Here is the second installment of our "Getting to know" feature on IU's incoming class. Next up: a story on Ray McCallum Jr. -- who impressed several Hoosiers last week with his play. Also, quotes from McCallum on his college future...
Jordan Crawford - 6-4, 195 pounds - No. 5 Crawford was by far the most talked about player during the IU barnstorming tour not named Eric Gordon. When you play point guard in what could best be described as a "glorified pick-up game," you tend to be the center of attention.
Scouting Report: Crawford is extremely talented, but also in extreme need of IU's coaching staff. The Hargrave product has ball-handling skills that no one else on the Hoosiers has. He has the ability to create his own shot and penetrate to the hole and is a great finisher. When I saw him in Noblesville, I cringed at his shot selection. He was 1-2 from 30 ft. and wasn't afraid to pull the trigger (Bracey, anyone?). I think this will most likely go away once Crawford is playing in organized games with Kelvin Sampson on the sideline. Crawford said that since arriving in Bloomington he has already begun to improve under IU's coaching staff:
"I never noticed how much they focus on the little things," he said. "We're not in high school so you can't just go to the hole and dunk it. We focus on our mid-range games and they tell us they don't want us to dunk." - Crawford.
(Gordon on Crawford): "Jordan really brought a lot tonight. He hit some 3s where people weren't expecting him to even shoot from that far."
Eric 'EJ' Gordon - 6-3, 215 pounds - No. 23 Although its usually only by an inch, Gordon's height fluctuates as often as DeAndre Thomas's weight. He is listed at 6-4 on iuhoosiers.com, but after interviewing Crawford and Gordon side-by-side last Wednesday, it was clear Gordon was shorter.
Scouting Report: The equivalent of a five-tool player in baseball. Off the dribble he is the most dangerous player in the Big Ten since Dee Brown. Gordon is so much quicker and stronger than his opponents that he is often fouled before he reaches the rim. He is an all-world dunker and might have the sweetest stroke on the team at the same time. The biggest question mark surrounding Gordon is his role as a leader. D.J. White obviously has seniority, but Gordon is going to be the guy taking the big shots, which means the Hoosiers will follow him. I haven't met a more polite and genuinely nice interview subject than Gordon, but he'll have to be out of his element and be vocal on the floor to lead IU.
(Gordon on the adidas Basketball Experience in New Orleans): "It was a lot of the top guys from around the nation that came down and played together. I had a good time. I thought I played pretty well down there and I think I represented myself and Indiana pretty well."
(On the barnstorming tour): "I'm really tired. I was thinking about not playing at all (missing Muncie), but I felt that if all of these fans are coming out and supporting us that I should come out and play."
Jamarcus Ellis - 6-5, 200 pounds - No. 13 I can't explain it, but Jamarcus Ellis is known as Toine (pronounced tuh-WAHN) to his friends and teammates. Just going to have to believe me.
Scouting Report:At a handful of post-game press conferences last season, Kelvin Sampson would go out of his way to praise Errek Suhr and the little things he did for the Hoosiers. I'm going to go ahead and predict that Ellis becomes Sampson's favorite press conference topic. Ellis can score in numerous ways, but that is only a complementary skill to his game. He is a great rebounder for a guard (think Jason Kidd) and looks to distribute the ball and get his teammates involved. Ellis was named JuCo Player of the Year last season when he averaged 13.5 points, 9.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 2.5 blocks and 2.5 steals for Chipola. I expect all of those numbers to be the same at IU, with a slight decline in the rebounding numbers.
(Thomas on Jamarcus's absence in Noblesville): "Him and Eric had a lot of school work to do. Eric finished his paper right before he came. School comes first, not basketball"
