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(08/04/09 4:15pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>You don’t have to remind IU fans of some of the local talent that has gotten away in recent years. But don’t expect that to remain the status quo with Crean running the IU program. In fact, the second-year IU coach just reeled in his second in-state commitment for 2011 when Cicero native Austin Etherington gave his pledge to the Hoosiers on Monday. Etherington, a four-star recruit and the No. 57 player in his class according to Scout.com, confirmed his commitment on Monday afternoon. “I decided a couple a days ago that I was going to go to IU,” the 6-foot-6 Hamilton Heights junior said in a phone interview. “I talked to my family and they felt like it was the right place for me too. Today I called coach Crean and told him that I was coming to IU and he was really excited.” With his commitment, Etherington became the second Indiana prospect to choose IU for 2011, following the lead of Arizona native Matt Carlino, whose family moved to Bloomington earlier this summer. The 17-year-old said he knew choosing IU would allow his family to watch him play, something he said was very important to them. “They said they would support me wherever I went, but I know that they really wanted me to be close so they could watch whenever they wanted to,” he said. While Etherington said he has been to only “a couple of IU games,” the fans made a big impression on him last season, even though the Hoosiers won but a single Big Ten game. “I can’t imagine how crazy it would be once they finally start getting a lot better,” he said. Of course, IU is expected to be much better when Etherington is set to join the team in 2011, something that Crean has been telling recruits. “Yeah, that’s what, always, Coach Crean kept preaching to me,” Etherington said, “saying that with the guys they have coming in, we’ll be the real deal (and) that we’ll hopefully have a chance at a national championship.” At the It Takes 5ive AAU event in Cincinnati in early July, Etherington told the IDS he held scholarships offers from IU, Xavier, Butler and Oklahoma State. Since then, Etherington said both Notre Dame and Florida told him they would offer if he visited the respective campuses. But he didn’t need to visit either school, as he realized IU was the right fit for him. While Etherington knew that waiting on IU too long could hurt his chances of a position still being available, he said it was “not why I went ahead and committed early.” Though highly rated by Scout.com, Etherington only somewhat recently burst onto the recruiting scene, as microfracture surgery on his knee kept him off the court for well over a year. “I had it two years ago, but I had to sit out a year and so I only played half the season in high school this year,” he said. Etherington’s father, Brett, who played at Butler from 1987 to 1991, said they were told by the surgeon that he “shouldn’t have any more problems with it.” “It was similar to what Greg Oden had gone through,” Brett Etherington said. “He just needed to have it repaired and they repaired it and he has not had problems with it. No pain, no swelling since he was released. I don’t see any reason it would be an issue for him.” The younger Etherington said his father is 6-foot-7, so he hopes he might grow a bit more. Should he get any taller, it might validate what he has been told about his potential to be like 6-foot-10 NBA forward and Crean’s former sharpshooter at Marquette, Steve Novak. When asked about shooting 3-pointers, perhaps the biggest strength of his game, Etherington confirmed his love for the trey. “Oh yeah, that’s my favorite thing to do,” he said. In Cincinnati, it was clear that Etherington not only loved to shoot, but was athletic, saw the court well and could finish around the basket. Etherington then called himself “a two guard who can shoot,” but he knows he might play the small forward position in college. “I think that I’ll be playing a little bit of both,” he said on Monday. “I do need to work on my ball handling a bit more to play the two as much as I can, but I know that I will get better at that and so I will be able to play both.” He also mentioned defense as something he hopes to improve upon in the next two years, and he is already showing progress. “He’s worked very hard on defense,” Brett Etherington said. “He proved that when we were out in Vegas. He guarded a lot of quick, smaller twos that he did just fine on. I was pleased with the way he performed out there.” Though Etherington just committed on Monday, it didn’t take long for the 6-foot-6 guard/forward to try to talk AAU teammate Jeremiah Davis into choosing IU.Davis, a 6-foot-4 guard and four-star recruit from Muncie, has received an offer from the Hoosiers and was frequently watched by IU coaches throughout the AAU season. “I actually talked to him today quite a bit about him coming and playing too, and just telling him how much fun we could have at college and being teammates would be awesome,” Etherington said. But even without Davis, Etherington is happy to be a Hoosier. “He’s really excited,” his father said.
(07/09/09 12:34am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>CINCINNATI – The July evaluation period began on Monday. Despite AAU tournaments running throughout the summer, recent rule changes prohibited college coaches from attending the May and June events. The first major event to take place was adidas’ It Takes 5ive Classic in Cincinnati, which ran Monday through Wednesday. Seeing as it was the first time college coaches could scout at an AAU tournament since last summer, both head and assistant coaches flocked to the University of Cincinnati from all ends of the country. IU basketball coach Tom Crean was joined by assistants Tim Buckley and Bennie Seltzer, as they saw their share of young prospects. Though they watched 2010 commitment David Williams play with the Atlanta Celtics, much of their focus was on 2011 prospects. Jeremiah Davis, Muncie Central (Ind.) In May 2008, Crean was the second college coach to extend a scholarship offer to Jeremiah Davis. His offer list includes Tennessee, Purdue, Xavier and Cincinnati, though he said he hopes Wake Forest will offer soon. Though Billy Gillespie offered Davis a scholarship while at Kentucky, new Wildcats coach John Calipari did watch the 6-foot-3 guard for a bit Monday and previously had told him to be “patient” with his recruitment, Davis said. While it seems that IU is more focused on five-star point guard Marquis Teague from Indianapolis, Davis could be a nice fit for Crean, who was seated under the basket during Davis’ entire first game on Monday. Davis, a four-star recruit ranked No. 76 in the 2011 class according to Rivals.com, is a big guard that has drawn comparisons to Utah Jazz star Deron Williams, which he calls “a great compliment.”As for IU, Davis had plenty of kind words for Crean, calling him “a good influence” and “a great competitor,” and certainly noticed him courtside Monday.“I saw him every time I went down there, so that was a lot of pressure,” he said after the game. “But I tried to be loose and play together with my teammates.”He added that he is looking forward to meeting new coaches this summer. After Cincinnati, Davis will head to Louisville, Ky. later this week and then Memphis early next week.Davis played well by most standards for Indiana Elite/Team Indiana in game one Monday, scoring about 20 points, dishing out a handful of assists, taking a charge, blocking a shot or two and playing well with his teammates.Austin Etherington, Hamilton Heights (Ind.) Though recent Xavier commit Darwin “Dee” Davis and the aforementioned Jeremiah Davis drew most of the attention of coaches and spectators Monday, another player Crean and Seltzer had their eyes on was Austin Etherington. Etherington, a 6-foot-5 guard/forward and a four-star prospect according to Scout.com, recently received a scholarship offer from IU. He also has offers from Xavier, New Mexico, Butler and Oklahoma State, he said. While playing alongside guards Dee and Jeremiah Davis pushes Etherington to the three (small forward) position, the Hamilton Heights junior describes himself as a “two-guard who can shoot the ball.” He also can run the point, and has played some point guard for his high school team, he said. Etherington, who said he is looking to improve all aspects of his game, might try to make a trip out to Oklahoma State despite a busy AAU schedule this summer. He already was at IU last month for the Elite Camp. Marshall Plumlee, Christ School (N.C.) Marshall Plumlee is the brother of Miles and Mason, both of who will suit up for Mike Krzyzewski’s Duke Blue Devils next year. With that in mind, plus the fact that he is just shy of being 7 feet tall, plenty of coaches were watching Plumlee and the Indiana Elite One squad this week. Though Plumlee hails from Warsaw, Ind., during the year, he attends the Christ School in Arden, N.C. The four-star recruit, ranked among the Top 50 prospects by both Scout.com and Rivals.com, looks like he will follow in his brothers’ footsteps by attending a big-time Division I school. As of Monday afternoon he had offers from IU, Notre Dame, North Carolina State, Virginia, Minnesota and LSU, he said, though other coaches were watching his team’s games. Plumlee said he knows he needs to get stronger, especially since he has grown a lot in the last year, but he plans on working on all aspects of his game. The big man has “strong (family) roots” up near Purdue, he said, and thus only recently has been around Bloomington. But, after seeing the campus, he said he is “definitely going to pay more attention” to IU and he “can’t wait to learn more about the program.” Because he goes to school in North Carolina, he has gotten comfortable being away from his home and family. As a result, he seems open to playing just about anywhere.“I’ve kind of gotten used to being away from home, so I could be playing in China and I wouldn’t mind,” he joked.Cody Zeller, Washington (Ind.)Plumlee isn’t the only big man on Indiana Elite One with two talented older brothers. Cody Zeller, brother of former Indiana Mr. Basketball winners Luke (Notre Dame) and Tyler Zeller (North Carolina), is also on the squad.Zeller, about 6-foot-9, is another Indiana prospect.He would be the first to admit he needs to bulk up, though, and says getting stronger “will help everything,” including rebounding and passing. Zeller has offers from IU, Butler, Purdue and Iowa, he said on Monday. He was recently seen playing with brother Tyler at IU, but he said it was merely to play basketball, as his high school gym was closed.The junior-class prospect, rated three stars by Rivals.com and four stars by Scout.com, said there is no timetable set for making a college decision. Like Plumlee, he said he wouldn’t base his decision on location, and he also wouldn’t choose a school just because one of his AAU teammates is going there.In addition to getting stronger, Zeller said he hopes to develop a better outside shot.“It would be a big weapon if I could get it down,” he said. Matt Carlino, Bloomington SouthIU picked up its first commitment for 2011 back in August when then Gilbert (Ariz.) Highland sophomore Matt Carlino gave his pledge to Crean.Recently, Carlino and his family moved to Bloomington, where he will join the South Panthers. Throughout the summer he has made it onto campus to participate in open gyms with both current and former Hoosiers, he said.“It’s been really fun,” he said. “The guys down there are all into basketball, playing all the time so it’s been really fun.”Carlino, recently tabbed the No. 72 junior recruit in the nation according to Scout.com, plays his AAU ball with the aforementioned Zeller and Plumlee, as well as future South teammate and 2011 recruit Spencer Turner.The point/shooting guard said he wants to get stronger and improve his dribbling, in particular, though he wants to improve all aspects of his game.“Just the basic skills to get better as the level gets higher,” he said.
(07/08/09 11:48pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>CINCINNATI – Kyle Taber used up his athletic eligibility and earned an undergraduate degree, but basketball and classes at IU are still keeping him busy this summer. Just this week, the former Hoosiers basketball player was working at the third annual adidas “It Takes 5ive Classic” basketball tournament at the University of Cincinnati. “I know the guy who’s running the tournament (Criss Beyers), and he asked if I wanted to come down and help out and work,” Taber said Monday. “It’s always nice to have a little extra money, so I just decided to do it.” Taber also spent several days last month working at the Tom Crean Basketball Camps as a counselor.But with his playing days behind him, Taber is primarily focusing on his studies. After earning a bachelor’s degree in sports marketing and management, Taber has been pursuing his master’s degree in athletic administration and sports marketing, he said. “I might try to get involved with professional basketball,” Taber said. “If not, I can for an athletic department job at any university.” The Evansville native said he recently finished three classes in the first summer session and is currently enrolled in an online class. He will take two others in the fall to finish.Though Taber finished his career with just 161 points and 212 rebounds – 2.6 points and 3.4 rebounds per game during four years of play – the big man became a fan favorite the last two seasons. After joining the team as a walk-on in 2004 under then-coach Mike Davis and suffering a knee injury that forced him to redshirt as a freshman, Taber quietly worked his way toward earning a scholarship two seasons later. Despite enduring a roller coaster of a ride the rest of his career – specifically his last two seasons, with the Kelvin Sampson fallout – Taber continued to work hard and finished his career in March as the only senior on coach Tom Crean’s 6-25 squad. Even with all the hard practices and conditioning, a wild last two years and all the other highs and lows that come with being a Division I basketball player, it doesn’t come as much of a surprise that Taber has begun to miss life as an IU basketball player. “I’m starting to miss it a little bit,” he said. “I mean, it’s different being on your own, and I have the freedom to not have to do certain things at certain times. It’s like a different lifestyle. You’ve got to get used to it.” But Taber is staying involved with the program, in part because of the aforementioned basketball camps. “I’ve been around some of the incoming players and my former teammates, and I talk to the coaches,” Taber said. “I’ve seen one of them here today already. I see them once in a while.” As for this year’s Hoosiers team, Taber is confident things will be much better for Crean and his players, especially with the added depth in the post. “I think they’ll be pretty good,” he said. “They’ve got some big guys coming in, and not just height-wise, but actually guys who’ve got some weight on them. They won’t be freshmen that will be pushed around. That’s a good thing that we needed inside last year.”
(06/12/09 6:03pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Summer Session II starts June 19, and most of the 2009 men's basketball class is expected to be on campus. Maurice Creek, however, is not going to be there for Summer Session II.For more, check out the IDS Basketblog.
(04/27/09 3:37am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Six Class of 2009 recruits will officially join the team in June, but IU men’s basketball coach Tom Crean already has one verbal commitment for the following year: junior David Williams.A 6-foot-7 recruit from Jacksonville, Fla., Williams announced his intention to play for the Hoosiers on Wednesday.Williams averaged 21 points, 11 rebounds and six assists this year at First Coast High School. Crean and assistant coach Roshown McLeod – once Williams’ AAU coach with the Atlanta Celtics – saw Williams work out Wednesday at his high school gym.Though NCAA rules permitted coaches to make “in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts and evaluations” between April 17 and 22, Crean and McLeod were not permitted to speak with Williams at his school. After they left, Williams called Crean and was offered a scholarship.Later that night, Williams spoke with his parents, and the 17-year-old committed to the Hoosiers. Williams’s father said it was a “family decision.”“We were all in agreement that this was a good opportunity for him,” Dwight Williams said.The younger Williams said he chose the Hoosiers despite interest from Miami, South Carolina and Clemson, among others.Williams has yet to see the Bloomington campus. In fact, he has never been to the state of Indiana.Though IU has been highly involved with four-star recruit Kyrie Irving, among other Class of 2010 prospects, Williams fell under the radar, and his name never surfaced in IU recruiting talks until the news of his commitment broke Wednesday night.But Williams said IU has recruited him since the Reebok Summer Championships AAU event last July.Though he says he is a 6-foot-7 and 200-pound wing, Williams can play several positions. His father said he likes playing anywhere from the point guard position to small forward, but IU’s newest commit said he believes he could see some time in the post when he joins the Hoosiers.“(Crean) said the wing, but I’m pretty sure I’ll probably get some down-low action as well because I get pretty physical, and I’m pretty sure I can guard the majority of big men,” Williams said regarding his future role with IU.Williams said the strong points of his game are “getting to the hole” and “making good plays,” while his father said he sees the floor well, can read and attack the defense and passes well.The tradition at IU was a factor in Williams’ decision, but Williams said Crean played a major role as well.“He was telling me some stuff about what I need to work on and all that, so I am taking that as constructive criticism,” Williams said. “The whole program as a whole, I feel like I can fit in with the style of play because Indiana is known for big guards like Eric Gordon and people like that.”Though Williams has flown under the radar so far – he’s a two-star recruit according to Scout.com and is unranked by Rivals.com – he hopes to show off his talents this summer on the AAU circuit. He also is planning to make it to Bloomington in mid-June.“First thing over summer, as soon as school gets out,” he said.
(04/13/09 4:13am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In November, Jordan Hulls officially signed to play for IU. In March, his high school team completed an undefeated season and won a state championship. On Sunday, he was named Indiana’s Mr. Basketball.“It’s a dream come true,” Hulls, a senior at Bloomington High School South, said. “Every Indiana kid growing up dreams of winning that award. Just being even on the same list with some of the other players who’ve won the award, it’s just an honor.”Each spring, Indiana high school coaches and media vote for the best senior basketball player in the state. Since South’s state championship win March 28, there seemed to be little doubt that Hulls would take home Mr. Basketball honors.That was confirmed Sunday, as Hulls ran away with the voting, getting 131 of the votes – more than five times as many as second-place finisher Bruce Grimm Jr. of Rochester High School, who had 26 votes.While Mr. Basketball is given to a single player, the point guard was quick to credit his teammates.“I never would’ve gotten this without my team this year,” Hulls said. “It’s a team game, and I play with four other guys out there on the court.”Hulls’ father, J.C. Hulls, a former all-state football and basketball player at Bloomington High School North, echoed his son’s comments, calling the honor a “total team effort.”“That’s how we always looked at it because of how well South did as a team and because he was one of the team leaders on that team, winning a state championship and going undefeated,” he said.The elder Hulls said his family is “extremely excited and thankful.”“It’s a little bit overwhelming, to be real honest with you,” J.C. Hulls said.Tipton High School senior and fellow 2009 IU recruit Derek Elston finished third behind Hulls and Grimm with 18 votes.“My coaches were telling me if I wasn’t going to be Mr. Basketball, I’d be No. 2,” Elston said Sunday. “But I guess I shouldn’t have that kind of attitude. I’m glad they chose me as a top three, and I’m honored to be up there with those guys.”But Elston said he is happy for his future teammate.“I’ve been telling all the other reporters, and even friends, ‘Even if I don’t win it, then I hope Jordan does,’” Elston said. “To see that he has won, that’s no problem to me. I’m glad that if I didn’t, he got it.”This weekend, Hulls spent time with two other incoming IU recruits, Maurice Creek and Christian Watford. The future Hoosiers played together at the Wazoo Sports Derby Festival Basketball Classic on Friday and Saturday in Louisville.While Hulls said he is looking forward to spending the next four years with Creek and Watford, he will forever be in the same company as past Indiana Mr. Basketball award winners.Hulls will become the 25th Indiana Mr. Basketball to continue his career at IU, joining the likes of college All-Americans Bill Garrett, Jimmy Rayl, Dick and Tom Van Arsdale, George McGinnis, Kent Benson, Steve Alford, Jay Edwards, Damon Bailey, Jared Jeffries and Eric Gordon.With a state title and now the Mr. Basketball award, Hulls has lofty goals for his four years at IU.“There’s a lot of things that I have set, just like I set goals for myself to be Mr. Basketball,” he said. “It’s going to take a lot of hard work, but we eventually want to win the Big Ten, then go to a Final Four and win a championship in those four years that I’m there.”
(04/02/09 4:18am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Christian Watford looks like a basketball player. He’s 6-foot-8, weighs 215 pounds and some say he resembles a young Tracy McGrady.But looks alone didn’t net him a scholarship to play at IU, nor did they help the high school senior average 26 points, 15 rebounds and five assists per game this year for Shades Valley High School, located in a suburb of Birmingham, Ala.“He’s put some work in,” his father, Ernest Watford, said in a phone interview last month. “He and I have put some long, long hours in. He’s put hours in by himself.”While IU’s highly touted 2009 recruiting class is more than one man, there is reason to be excited about Watford donning the cream and crimson next year. Just ask IU coach Tom Crean.“He is a matchup nightmare because if you go small on him, he can take you down low, and if you go big, he can take you to the rim,” Crean said in a statement following Watford’s official signing in November. “He can be an excellent rebounder, and what I feel, along with other members of this class, is that he will be able to hold his own defensively for many years to come inside our program. We are really excited to have a player of Christian’s caliber coming into Indiana.”The elder Watford, who played at Southern Junior College in Birmingham from 1982 to 1984, recalled a time when he took his son to the gym and watched him play from above the court. Seeing how his son handled himself and the way he went hard at “game speed” let him know the teenager could be something special one day.“That made me think, ‘He’s got a shot at playing Division I basketball if he continues to get better,’” Ernest Watford said.But Christian Watford’s father wasn’t the only one noticing his potential at a young age. Christian Watford was only in seventh or eighth grade when he began receiving mail from several college coaches.“Mississippi State, Alabama, Florida – you know, a couple SEC schools around here,” Christian Watford said.Though Watford was already receiving college letters and playing varsity basketball as a 13-year-old eighth-grader, things didn’t come as easily as one might guess, he said.“I’ve been to three high schools,” the Shades Valley senior said. “My family has done a lot of moving around just for me to be able to play basketball. A couple times at schools, I wasn’t able to play for whatever reason. It motivated me to do bigger things.”Today, Watford still strives to do big things. In fact, his ultimate goal is to make the NBA. “They’ve got to get a lot out of me (at IU), and they’ve got to push me to the next level,” he said. “But I feel like I’m willing to work for whatever it is for me to get to the next level. I feel like I’m going to do that.”For the time being, Watford is concentrating on what immediately lies ahead. Although Shades Valley was eliminated from Alabama’s Class 6A state playoffs on Feb. 20, the 17-year-old recently began working with a strength-and-conditioning coach five days a week. Between now and when he arrives at IU on June 17, Watford said he will continue to work on his basketball skills while focusing most of his energy on staying in shape. Though he plans to add 10 pounds to his frame, which he referred to as “nothing major,” his personal goals at IU are nothing minor.“Just winning Big Ten championships, go to the (NCAA) Tournament, do well in the tournament, compete for a national championship,” he said. “And I want to be Big Ten Freshman of the Year and next year just keep building from that.”Should Watford collect the Big Ten’s top freshman honor, he would become the fourth Hoosier to do so this decade, following the likes of Jared Jeffries (2001), D.J. White (2005) and Eric Gordon (2008). Watford is thought to be the Big Ten’s most versatile incoming freshman, yet his versatility isn’t limited to his on-court feats. He has excelled in the classroom, earning a 3.5 cumulative GPA to date, and is a member of the National Honor Society, he said. Watford also plans to shine on and off the court at IU. He says he wants to be remembered as a team player who “worked hard day in and day out, produced day in and day out, just gave it all to the University – athletically and academically.”As one of Crean’s top recruits, Watford realizes his potential role in bringing IU back to national prominence. “I want to leave a good legacy,” the four-star recruit said.
(02/22/09 5:44am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The gymnasium at Bloomington High School South was filled Saturday afternoon for a contest between No. 4 Detroit Country Day and No. 5 South. For most of the crowd, they got what they paid for: a 73-67 win by the hometown Panthers.IU-bound Jordan Hulls led the way with 27 points on 8-14 shooting from the field (3-7 behind the arc), as well as a perfect eight for eight from the charity stripe. Hulls was certainly not a one-man show, thanks to an 18-point effort by sophomore point guard Dee Davis.Fellow sophomore Spencer Turner had a fairly quiet showing for the first 31 minutes, making two 3’s and sinking three of four from the free throw line. In the last 30.3 seconds, Turner hit five of six free throw, including the last three points of the game.South led by three after one quarter and jumped to its largest lead of the first half at 23-16.DCC cut it to two at the half, and took a five-point lead after three periods. The Yellowjackets went ahead 59-51, but Hulls found Davis for two, followed by a Davis steal and layup to cut it to four.On the next offensive possession, Hulls missed a three-pointer, got his own rebound and found Davis for another two points. A DCC dunk by DaShonte Riley was followed by a trey from Hulls, coming off a screen, bringing the score to 61-60 DCC.Hulls was fouled after a missed shot by the Yellowjackets the next time down the court, and sank two free throws to put South ahead, 62-61. A tough lay up by DCC’s Ray McCallum, Jr., put the visiting team up by a point, but South closed the game on an 11-4 run to seal it.South came in ranked as the top team in Indiana’s Class 4A, but had a lot to prove against the Michigan private school boasting five guys at 6-foot-6 or taller.Small forward Jordan Dumars (South Florida) had 14, including four 3’s, while sophomore center Amir Williams came off the bench for 11.Power forward Donnavan Kirk (Miami, Fla.) fouled out, was called for three traveling violations and only scored a few baskets. Center DaShonte Riley (formerly committed to Georgetown) was also held relatively quiet from an offensive standpoint, despite a crowd-silencing dunk late in the game. McCallum led the way for the visiting team with at least 17 points.South improved to 19-0 with the win, while DCC is now 18-1.
(02/20/09 6:09am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>There was a time when most basketball-loving kids in Bloomington wanted to “be like Mike” – Michael Jordan, that is. Now it is another Jordan many in town are looking up to: Bloomington High School South point guard Jordan Hulls.“He’s a very, very good kid, never gets in trouble, never is out partying on the weekends, never is out messing around doing bad things,” said Spencer Turner, a sophomore teammate and friend. “He leads by example, and everybody at school wants to be like him. He’s a very important role model for kids.”Hulls’ high school coach, J.R. Holmes, said similar things, calling him “a solid Christian kid that works hard, plays hard and does the right things.” He also referred to him as a “gym rat.”Though Hulls said that school is important – he has about a 3.91 cumulative GPA – and though Turner said he often sees Hulls working with younger kids, the 18-year-old senior will always be known as a basketball player.Hulls grew up in Bloomington and like his father, J.C., is a stand-out player for the Panthers. After an impressive showing at an Amateur Athletic Union event in Pittsburgh last spring, many major programs quickly showed interest.Schools such as Duke and Stanford were checking him out, and both IU and Purdue offered him scholarships within a 24-hour period in early May.On May 20, Hulls announced he was going to play for IU. He signed his national letter of intent in November, becoming the first South player to do so since Chris Lawson in 1989.Today, the 6-foot, 170-pound guard is a regular behind the bench or north basket at IU home games. Though he admits it is frustrating seeing his future teammates struggle despite their hard work, it’s only because he is used to winning.Hulls has played on successful Indiana Elite AAU teams as he also helped South reach the Indiana Class 4A semi-state game during his freshman and sophomore years. Heading into Friday’s game at Perry Meridian, South is 17-0 and ranked first in the state and No. 15 nationally, according to USA Today. Nine of the team’s wins have come by 30 or more points, and not one has come by fewer than 15.For the senior guard, who shares point guard duties with sophomore Darwin “Dee” Davis, it is state title or bust.“I hate to lose,” he said. “That’s all I can really think about. I won’t settle for anything less than winning state.”While his scoring numbers are down from last year, he is still filling up the stat sheet.“His game speaks for itself,” Turner said. “He goes out and plays, keeps his mouth shut and does a heck of a job passing, scoring, dribbling, rebounding – plays defense well. He does it all, and without him we wouldn’t be nearly as high as what we are (ranked) right now.”Early last week, Hulls said he was averaging about 15 points, four or five rebounds, four or five assists and two or three steals a game. That was before he exploded for 30 points, seven rebounds, three steals and three assists against Warren Central last Saturday.But the numbers don’t matter to him or to his teammates.“When we play good together, we don’t really care who gets all the credit as long as we win,” Hulls said. “When we’re playing hard, we’re hard to beat.”But so is another upcoming foe for South. Should the Panthers win Friday, they will improve to 18-0, setting the stage for their toughest challenge to date.On Saturday, No. 4 Detroit Country Day will make the trip from Michigan to Southern Indiana, where two of the nation’s top five teams will square off in front of a sold-out crowd.The visiting Yellowjackets are 18-0 and will bring a wealth of future Division I talent, including highly touted junior Ray McCallum Jr., the son of former IU assistant coach Ray McCallum, Sr.Hulls said he is looking forward to proving that he can play against top talent.“I really can’t wait for that game, and I like the challenge,” he said. “It’s always a good thing to play against better competition to really see how good you can be.”Personal stats aside, Hulls, as always, just wants to win. Though he knows he can’t take down Detroit Country Day without his teammates, they also know they can’t do it without him.“I know he’s going to make his presence felt, whether it’s getting on the floor for a loose ball or hitting a shot or taking someone off the dribble or making a nice pass to somebody,” Turner said. “It’s not going to take one guy; it’s going to take all of us. That’s what he does, he gets all five players involved in the game, and he does a great job of it. His presence will be felt.” Bragging rights on the line for two top-5 teamsFriday’s game between Bloomington High School South and Perry Meridian is a classic trap game for the Panthers, with Detroit Country Day on deck. South (17-0), ranked No. 5 nationally according to USA Today, will take on the No. 4 Yellowjackets (18-0) at 4:30 p.m Saturday at South.“We’re all excited. We’re all pumped up for that game,” South sophomore Spencer Turner said. “It should be awesome.”South starts seniors Jordan Hulls and Chaz Cooper, junior Erik Fromm and sophomores Turner and Dee Davis.The Yellowjackets, meanwhile, have a star-studded lineup that includes at least five future Division I athletes. The backcourt consists of point guard Ray McCallum Jr. the No. 10 junior according to ESPN.com, as well as future Michigan State wide receiver Bennie Fowler.Yellowjacket small forward Jordan Dumars, son of NBA legend Joe Dumars, will play basketball at the University of South Florida next year, while 6-foot-7 forward Donnovan Kirk will be down Interstate-75 at the University of Miami (Fla.). DaShonte Riley, a 6-foot-10 center, is still open after decommitting from Georgetown in November.Hulls said there are very few public schools ranked nationally, so he hopes he and his teammates can prove how good they are. “It’s just a time for us to show how good we can be and it’s going to be a good challenge for us,” he said. “And playing against Ray will be fun because we play on the same AAU team and, obviously, he went to North last year. That will be exciting to play against him because we’re good buddies.”
(01/27/09 4:06am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Michael Morgan has always been there for his stepson Maurice Creek. They bonded through basketball early on, whether it was Morgan doing drills with Creek out on “the hill,” watching him play at the elementary school or pitting him against older kids at the local rec center. “If it weren’t for him working me out, I wouldn’t be here right now,” Creek said in a phone interview last week. Creek eventually blossomed into a can’t-miss prospect, currently a top 60 recruit according to recruiting Web sites Rivals.com and Scout.com.Two years ago, the four-star recruit averaged about 29 points per game at Oxon Hill High School in Maryland. Then he took his game to South Kent Prep School in Connecticut, where he averaged 21.5 points, four rebounds and five assists as a junior. The 6-foot-5, 195-pound guard has similar numbers this year, but the school has again changed – this time at prep school power Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia. Next year, the 19-year-old will continue his basketball career at IU, where he said he ultimately hopes to become one of the program’s greatest.Despite all of Creek’s basketball accomplishments, what makes Morgan most proud is how his stepson adapted to him “being a disciplinarian and being on top of him from day one.” “Maurice had a tough upbringing as far as with him and his real father,” Morgan said. “With his real father basically stepping out of his life, that was rough on him, and it affected him for a while ... Every child wants to be with their parent. That didn’t happen, and for him it was crushing.”Though it wasn’t easy on Creek, he doesn’t dwell much on the past.“When they told me the truth, yeah, I cried a couple of nights, but that’s how life is sometimes,” he said.Fortunately for Creek, Morgan stepped into his life at a young age. He acted as a father figure to him from the beginning, even years before he married Creek’s mother, Pammy Morgan.But along with his stepfather, something else changed Creek’s life for the better: basketball. “If I didn’t have ball right now, I don’t know where I’d be,” Creek said. “I’d probably be on the streets somewhere messing with these other kids, acting up and stuff like that. I’m glad I have this sport in my life because without this sport and without my stepfather pushing me, I’d probably be another knucklehead out on the street doing stupid stuff.”Instead of the streets, Creek is at Hargrave, where he is looking to finish out a great season and academic year with the necessary test scores to qualify to compete for the Hoosiers. From there, Creek is expected to be one of the major players in IU’s rebuilding process. Though IU coach Tom Crean has called Creek a “prolific shooter,” he’s not a one-dimensional player.“He’s developing a pull-up game, and as his ball-handling catches up with his ability to shoot the basketball, he will be an outstanding guard,” Crean said in a statement following Creek’s official signing in November. Creek said he is enjoying playing at Hargrave, though his scoring numbers are down since his days at Oxon Hill when he was the team’s leading scorer. Now he plays with fellow four-star recruits Chris Braswell, Freddie Riley and Deshawn Painter, among others.“I had to change coming to Hargrave because I wanted to win games,” Creek said. “When I was the leading scorer, we won games, but we also didn’t win games. Now we’re winning games. We’ve lost only one game this year.”Though Creek is away at school in Virginia, he and his stepfather stay in touch.“I talk to Maurice every day, a few times a day sometimes,” Morgan said. “I just try to keep him motivated as far as schoolwork. The basketball is going to take care of itself.”But Creek said he isn’t having trouble staying motivated in the classroom.“Academically, it’s just great,” he said. “I’ve got a 3.6 right now, as we speak.”Unfortunately, grades and schoolwork haven’t always come that easily for him. With his biological father going in and out of his life and then disappearing altogether, Creek struggled in the classroom, Morgan said. While Creek has yet to receive a qualifying standardized test score – which paired with his cumulative GPA will determine his eligibility for next year – he said he “will be in an Indiana uniform.” “I’m getting closer and closer by the day, and it’s not going to be long before I get my score,” he said. “Like I said, having problems when you’re younger ... I was doing OK in school, but I wasn’t doing what I was supposed to be doing, like how I’m doing now.”If everything goes as expected, Creek will join the team and enroll in classes this summer. He knows there are high expectations for him, but he is looking forward to a great freshman year on and off the court.“I just want to come in there and what I do best and just go in there and get my grades, maintain those grades and, you know, have a great year and be a vocal leader,” he said. Though Creek makes it sound easy, growing up without his biological father, of course, was not. Lucky for him, Morgan always treated him as his own son. “Obviously my father wasn’t responsible enough to take care of me, so I’ve got my stepfather to take care of me,” Creek said. “And look where I’m at now.”
(01/12/09 5:26am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>LOVELAND, Ohio – Bobby Capobianco is used to being on the move. He was born in Orlando, Fla., but has since lived in six other states. In August 2005, his family moved to Loveland, just outside of Cincinnati. Prior to Ohio, Capobianco called Greensboro, N.C., his home.“I lived there for six years, which is the longest I have ever lived anywhere,” he said. Capobianco has been a welcome addition to Loveland, and he will likely end his four-year varsity basketball career as Loveland High School’s all-time leading scorer, rebounder and shot blocker. He’s already two-thirds of the way there, just 131 points short of that feat with 11 regular season games to go.But he isn’t getting too comfortable in Ohio either. Ten days after graduating from high school, the IU recruit will begin summer classes at IU and officially join the basketball team.The senior said he “literally got into (his) house three days before school started freshman year,” so he isn’t bothered by yet another abrupt move. “I’d leave after this interview if I could,” he said in a sit-down during winter break. “I’m ready.”Though he calls his former North Carolina home “Basketball Heaven,” there has never been any doubt these last several months how much he is looking forward to putting on an IU jersey. “One of the things that really stands out about Bobby is how much he loves Indiana, and we are excited to have him,” IU coach Tom Crean said in a statement following Capobianco’s official signing in November.But IU was never a likely destination for the three-star forward, who says he is 6-foot-9 in shoes and between 235 and 240 pounds, even though he has been playing in the Bloomington-based Indiana Elite AAU program. “I had always been around IU, and I thought it was a great place,” Capobianco said.But former IU coach Kelvin Sampson never called. Capobianco was, however, actively recruited by Crean and assistant coach Tim Buckley while the two were still at Marquette.But Capobianco dreamed of attending a large school and playing in front of his parents, something Marquette couldn’t offer.After Sampson left IU, Capobianco and his father joked about Crean taking the head coaching vacancy, despite the coach’s name being virtually non-existent in talks about the next IU coach.“My dad was like, ‘There is no way,’ but then all of a sudden he got the job, and about a week later I got a call,” Capobianco said. “At that point I was set. I knew I wanted to play for him.”On April 16, Capobianco gave his verbal commitment to Crean. On Nov. 13, he faxed in his letter of intent, officially making him a Hoosier.“The day I signed that letter and faxed it back, that just kind of showed that all of that was worth it,” Capobianco said. “But at the same time it was kind of like, I have that much more to do.”Capobianco’s father, Bob Capobianco, said everything that happened in early April “just all fit together perfectly.” “I would say that I can’t think of a place that would be as good a fit,” he said. “I think his game certainly fits the Big Ten – it’s physical, hard-nosed. I think that’s one aspect of his game that fits it to a tee.” The future Hoosier says he will do whatever is asked of him next year, whether that is to score or simply play defense and rebound. He’s also not afraid to hit the baseline. “I’m looking forward to the day in and the day out, going back to my dorm room and passing out because I’m that tired,” he said. “I’m looking forward to running until I can’t anymore. I think that will be awesome.”Though his name won’t be on the IU roster for several months, Capobianco indicated that down the road he’d like his legacy as an IU basketball player to be defined by his toughness. “If people are going to remember something, I want them to remember that I was a guy who never got outworked – that I was out there, whether someone was more athletic than me, more talented than me, whatever it might be, that I’m going to outwork them and I’m going to beat them just because (of my) will,” he said. “That’s something I’d like to be remembered as – a guy who just gave it his all, all the time, no matter the situation.”Even when his playing days are through, Capobianco still plans to be out on the hardwood. “I know that I want to go back into coaching,” he said. “I’ve always thought that my mental aspect of basketball has been my best feature ever since I started playing.”Though he is unsure what he will study at IU, he already has some teachers who can help reach his dream job. “I think whether it’s Indiana, whether it’s Tom Crean, he will certainly have great coaching and great mentoring to help him if he chooses to follow that career path and become a college coach after he finishes out,” Bob Capobianco said.If there is one thing his college coaches won’t have to teach him, it’s how to deal with moving all over the country. He’s got that down.
(11/14/08 6:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Sixteen is typically a sweet number in college basketball. But for IU coach Tom Crean, a lack of depth on his 16-player roster might leave him a bit sour at times this year, especially with a “razor-thin” frontcourt.But after receiving five signed national letters of intent Wednesday and a sixth Thursday, IU has two guards, three forwards and a center ready to help Crean rebuild the IU basketball program starting next fall.“I think it helps put us in a situation where we can eventually have that consistent depth that you have, and I think that’s so important,” he said at his Thursday press conference.Though Mt. Zion Academy (N.C.) center Bawa Muniru did not get his papers until late Thursday afternoon, Crean did speak about the 2009 recruiting class as a whole. He did not discuss Muniru specifically, per NCAA rules.“It’s a really exciting time for us to know that they stood with us,” Crean said. “They wanted to be a part of this program and we weathered the storm, they weathered the storms. When self doubt can creep in, when you wonder what’s going to happen to a program, everybody stayed strong. I’m really proud of them, and I’m proud of our coaches.”Crean said immediate playing time and style of play were factors for the recruits, but said he also felt the tradition of IU basketball was important.“I think they believed in what Indiana’s all about,” he said. “For some of the young men like Maurice (Creek) to commit when he did before he’d been on a visit, and for Derek (Elston) to stick with us before he’d ever seen us coach (and) for Christian (Watford) to turn down the schools that he turned down, it’s a big deal.”While consensus four-star recruits Creek and Watford might be seen as the faces of the recruiting class, Crean recognizes the significance of all six of the 2009 recruits. In fact, after watching Jordan Hulls play this summer “and seeing what he’s capable of,” Crean said he would have been “miserable,” if the Bloomington South point guard did not end up at IU.“I think he’s got the whole package,” Crean said. “He’s as much of a pure leader that we have recruited since we recruited (current Indiana Pacer) Travis Diener at Marquette. And I know they get a lot of comparisons and rightfully so, and Travis has earned his way into being an NBA player, but Jordan has got a lot of that same demeanor.”Crean said Bobby Capobianco and the aforementioned Elston, both 6-foot-8 forwards, can shoot the ball. But they will also be able to help fill the void down low, a serious problem for the Hoosiers this year.“I think when you look at our front line and you look at the lack of size that we have there, it’s not going to be hard to find a place for four guys 6-foot-8-and-a-half or better,” Crean said. “We need that.”Muniru, listed at 6-foot-11 and 240 lbs. by Scout.com, is also expected to help returning big men Tom Pritchard and Tijan Jobe.In a statement released early Thursday evening, Crean said he will be “someone that brings great size and presence to our front line right off the bat.”Though Crean anticipates having 13 scholarship players next year and also has several walk-ons with the potential to return, he isn’t concerned. “I’d much rather have it be that way than what we’re doing right now, which is searching all the time (to fill the roster),” he said.After all, he’ll have depth.
(11/13/08 4:16am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Tipton (Ind.) High School star Derek Elston was sold on both coach Kelvin Sampson and IU men’s basketball. He verbally committed to the Hoosiers last September. But the 6-foot-8 forward officially placed his trust in a new IU coach, Tom Crean, and signed a national letter of intent Wednesday morning.“I just want to say to the people that I was here from the get-go. I wasn’t going to change my mind, I wasn’t going to go back on my word,” Elston said Wednesday night. Elston said he wanted to play for the Hoosiers when Sampson recruited him, and although he “kind of strayed away” from IU following the Sampson situation, he is eager to play for Crean and be a part of the IU basketball program.“I can’t wait to get down there and play,” Elston said.Wednesday was the first day of a week-long early signing period for high school seniors. Recruits have until Nov. 19 to sign their national letters of intent, but most IU recruits didn’t wait that long.Bobby Capobianco – also a 6-foot-8 forward – signed and faxed his paper work on Wednesday.In April, Capobianco became Crean’s first recruit to verbally commit to IU, including all current players. On Wednesday, he became the first Class of 2009 recruit to sign when he sent in his papers just after 7 a.m.“It feels good. I’m really excited,” he said. “I’m glad that everything’s kind of set in stone now. It’s certainly something I’ve been working toward for a really long time, and it kind of validates all those hours I’ve put in.“It certainly feels more like I’m a part of something I know, rather just kind of a speculative, ‘I’m going to IU.’”Jordan Hulls, Capobianco’s friend and AAU teammate, was next to send in his signed papers, though the Bloomington High School South point guard could have just as easily walked them to Assembly Hall. Highly touted wing Maurice Creek also joined in on the signing party “at about 11 (a.m.),” he said. The Hargrave Military Academy standout signed his letter of intent, along with five Hargrave teammates.“It feels good man,” Creek said. “I’m just ready to get there now. It feels good to sign a (national) letter of intent.”When Creek verbally committed May 4, the 6-foot-5 shooting guard had yet to even set foot on campus. A late-September visit to IU confirmed he wanted to take his game to Bloomington. “I’m really excited because now I see what my home is looking like, and I’m just ready to get in there and do the school work and play basketball there,” he said.With four letters of intent in, only four-star recruit Christian Watford and three-star center Bawa Muniru were still unsigned.Just after 7:30 p.m., Watford’s father, Ernest, said he had just sent his son’s signed papers to IU.“I did about 20 or 30 minutes ago ... 20 minutes ago,” Ernest Watford said. “That’s confirmed.”A press conference will be held Friday afternoon in Birmingham, Ala., where the younger Watford will officially celebrate his signing.By press time Wednesday, it was unclear whether Muniru had signed with the Hoosiers, though he is still expected to join IU. If Muniru signs, the center will finish off a consensus top 10 recruiting class that already boasts two guards and three forwards.“Our class coming next – we’ve got size (and) we’ve got a whole bunch of talent to add on to what Coach Crean has right now,” Elston said. “It shows me that something good’s going to come out of this.”Capobianco echoed that statement, saying, “I think we’re going to be able to do great things.”While Ernest Watford won’t be putting on an IU jersey, he is still optimistic about what his son and future teammates can achieve at IU.“We look forward to coming up there and winning some national championships,” he said.
(09/30/08 3:43am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With the recent pledge from 6-foot-11 center Bawa Muniru, IU men’s basketball coach Tom Crean now has six commitments from the 2009 class, although he only has room to give away five available scholarships.Muniru’s commitment last Thursday leaves 14 potential scholarship players in the fold for next year’s IU squad. But NCAA rules limit teams to 13 scholarships with the Big Ten permitting the Hoosiers to over-sign by one. Crean will be forced to make an adjustment should all six sign, but that hasn’t stopped him from recruiting for next year.Despite Muniru’s commitment, four-star recruit Chris Braswell visited this past weekend.Bobby Capobianco, the first of the '09 recruits to commit to IU after Crean’s arrival, was also on campus last Saturday and said he isn’t quite sure how it will all play out.“That’s a whole lot of business that coaches have to deal with,” he said Sunday by phone. “Even with Bawa (committing), we don’t have enough scholarships. I definitely don’t see there being a spot for Braswell.”The IU coaching staff hasn’t turned its shoulder on Braswell, though. The power forward told John Decker of HoosierNation.com that Crean wants him in an IU jersey.Regardless of whether Braswell does commit and even if Muniru doesn’t sign until the spring – as rumors suggest might happen – Crean will have to plan how he wishes to allocate next year’s scholarships. That could mean parting ways with one of his current players or even telling an unsigned recruit there is no longer room for him.Fans on the IU message boards have thrown around Capobianco’s name, on account of the three-star recruit being the only of the six commitments not ranked among the Top 150 recruits, according to Rivals.com.“I’m not worried,” he said. “It doesn’t really upset me. The people who write those things on the message boards, they aren’t inside the program. They’re the people on the outside looking in. Let them speculate, it doesn’t offend me at all.”Capobianco, who is ranked No. 100 by ESPN’s Scouts, Inc. rankings, was highly coveted by Crean long before he took the IU coaching position, and there are no indications that IU is planning to cut him loose. Off the court, Capobianco said he shares the same enthusiasm and passion for IU basketball as his future coach.If he had the choice to enroll at IU now, he said he would jump at the opportunity. “It’s kind of one those things where (after the visit) if coach had asked me to stay and just go into my dorm room after, I would have,” he said. “I’m really excited.”During his unofficial visit, Capobianco, the other recruits and this year’s team watched the first half of the IU football game before heading to Assembly Hall for an open gym.Capobianco and fellow 2009 recruit Jordan Hulls teamed with current Hoosiers Verdell Jones, Nick Williams, Tom Pritchard and Malik Story while five-star sophomore recruit Marquis Teague rotated in a bit as well.Capobianco, a 6-foot-8 forward, said he saw a lot of improvement from the IU players and noticed they are in “a whole lot better shape,” from working with strength and conditioning coach Jeff Watkinson. He was especially complimentary of transfer Jeremiah Rivers.
(09/23/08 4:02am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU recruit Derek Elston hasn’t played basketball in more than four months.The senior forward from Tipton, Ind., suffered a torn meniscus at an AAU event on May 17 and underwent surgery just four days later to repair his knee.Elston has been waking up each morning during the week at 6 a.m. for informal team workouts, only to watch his teammates from the sidelines. Being shelved for more than four months has been tough on him, but the four-star recruit said he “can’t wait” to be cleared to play.Elston is set to go to the doctor today, where they will run a few tests on him. He might get the good news he is looking for and be out on the court soon.“If I do get released,” he said by phone Sunday night, “we’ll play in the morning Wednesday, and I guarantee I’ll be the first one there.”Elston, ranked as the No. 90 senior-class prospect by Scout.com and No. 98 by Rivals.com, committed to play for IU last September. Despite giving his promise to Kelvin Sampson, Elston has developed a good relationship with IU coach Tom Crean – and assistant coach Tim Buckley, especially – and is eager to join the team next year.Last Saturday, Elston made the trip to Bloomington with a few friends to watch the IU-Ball State football game. “It was too much fun. It was a good trip,” he said. “Just me and a couple buddies were going to come up to the IU game, and then we caught up with coach Buckley, and he took us around, walked us around with (7-foot IU recruit) Bawa (Muniru) and just had a good time.”Elston said he watched a bit of an IU volleyball game, saw the Walk, accompanied IU coaches who were watching film with Muniru, and before kickoff even got onto the field with Muniru and some high school freshman recruits also visiting during the weekend.“When I was down on the field at the beginning of the game, and having all these people screaming ‘Derek,’ and getting their picture taken with me, that was a lot of fun,” Elston said. The Tipton High School star said he tried talking with Muniru a bit, but said the 7-foot Ghana native did not always seem to understand him. Elston did say Muniru was a “funny guy,” and seemed to have lots of fun at the football game.Muniru was on campus for an official visit, five days after Crean and assistants Bennie Seltzer and Roshown McLeod visited the big man at Charis Prep in North Carolina. IU could benefit from adding another true post player, but on Wednesday, Crean and McLeod took a trip to New Jersey to visit five-star guard/forward Dominic Cheek. “(I’d) probably (prefer) a big man, because I’d hate to see another Eric Gordon, a one-and-done guy,” Elston said. “With regards to IU and me, I’d like to see us get a big guy who will stay all this time and learn and become a great player after his third or fourth year.”If IU doesn’t end up with another big man, Elston – listed as a small forward by Rivals but a power forward by Scout – might see more time in the post next year. He’s listed at 6-foot-8 on several recruiting sites but says he’s one inch taller, and Elston might not even be done growing. “When I tore my meniscus, actually, they took x-rays and said that I still had a lot of room left in my joints for growing,” Elston said. “Whether I get to 6-10 or not, I don’t know, but I think I still have a little bit more in me.”
(09/10/08 4:09am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>High school senior Christian Watford, one of the best small forwards in the country, has committed to play for the IU men’s basketball team starting next season. IU coach Tom Crean has long been after the four-star recruit – ranked No. 34 in the nation by Rivals.com and No. 72 by Scout.com – and one of the Hoosiers’ top priorities has finally made the call.Watford’s commitment buoys IU’s 2009 recruiting class, ranked ninth in the nation by Rivals.com. BLOG: For more, see the Basketblog.Although he made it official Tuesday evening, Watford said he had known for a while he was planning on playing for Crean and the Hoosiers.“I went up (to IU) for the Elite Camp on August 23; I liked it and thought about it,” he said by phone Tuesday night. “It just felt like the best fit for me, and that’s where I wanted to go.”Crean, who had been trying to court the long and athletic 6-foot-7 inch forward since his days at Marquette, flew down to Alabama on Tuesday afternoon to watch Watford in an open gym at his high school in Birmingham.Although the Shades Valley High School star said Crean’s plane came in late, the Hoosiers’ coach did get to watch him work out a bit. Not long after, he told Crean the big news.“He was very rejoiceful,” the recruit said of his future coach’s reaction to the commitment.It was first reported on Sunday that Watford had IU at the top of his list, then came the news that Crean would be making the home visit to see Watford on Tuesday. Watford himself then wrote on his Facebook page late Monday night, “WORLD...STAY TUNED 4 TOMORROW!!!!!!” The world, or at least the IU basketball world, did stay tuned, and Hoosier fans got the news they were hoping for. Watford said another factor in choosing IU was that through the entire recruiting process, Crean and the IU coaches “stayed by (his) side.”Now, the recruit said he will focus on his high school season and “just go from there.” He is highly anticipating his future at IU, however, saying he is “definitely looking forward to” winning an NCAA title with the Hoosiers.With the addition of Watford, Crean now has five high school seniors slated to attend IU next year. Crean had previously secured four commitments for next year: point guard Jordan Hulls, shooting guard Maurice Creek, small forward Derek Elston and power forward Bobby Capobianco.
(09/09/08 4:32am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>High school juniors and class of 2010 basketball recruits Lavonte Dority, Lenzelle Smith, Jr. and Alex Gauna were among a handful of recruits on campus Saturday for unofficial visits with the IU men’s basketball team.The recruits met with the coaches and even watched Saturday night’s IU football game from 50-yard-line seats alongside IU players Jeremiah Rivers and Devan Dumes.While IU coach Tom Crean was the one playing host to the recruits this past weekend, today he is headed down to Birmingham, Ala., according to media reports, where he will be a guest at Shades Valley Technical Academy and likely the home of Class of 2009 recruit Christian Watford who is the No. 34 ranked recruit on Rivals.com and No. 72 Scout.com.For several weeks, Watford has been known publicly as one of Crean’s top recruiting priority, and with Crean headed to Shades Valley to watch the 6-foot-8 forward work out, rumors are rampant about a verbal commitment.Crean has already put together a four-man recruiting class for next season that experts might call very good, but Crean is looking to make it great. And adding Watford may just do that.A commitment from Watford would mean the Hoosiers would be bringing in four four-star recruits — at least according to Scout.com — and thus four of Scout’s current Top 90 prospects for next year.Just more than two weeks ago, Watford and his entire family made the trip up to IU to attend the Elite Camp. There, Watford and his family mingled with the likes of Isiah Thomas, while the four-star recruit also met with coaches and scrimmaged with other recruits.While initial reports were indeed favorable for IU and it seemed that Watford still had intended to visit four of his other top schools: Alabama, Kentucky, Louisville and another possible leader, along with IU and Memphis.John Decker of HoosierNation.com reported Monday that Watford’s father, Ernest, said that IU has made the “push to the top” of his son’s list.Bobby Capobianco and Jordan Hulls, high school seniors who have committed to IU and also attended the Elite Camp, spoke with the Indiana Daily Student briefly two weeks ago about Watford.At the camp, Capobianco joked with Watford about how he “looks good” in IU colors, while he told the IDS he was “banking” on either Watford or Roger Franklin committing to play for IU.However, Franklin is no longer considering the Hoosiers.Hulls, meanwhile, also had some contact with Watford at the Elite Camp, and he had nothing but positives to say about the IU recruit.“We played on the same team at the Elite Camp, and we didn’t lose,” Hulls said. “He’s fun to play with because he’s so good, and he’s a mismatch for everybody. He made it easy for me as point guard.”
(08/28/08 3:04am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>New IU men’s basketball coach Tom Crean had an interesting first couple months on the job, to say the least. Aside from trying to field a competitive team for the 2008-09 season, Crean also had to work on assembling his coaching staff and trying to convince high school underclassmen like commit Derek Elston to honor his commitment to IU.Elston, sidelined all summer because of knee surgery, is often forgotten because he committed to play for Kelvin Sampson. After getting to know Crean more, however, he still has faith in the program and is still looking forward to being a part of it.“Now that things have progressed and I’ve gotten to see (Crean) more and more, it’s becoming that real good relationship that I had with Coach Sampson,” Elston said. “He’s saying the same stuff: He’s always going to be there for me, and he’s going to try to make me the best player I can be. I’m real happy that I’m going to be coached by him now.”Elston said he has three weeks of surgery rehab left, and although he hasn’t been able to play, he did make it to the Indiana Elite Camp this past weekend and met IU commit Bobby Capobianco for the first time and “hung out” with IU commit and Bloomington South guard Jordan Hulls.“Seeing them and hearing what Coach had to say about me and all the guys put together, it was really fun,” Elston said. “It was real nice to be there with everybody there.”Lucky for Crean, he didn’t have to do a whole lot of convincing of former Marquette target Capobianco, as he landed the big man in just more than two weeks since taking over the basketball program. Crean then picked up verbal commitments from four-star recruit Maurice Creek in early May and Hulls just a couple weeks later. This summer, Hulls – the No. 106 overall recruit in his class, according to Rivals.com and No. 80, according to Scout.com – found time between AAU events to attend some open gyms and met and played with most of the guys on this year’s IU squad.“It was good getting to run up and down with them and getting used to playing with them for when I get there next year,” he said. “Our chemistry will be good and Coach Crean will have us doing what we need to do. I think we’ll be really good in the next couple years.”The current four-man class may be asked to carry much of the load in 2009-10, but Creek, ranked No. 59 by Rivals.com and No. 45 by Scout.com, is well aware of that.“We have one goal,” he said, alluding to winning a national championship. “Just because we’re a freshman group don’t mean freshman groups can’t pull things out. ... We’ve got a good, talented group in that class.”But Crean is not finished building the 2009 recruiting class. He has one scholarship available and has long been after Alabama’s Christian Watford (No. 34 on Rivals.com and No.72 on Scout.com) and Texas native Roger Franklin (No. 90 on Rivals.com and No. 43 on Scout.com), both of whom have IU among their top five schools. “I’m still banking that either Roger or Christian will commit, and that would be good,” Capobianco said. Watford made a return visit to IU with his entire family this past weekend, although he is not expected to make a decision until the fall. He’s also planning visits to Alabama, Kentucky, Memphis and Louisville. Capobianco has known Watford for about a year and joked with him about how good he looks in IU colors, while Hulls also had a little contact with the Shades Valley High School star.“He’s fun to play with because he’s so good and he’s a mismatch for everybody,” Hulls said. “He made it easy for me as a point guard. ... I put my two cents in and told him what a great opportunity IU is for him.”While Watford and Franklin have been on IU’s radar all summer, an even bigger name is planning a visit to IU. Dominic Cheek, the No. 16 recruit in the class of 2009 according to Rivals.com and No. 15 according to Scout.com, told multiple sources that he will visit IU. The New Jersey prep star was first targeted by Crean at Marquette, and has a good relationship with new IU assistant coach Roshown McLeod.
(08/27/08 1:45am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Highland High School (Ariz.) sophomore Matt Carlino verbally committed to play for IU on Saturday, ending both his recruitment and the accompanying stresses of being highly touted without a college destination. “(IU coach Tom Crean) told me that when I get there that I’ll be an impact player at Indiana,” Carlino said. “He told me he wants to get me to the next level, and he thinks he can do that for me. I know he can. I just have a lot of faith in Coach Crean – in the way he can develop me as a player.”Carlino’s father and high school coach, Mark, is well aware of the benefit of his 16-year-old son ending his recruitment early and says they can now use the next few years to make sure he improves his basketball game.“When you’re in the process, when you’re being hunted by all these coaches, you tend to play for them, and you don’t play for yourself or your team,” Mark Carlino said on Monday. “Now he can just really get down and dirty and try to develop his game, play for himself and the teammates he’s playing with and just get himself as ready as possible – as ready as he can be for Indiana when he gets there.”The younger Carlino measured in at 6-foot-2 and one-half inches and 170 pounds this past weekend, and although he’s listed as a combo guard, the sophomore from Phoenix considers himself “more of a point guard.” Recruiting service Scout.com already lists Carlino as a 4-star recruit, while the Hoop Scoop recently tabbed him as the No. 16 prospect in the class of 2011.Carlino received a scholarship offer from Crean in June when he was in town for a team camp. This past weekend the entire Carlino family made it back to Bloomington for the second Elite Camp, and it was only a matter of time between interacting with the coaches and seeing some of the famous IU alumni that Carlino knew where he wanted to play.“He was always very high on Indiana ever since we were there for the team camp, and I think just having been there again and really kind of confirming in his own mind from which he liked it, I think he decided,” his father said. Carlino calls the IU basketball tradition “unbelievable” and said it’s “hard not to love” Bloomington. It’s Crean and the rest of the coaching staff, though, that really sold him on coming to IU.Although Carlino averaged more than 16 points per game as a freshman, the sophomore said he needs to improve his consistency, instead of just the occasional spectacular play. Carlino’s father said he needs to get stronger and shoot more consistently, but both he and the IU coaches would also like to see him become a leader on the court.“More than anything, I think, and this is also Coach Crean who has talked to him about this, he needs to really become one of those leaders who brings the best out of his teammates and make them better,” Mark Carlino said.While Carlino shied away from listing his strengths, knowing he “can improve on everything,” future IU teammates Jordan Hulls and Bobby Capobianco – both commits for 2009 – were sold on the sophomore at this weekend’s Elite Camp.Hulls said Carlino is a “real strong, tough player” who can play both ends of the floor well, and he’s “glad that he’s going to come to IU.” Capobianco said they scrimmaged on the same team this weekend and was impressed with his game, his basketball IQ and his athleticism. “In layup lines he was throwing down windmill dunks, and any kid that can do that of any height is super athletic,” Capobianco said. “I’m really excited.”
(06/23/08 2:19pm)
IU head coach Tom Crean may want to consider breaking a time-honored Hoosier tradition for this upcoming season and actually stitch the player names onto the backs of the IU jerseys.\nMalik Story, a 6-foot-5 wing from Los Angeles, is the latest player to commit to IU, providing Hoosier fans with an 11th new face on the 2008-09 roster to remember. The Hoosiers return all of 30 out of the 2,476 total points scored last season, in Kyle Taber (28) and Brett Finkelmeier (2).\nIt’s no question that the Hoosiers are in a rebuilding phase, which many experts say may take two or three years at least, but the newest member of the 2008-09 Hoosiers squad isn’t concerned.\n“I’m not worried about it at all,” said Story, a three-star recruit according to www.scout.com. “I think were going to surprise people. All of us are going to try and work hard and just play basketball. That’s what \nit is. Just because it’s a brand new team it doesn’t mean we can’t win.”\nStory, a graduate of Los Angeles’ Ribet Academy, has been in this situation before. While at Artesia High School for three years, Story’s teams won back-to-back state championships in 2006 and 2007 after being told they weren’t good enough. Now, the 200-lb. shooting guard looks to prove the doubters wrong again and use that as motivation at the collegiate level. \n“Yeah, that’s the thing I’m most excited about,” Story said. “I just hope everybody else is motivated and that we all just work hard. In the end, everybody puts their shoes on the same, so we’ve just got to go out there and play.”\nStory verbally committed to the University of Southern California as a sophomore in high school, but just last month decided it was no longer where he wanted to take his game. The 18-year-old said that USC had “too many problems” and he no longer saw himself fitting into the Trojans’ system. \n“I just want to get a fresh start and go somewhere outside of California because I’ve been here my whole life,” Story said. “I just want to go somewhere I know I can just expand my game.”\nStory attended the Indiana Elite Camp last week where he said there was a lot of interaction with Crean and the rest of the coaching staff. Story liked what he saw after seeing how Crean coaches and uses his offense through drills. After spending time with Crean on an unofficial visit after the camp, he knew where he wanted to play. He cancelled his upcoming visit to Georgetown, and committed to IU on Friday.\n“I liked how he was just down to earth,” Story said. “I can talk to him about even stuff outside of basketball, that’s what I liked the most.”\nAlthough he can play the small-forward position, Story calls himself a combo guard because of the changes he has made to his game. He’s best known as a shooter, but he said his strengths also include “passing the ball, seeing the floor, rebounding … and just being a good teammate.”\nThe former Oak Hill Academy player of three months says he has a lot improve on as well, however, and he will work hard with his trainer and play lots of basketball this summer before heading to Bloomington in August. He cited ball pressure, his off-the-dribble game, and even shooting as aspects of his game he aims to improve in order to take things “to the next level.”\n“I can get better at everything,” he said. “There’s nothing I’m perfect at.”\nStory said he “can’t wait” to get to IU, where he’d like to study business. \n“I’ve barely started summer, but I’m ready to go to school now.”
