Bryant Crawford of Gonzaga Prep (D.C.) has long been a recruiting priority for Indiana in the class of 2015. The No. 35 prospect nationally according to the 247Composite, Crawford missed the July evaluation periods as he underwent surgery in June to repair a tear in his meniscus. That injury didn't keep the Hoosier staff from showing up at his Team Takeover games or from coming to his high school when the recruiting period began in early September. "They were one of the first schools to come down when the coaches were allowed to come out," Crawford told Inside the Hall from the USA Basketball developmental national team mini-camp in Colorado Springs last weekend. "Even though I wasn't playing, they still came down there and talked to me for a little while." The 6-foot-2, 179 pound point guard was recently cleared to resume basketball activities and said he expects to be 100 percent for the start of his high school season. "I just got cleared Monday (Sept. 30)," he said. "I've been getting in the pool and riding the bike and since Monday I've been getting in the gym and doing a little bit of work to get back into playing shape."
One of the top players nationally in the class of 2016, Jayson Tatum, was a standout at last weekend's USA Basketball men's developmental national team mini-camp in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The No. 4 overall prospect in his class according to the 247Composite, the 6-foot-7, 190 pound wing already has offers from more than a dozen programs and his performance at the USA Basketball camp drew rave reviews from national scouts in attendance. "It's really exciting. It's a blessing," Tatum told Inside the Hall by phone from Colorado Springs. "It's fun to come out here and play against the top guys, especially the ones in your age group, the class of 2015 and the class of 2014 and just coming out here, competing and showing your talent." A member of the USA Basketball team that won the gold medal at the FIBA Americas U16 Championship in Uruguay in June, Tatum averaged 10 points and 4.6 rebounds as a reserve. His play at this past weekend's mini-camp put him in excellent shape to be picked for the U17 roster that will compete in the FIBA World Championships in Dubai next summer.
Late Thursday night, as 2015 Plainfield East (Ill.) guard Aaron Jordan and his father explored the scene around Cook Hall and Assembly Hall, Jordan found his lasting memory from the visit. On his first-ever unofficial visit to IU, Jordan saw dozens of fans camped out outside of Assembly Hall watching television and eating pizza, anticipating Hoosier Hysteria the following day. Jordan had never seen anything like it. "I was just like, 'Wow'," Jordan said. "The fans of the whole school are basically about basketball, and that's what I like. Everything is surrounding basketball. It's a great environment to be in." Two weeks earlier, Jordan had been playing open gym at his high school when Indiana coach Tom Crean arrived and offered him a scholarship. He said the offer immediately put IU "right near the top," and in the days leading up to his visit, friends were hyping the school up to him. After arriving Thursday night and watching a practice and Hoosier Hysteria on Friday, Jordan said he now sees what they were talking about.
Quentin Goodin wasn't going to allow a broken right hand to keep him from competing against the nation's best. The Taylor County (Ky.) guard, who is rated the No. 29 prospect in the class of 2016 according to the 247Composite, played through an injury over the weekend at the USA Basketball men's developmental national team mini-camp in Colorado Springs, Colorado. "I was playing hurt this whole weekend, trying to work things out," Goodin told Inside the Hall by phone from Colorado Springs on Sunday night. "I didn't get to play the last two games but I think showcased myself pretty well." The 6-foot-2, 175 pound point guard is among the elite players who will be considered for the men's U17 roster for the FIBA World Championships in Dubai next summer.
One of the top prospects nationally in the class of 2016 got his first taste of Indiana basketball in person over the weekend. Braxton Blackwell, a 6-foot-8, 215 pound forward at Christ Presbyterian Academy in Nashville, Tennessee, talked to Inside the ...
In a televised announcement on ESPNU, class of 2014 forward-center Goodluck Okonoboh announced his commitment to UNLV. Okonoboh, the No. 24 prospect in the 247Composite, also considered Duke, Florida, Indiana and Ohio State. The Wilbraham and Monson Academy (Mass.) took ...
Tonight during halftime of an ESPNU college football broadcast Indiana, Ohio State and UNLV will learn where class of 2014 forward Goodluck Okonoboh will play next season. Okonoboh, a senior at Wilbraham and Monson Academy in Massachusetts, will announce his intentions a little after 9:00 p.m. ET (assuming the first half of the Louisiana-Monroe and Western Kentucky first half doesn't run long) from a studio in Bristol, Connecticut. Here’s our primer for the announcement with everything you need to know: The Essentials Forward/Center, 6-9, 220-pounds, Wilbraham & Monson Academy (MA), Mass Rivals 247Composite: 4-star (24); ESPN: 5-star (21); Rivals: 4-star (32); Scout: 4-star (37) Schools: Duke, Florida, Indiana, Ohio State, UNLV Official visits: Indiana, Ohio State, UNLV
On Thursday morning at his high school, Sunrise Christian Academy, class of 2014 Bel Aire (Kan.) point guard Lourawls Nairn committed to play for Tom Izzo and the Michigan State Spartans. Nairn also considered Minnesota, Oklahoma and Indiana. The point ...
A bit before 3:30 p.m. on Friday afternoon, Robert Johnson made the call from his school's parking lot. The class of 2014 Benedictine (Va.) School guard was on the phone trying to get in touch with Indiana coach Tom Crean to give his commitment to the Hoosiers. He didn't answer, but Johnson was ready. He walked into his school's library and sat at a table draped in a green cloth, making his college choice public by choosing the Hoosiers over North Carolina, Virginia and Florida State. "I want to thank all the schools that recruited me and offered me a scholarship," Johnson said, reaching for a crimson hat below the table. "In the fall of 2014, I'm gonna be attending..." He then put on the IU basketball cap, making his commitment known.
Class of 2014 guard Robert Johnson is off the board. The 6-foot-3 combo guard from Benedictine College Preparatory in Richmond, Virginia, announced that he’ll attend Indiana in a ceremony this afternoon in his school’s library. Johnson, the No. 79 recruit ...
After announcing a list of five schools earlier in the week, class of 2014 Lincoln (N.Y.) guard Isaiah Whitehead ended the recruiting process in a press conference on Thursday afternoon at his high school. The five-star guard announced that he'll play for Seton Hall next season. Whitehead, the No. 17 player in the 247Composite, also considered Indiana, Minnesota, Pittsburgh and St. John's. The 6-foot-4 guard took an unofficial visit to Bloomington in late August.
On Friday afternoon, Florida State, Indiana, North Carolina and Virginia will learn where class of 2014 guard Robert Johnson will play in college. Johnson, a senior at Benedictine College Preparatory in Richmond, Virginia, will announce his intentions at 3:30 p.m. ET in the school library. Here's our primer for the announcement with everything you need to know: The Essentials Guard, 6-3, 190-pounds, Benedictine College Prep (VA), Boo Williams 247Composite: 4-star (79); ESPN: 4-star (NR); Rivals: 4-star (42); Scout: 4-star (54) Schools: Florida State, Indiana, North Carolina, Virginia Official visits: Indiana, Virginia, North Carolina, Florida State The Primary Contenders Johnson has four finalists and he's taken official visits to each school in the last month. Publicly, he's spoken positively about each experience, but most believe Indiana and North Carolina are the primary contenders with Virginia as a potential wildcard.
Two class of 2014 prospects who had announced intentions to take official visits to Bloomington this fall - Ahmed Hill and Stephen Hurt - will not see Indiana's campus. Hurt (pictured), who was visited by Indiana at Northwest Florida College on Tuesday night, decided on Wednesday night that he would not visit Indiana after concerns about fitting into Indiana's up tempo style of play, according to a source. The 6-foot-10, 280-pound big man is expected to choose between Kansas State, Miami (FL) and Wichita State. He's already taken official visits to all three schools.
Class of 2014 guard Isaiah Whitehead is ready to announce his college decision. The Lincoln High School (N.Y.) standout will make his destination known on Thursday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. in a press conference at his school. Whitehead shared his plans for a Thursday announcement on his Twitter account and Inside the Hall's Jordan Littman confirmed those plans with his high school coach, Tiny Morton. He'll choose from five schools: Indiana, Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Seton Hall and St. John's.
Several class of 2014 prospects being recruited by Indiana will be making official visits this weekend and our latest recruiting notebook takes a look at those campus trips as well as other notes from the first week of the fall recruiting period: · Goodluck Okonoboh, one of IU's top targets in the 2014 class, will make his first official visit this weekend and Bloomington is the destination. The Hoosiers have long been considered one of the favorites to land Okonoboh and getting him on campus is the next logical step in making that happen. It's been well documented, but the relationship between Okonoboh and current IU freshman Noah Vonleh is a very good one and this weekend provides Okonoboh the opportunity for his first up close look at the Indiana campus. · Lourawls Nairn hosted Tom Crean for an in-home visit earlier in the weekend, but the major development for Nairn this week was the addition of Michigan State to his list of three finalists. Nairn had been considering a final three of Indiana, Minnesota and Oklahoma, but the Spartans are making a late push with Tyler Ulis seemingly headed to Kentucky. Nairn will be in East Lansing this weekend and then Indiana will host him for an official visit next weekend.
Aaron Jordan has learned just how long and frustrating the recruiting process can be. A class of 2015 shooting guard from Plainfield, Ill., Jordan has gained major interest from colleges, including Indiana, in recent months as his stock rises. According to the 247 Composite, he is the No. 63 recruit and No. 13 shooting guard in the class. But to him, that heightened level of interest hasn't made his recruitment any easier.