For the past four months while the Basketblog has been in hibernation, the Hoosier's basketball team has been quite the opposite. And just in case our humble sports blog is your only source for IU basketball news, here are my five most interesting storylines from this summer.
1. New York State of Mind Kelvin Sampson had a quick answer for the Hoosier fans who have continued to worry that Eric Gordon will be taking the popular "one-and-done" route: Devin Ebanks. The top-10 recruit originally from Queens, NY is one of the top wing players in the class of 2008. When he came to Bloomington in May he was the star of the adidas May Classic. The 6-foot-8 forward can score from anywhere on the court and reminded me of several other recent college stars (Kevin Durant?). If Gordon does decide to bolt to the NBA after his freshman year, the Hoosiers will have a more than respectable replacement in Ebanks.
2. Bear decides to look elsewhere Eshaunte 'Bear' Jones said as recently as last month that he was looking forward to playing for the Hoosiers. But after backing out of his verbal commitment recently, it appears Jones was more excited about the "playing" part than the "Hoosiers" aspect. With the addition of Ebanks, and the Hoosiers overall depth at the guard and forward positions, Jones has decided to reopen his recruitment in hopes of finding a school where he'll be able to find extended playing time. Although Jones is a fine player with above average shooting and passing skills, his absence will not alter the program's future. The Hoosiers will most likely use the 2008 scholarship opening to add another big man. But not as big as...
3. The shrinking man Since he arrived weighing a petite 353-pounds, DeAndre Thomas has had one goal: to lose weight. The 6-foot-8 forward/center in the mold of Tarik Glenn has reportedly lost over 20 pounds already, and continues to diet and work out extensively.
I remember talking to Thomas over the winter about his weight, when he said he weighed about 320 at the time. Thomas talked about how he knew he had to watch what he ate and when, and was working to lose the extra pounds. But it didn't work and Thomas gained 20-plus pounds before he arrived on Bloomington's campus. With that said, I think Thomas will lose the necessary weight before this fall and will excel under IU's training program. This is most likely the first time Thomas has had any structure when it comes to dieting and training. If he is able to continue to lose weight, Thomas will be a very good player for the Hoosiers. The Hoosiers need someone to help D.J. White inside, and if Eli Holman isn't ready, Sampson will most likely have Thomas playing 10-20 minutes a night.
4. Fresh meat. Er, freshmen For his first full recruiting class, Sampson exceeded everyone's expectations. He brought in 6-foot-9 center Eli Holman, the Richmond, CA native with a troubled past but a seemingly bright future. He recruited Jordan Crawford, the point guard from Hargrave Academy (Va.) that has been the talk of open gym this summer. Sampson also added Brandon McGee, the 6-foot-7 forward from Chicago, who could develop into the small forward IU has been missing. Oh, and he added that Eric Gordon guy. Not bad. (Note: I think you have to downplay the Gordon addition. If I actually dedicated the amount of space Gordon and all of his accolades deserved it would come off as bragging.)
5. The Departed Not the Academy Award winner, I'm referring to the departed Hoosiers from last year's roster. Joey Shaw transferred to Southern Idaho in hopes of making a name for himself. Errek Suhr graduated, married his high school sweetheart, and is now student teaching at Jackson Creek Middle School. In addition to teaching, Suhr will also be an assistant coach for Bloomington North's varsity team.
Two Hoosiers are trying to continue their hoop dreams and are playing in the NBA's summer league. Rod Wilmont is playing for the New York Knicks and Earl Calloway is attempting to catch on with the Atlanta Hawks. Both teams have Hoosier connections, the Knicks with GM/Coach Isiah Thomas and Jared Jeffries and the Hawks with head coach Mike Woodson.
