Indiana received signed National Letter of Intents from all four of its class of 2018 recruits today – Robert Phinisee, Jerome Hunter, Damezi Anderson and Jake Forrester.

Here’s what first-year coach Archie Miller had to say about the four signees and the class as a whole:

Archie Miller on the Class:

“We are excited to announce our first recruiting class as coaches of the Indiana Hoosiers. This is a group of four young men who we identified right away in the spring as players who not only fit our needs on the basketball court, but also fit the IU community and culture. They are all outstanding kids who come from great families and basketball programs. They truly embody what an IU student-athlete represents.”

“As I have stated many times, the players, coaches and programs of the state of Indiana are of utmost importance to our staff and program. We were able to sign two players from parts of the state that it’s been several years since someone from that area became a Hoosier. We signed a player we have been watching for almost three years that we believe is the best player in the state of Ohio. We also went to the state of Pennsylvania to get a player who has tremendous upside and gets better and better by the day.”

“We feel this class will lay the foundation for future Hoosiers for years to come and be building blocks for future great Indiana basketball teams.”

Miller on Anderson:

“Damezi is an excellent addition to our program. He is a big wing who has a knack for scoring the basketball. His ability to shoot the basketball with great range has stood out from the first time I watched him play. Damezi and his family are very excited that he is the first scholarship basketball player from South Bend that has signed with IU in almost 45 years.”

Miller on Forrester:

“Jake is a versatile front court player who has only scratched the surface of his basketball ability. He has a tremendous work ethic and seems to improve daily. He comes from a basketball family and is coached by Seth Berger at Westtown School, which has produced many high-level college basketball players. Jake can play multiple positions on offense and guard multiple positions on defense. His best basketball is ahead of him and the sky is the limit for who he can become as a player.”

Miller on Hunter:

“I have known Jerome and his family since his sophomore year of high school. I have watched him grow as a player and person. He is an extremely versatile wing who has great size for his position. He loves being in the gym and is constantly looking for ways to improve. Jerome’s ability to play both on the perimeter and inside will make him a great addition to our team.”

Miller on Phinisee:

“Rob is a name that came up on my first day on the job. We immediately identified him as a priority and began developing a relationship with him and his family. Rob is a throwback point guard who cares only about running the team and winning. His teammates love playing with him and he makes the game easier for everyone around him. We are proud that Rob is the first scholarship basketball player to play for Indiana from Lafayette in almost 70 years.”

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