Editor's Note:\nIn the print version of this story, a pull quote was incorrectly attributed to Verdell Jones. It should have been attributed to IU recruit Bobby Capobianco. The IDS regrets this error.
\nThey aren’t like Michigan’s “Fab Five.” They don’t have the catchy nickname yet. But in less than three weeks, five recruits have signed on to join IU coach Tom Crean and the Indiana Hoosiers for the 2008-09 or 2009-10 seasons. \nOhio high-school junior Bobby Capobianco verbally committed on April 17, while Vincennes University transfer Devan Dumes and Alabama high-school senior Nick Williams each signed early the following week.\nThis past Saturday, Maurice Creek, a Top-100 junior from Maryland, also pledged to play for IU. Last but not least, Champaign (Ill.) Central point guard Verdell Jones opted to continue his basketball career in Bloomington on Monday. \n“It shows what (Crean) believes in, really,” Capobianco said. “We as the commits trust him. He has told us his ideals and his goals for this team and this university.” \nAt the time of his hiring, very few top 2008 recruits remained available, but Crean landed two unsigned guards from the class of 2008, Williams and Jones, as well as Dumes, a top junior-college guard. \nWilliams, ranked No. 146 among the class of 2008 prospects according to www.rivals.com, sent his signed paperwork to Crean on April 21, while Jones, ranked No. 127 in the class, committed on Monday.\nMinnesota, Kentucky and IU were the finalists for Jones. The Hoosiers were considered by some to be the least likely choice of the three for the nation’s 26th-ranked point guard.\nOn Saturday, Myron Medcalf, Minnesota basketball beat writer for the The Minneapolis Star Tribune, wrote how he was very confident Jones would choose to play for Tubby Smith at Minnesota, hardly even factoring IU into the equation.\n“Through a text-message dialogue, he assured me that Kentucky was definitely in the mix for Jones’ services,” he wrote. “But I think he’ll definitely play for the Gophers next season, based on my discussions with him this week.”\nDespite the recent additions of Jones, Dumes and Williams for next season, as well as incoming freshman Tom Pritchard and Matt Roth, only three scholarship players return from last season. And only two players – Pritchard and senior Kyle Taber – are post players.\n“We’d love to have another inside player or two but for sure one if we can get the right guy,” Crean said in an April 24 interview.\nCrean said he also hoped to get “one more really good player,” possibly a point guard. Now that Jones is set to come to IU, Crean will be able to concentrate more on bringing in big men.\nMaurice Sutton, a 6-foot-10, 210-pound high school senior from Upper Marlboro, Md., could be the next to sign with the Hoosiers. Crean offered him a scholarship April 22, and the three-star power forward/center, according to recruiting database www.scout.com, is expected to be on campus this weekend for an unofficial visit.\nEven if Crean gets more help inside, high expectations for next year’s IU team have not been set by journalists or fans. Regardless of what happens next year, however, Capobianco said he is confident Crean is making the right moves, which includes the dismissal of DeAndre Thomas and the decision not to reinstate Armon Bassett and Jamarcus Ellis.\n“They (Bassett, Ellis, and Thomas) aren’t the kind of guys that the university should have around,” the Loveland High School star said. “I think Crean is getting the right guys. It could be a struggle, but I think Coach will have everything in place and know what he needs to do for next year.”\nIt may indeed be a struggle, but the future is already looking brighter for the following season. Capobianco is set to come in with a pair of top 100 players, Creek and 6-foot-8-inch Derek Elston, who committed to IU \nin September.\nCreek, meanwhile, is also optimistic and not concerned with IU’s rebuilding process. \n“I’m just concerned with me and the team that’s going to be there, and winning a championship for the team,” Creek said on Sunday.\nCreek added that he doesn’t personally know Elston or Capobianco, but he has seen them at AAU tournaments.\n“I’ve seen them play in Pittsburgh,” Creek said. “I know they can really play.”\nBased on what Triple Threat AAU coach Keith Stevens said on Sunday, Creek can play too.\nStevens said that Creek will, at some point in his IU career, “be an all-conference player.” What makes the 6-foot-5-inch guard stand out, he says, is that unlike most great shooters, Creek can play both ends of the floor.\n“The biggest thing is you’ve got a guy that can put the ball in the basket ... and he can defend the court and he can do it pretty damn good,” Stevens said.\nIn June, the NCAA’s infraction committee could hit the basketball program with further sanctions, which may include taking away scholarships from IU. Crean hasn’t stepped off this year’s recruiting trail yet, however, as he knows the importance of getting IU back on track.\n“Our staff is going to ensure that anyone who attends this University and wears the Indiana uniform will make this privilege among their highest priorities and not treat the opportunity as an entitlement,” said Crean in a statement May 2. “We fully expect our student-athletes to accept the responsibilities academically, athletically and socially that come with representing one of the top programs in college basketball history.”
