There have been numerous reaction stories already about the sanctions handed down to Coach Kelvin Sampson by the athletic department yesterday. Former IU All-American Kent Benson has called for Sampson to be fired, as well as Indy Star columnist Bob Kravitz. These articles will continue to run, including a few from the IDS, in the coming days and weeks until the NCAA has its say.
It is not my job to opine about IU basketball, so I will stay out of this debate. Since it is unlikely that IU will miss any tournament time (this would come as a MAJOR shock), the real news is how is this development plays into the recruiting puzzle. Assistant coach Rob Senderoff was one of the staff's main recruiters and was the point man for the East Coast. If you recall, four major recruits from the East Coast were in town for last weekend's Hoosier Hysteria: Kevin Jones (2008), Devin Ebanks (committed for 2008), Dexter Strickland (2009) and Lance Stephenson (2009). While Senderoff may not be the lead recruiter for other prospects, these recent sanctions could weigh in on their college decision, most notably 2008 prospect Tyler Zeller.
Let's take a look at some reaction from some of these recruits.
Zeller: Mike is trying to catch up with Zeller to get a reaction for tomorrow's paper. Zeller has played his recruitment close to the vest, so it is unlikely he will say too much about the situation in regards to how it will affect his decision. With such a seemingly close recruitment between the final four schools (IU, Purdue, UNC and Notre Dame), any little thing could hurt.
Jones: There is a good article from Adam Zagoria about Jones reaction. It seems that he was told about the situation during his visit this weekend, which he appreciated.
Ebanks: Ebanks told the New York Post that "I still believe in what they're doing out there." That is good news for Hoosier fans. Ebanks has already committed to the class of 2008 and is a top 15 recruit by most major recruiting services.
Stephenson: The title of the NY Post article is deceiving, but after reading the story, it seems that IU has a decent chance with Stephenson. Remember, he is considered a top-5 prospect, so IU will be vying for Stephenson's services with several schools.
Overall, it seems from these articles that IU should not be hurt from yesterday's news. However, if I have learned one thing from following recruiting the last few years is that you never know what is going to happen.
So what are your thoughts? Can Sampson pull in top-10 classes for 2008 and 2009? Will these sanctions hurt the Hoosiers in any key recruiting battles?
