Hit town at about 6:45 p.m. yesterday, and I was less than two minutes late for the 7:30 p.m. I'm a superhero, no need to tell me.
My overdeveloped sense of vanity aside, this was my first Jordan Hulls experience -- one I shared with H-T reporters Chris Korman and Hugh Kellenberger and IDS columnist Chris Engel -- and I thought I'd offer some initial thoughts on the game, a 99-52 South victory over Center Grove. Enjoy them if you wish during the IU-Michigan game.
--Hulls plays more of a scoring role than what I'm told he fills with his AAU team, Indiana Elite. He ran the point from time to time, but most of the time deferred to Darwin Davis and played the off-guard position.
It didn't seem to hamper his scoring; Hulls dropped 26 on Center Grove, and he tacked on six assists, four rebounds and a pair of steals. He showed impressive range, hitting 6-of-8 from behind the arc, many of those from set shots.
--Hulls can create off the dribble, either for himself or teammates. He showed nearly equal prowess from the 3-point line all the way in to the lane, hitting two or three running jumpers and having little trouble finding teammates cutting into the lane as well, particularly sophomore Spencer Turner, rumored to be an IU target.
--The Panther guard had a little trouble on defense guarding the Trojans' top scorer, Jared Hawkins. The latter had impressive range, scoring 27 to lead all players, and Hulls' attempts to extend on him defensively didn't deter Hawkins from stepping further and further out as the game progressed. Realistically, Hulls' defense wasn't the reason Hawkins went off, the kid was on fire most of the night.
--Turner showed impressive range as well, but his ability to move in the lane was equally impressive. It wasn't hard to see why there are those who think Tom Crean has his eye on the 2011 guard. Crean, Tim Buckley, Chris Reynolds and Calbert Cheaney (who are starting to become a posse of sorts) were all in attendance, as was former coach Dan Dakich.
--For those interested, South has a couple of noteworthy games in the next month. They face Purdue commit 6-foot-8 Patrick Bade and Franklin Central on Jan. 24, and Detroit Country Day and former IU recruit Ray McCallum Jr. (Yes, that Ray McCallum Jr.) will make the trip south on Feb. 21.
Enjoy the game.
