Indiana Recruiting Guide

New Website!!!

2011-10-29T12:32:00.001-07:00

Thank you for visiting this site...but we have moved the Indiana Recruiting Guide to a new location! Make sure you check out the new and improved site at http://indianarecruitingguide.com/

Weekend Wrap

2011-10-17T17:27:00.001-07:00

Not a whole lot of action this past weekend on the recruiting front, but Indiana did add 1 more to its long list of Division I commitments.

Daveon "Petey" Balls, a 6'1'' Point Guard from Lawrence North H.S. verbaled to Northern Illinois University. The Huskies finished 9-21 last season, 5-11 in MAC play.

Marquette Catholic H.S. 2015 prospect Ryan Fazekas, a 6'6'' Shooting Guard, picked up his first offer from Valparaiso.

6'5'' Shooting Guard, Leo Svete of Penn H.S. (2013) had a great visit to BYU this weekend. He also received an offer while on campus. Leo told the Indiana Recruiting Guide that he really loved the campus and enjoyed his time at the school.

2012 un-committed Shooting Guard Jalen Pendleton of Evansville Bosse H.S. will be visiting Western Kentucky this Saturday. He also told the IRG that he is receiving new interest from Iowa.

10/16 Metro Fall League Top Performers

2011-10-17T07:40:00.000-07:00

Last evening was my first chance to get over to Noblesville for the Metro Fall League, and overall I was impressed by the talent level. Here is a look at the players that I was most impressed with.

Baker vs. Reamer

K.J. Walton: 6'3'' Point Guard, Brownsburg H.S. (2015)

Walton is one of the best 2015 prospects in the state. On the court he looks and plays as if he were 2 or 3 years older than everyone else. He has a great first step and is very quick with the ball in his hands. Finishes well around the rim, also has a great pull-up jumper from mid-range.

Joey Morlan: 6'3'' Shooting Guard, Blackhawk Christian H.S. (2015)

I am not going to act like I have seen everyone in the 2015 class, but if Morlan is not one of the 3 best pure shooters in the class I would be shocked. He was 5/5 on 3's in the 1st half, ended up just missing 1 in the entire game. He isn't a great athlete at this point and will need to work on his ball handling, but his shooting ability makes him a player to watch.

Other names to remember...

Darrian Ringo: 5'9'' Point Guard, Brownsburg H.S. (2015)

Bronson Kessinger: 6'6'' Small Forward, Corydon Central H.S. (2015)

Hawkins vs. Ferrell

The two biggest name prospects, Ron Patterson and Yogi Ferrell were absent from this game.

Cole Murray: 6'7'' Small Forward, Delphi H.S. (2013)

I really like his size and length. Murray is active on the offensive glass and can also shoot the ball from 3-point range. Nice combination of skills on the offensive end.

Ryan Weber: 6'7'' Small Forward, Roncalli H.S. (2012) Youngstown State

Great size and strength for a wing player. Shoots the ball very well from the outside. Great rebounder. Causes match-up problems for defenses. I think he should have a big senior year this winter at Roncalli.

Other names to remember...

Eric Davidson: 5'10'' Point Guard, Hamilton Southeastern H.S. (2014)

Paul Furlin: 6'0'' Point Guard, Hamilton Southeastern H.S. (2013)

Suttner vs. Andershock

Jaylon Brown: 6'0'' Point Guard, Fishers H.S. (2013)

Strong guard with a great pull-up jumper off the dribble. He is very quick with the ball and elevates off the floor quickly which allows him to get shots off over taller defenders. Needs to improve his outside shooting, but it is getting better.

Greg Gardner: 6'5'' Point Guard, Bishop Chatard H.S. (2012) Alabama-Huntsville

Great size for a point guard. Shoots the ball well from the inside and has the ability to post up smaller defenders. Great passer from the high and low post.

Other names to remember...

Cam Denney: 6'6'' Small Forward, Bedford North Lawrence H.S. (2013)

Michael Hackney: 6'0'' Point Guard, Bishop Chatard H.S. (2014)

Kortland Townsend: 5'10'' Point Guard, Fishers H.S. (2014)

Ben Gardner: 6'0'' Point Guard, Carmel H.S. (2012)

Wilkerson vs. Ferrell

Players from Team Ferrell were listed earlier.

Jared Drew: 6'6'' Small Forward, Cathedral H.S. (2012) St. Louis

Probably the most impressive performance I saw yesterday. Drew can really do it all. He shot the ball well from outside, grabbed lots of rebounds on both ends of the court, and showcased his ball handling ability by taking a few rebounds coast to coast and finishing with big dunks. Great athlete who should have a big senior season.

Darryl Baker: 6'3'' Shooting Guard, Southport H.S. (2013)

I am mentioning him not so much for how impressive he was, but because I am waiting for him to show me something. I love his physical makeup, he is a very strong and athletic kid. However, he seems to go back and forth between being too passive and too aggressive. Darryl can disappear for extended periods of time, then other times he will grab a rebound and push the ball up the court only to miss a off-balance layup. He is still a nice prospect, but I am waiting for him to put it all together.

Other names to remember...

David Hill: 6'0'' Point Guard, Cathedral H.S. (2013)

Kaleb Ferrell: 6'0'' Point Guard, Perry Meridian H.S. (2015)

Baumgart vs. Gentry

D.J. Balentine: 6'1'' Point Guard, Kokomo (2012) Evansville

Okay, Jared Drew may have share to award for most impressive performance with Mr. Balentine. As soon as the game started D.J. drained 3 pull-up 3-pointers in transition. His outside shooting off the dribble while running the fast break is a great weapon for him. I like his strength and he has good court vision. Poised for another big season.

Daniel Purvlicis: 6'7'' Power Forward, Noblesville H.S. (2012)

Good athlete for his size. Shoots the ball well from mid-range and has a very nice skill set in the post. Quick feet, and showcased some good back to the basket moves. Very solid un-committed big guy.

Andrew Dakich: 6'1'' Point Guard, Zionsville H.S. (2013)

Keeps looking better and better every time I see him play. First off, he is a very smart basketball player and is a good leader on the court. Andrew has great court vision and is a very good passer. Finishes lay-ups around the basket after some nice drives too. If he was a bit quicker, taller, and had an outside shot, he could be a big-time player.

Other names to watch...

LaBradford Sebree: 6'2'' Shooting Guard, Kokomo H.S. (2013)

Eric Miller : 6'7'' Small Forward, Carroll H.S. (2013)

Alex Etherington: 6'7'' Small Forward, Hamilton Heights H.S. (2013)

I heard that the last game of the day featuring Eron Harris and Ron Patterson was a great show. I was watching another court, but I guess they were having a nice back and forth battle with Eron finishing with 29 points and Ron scoring 21.

Top 2012 Un-Committed Shooting Guards/Small Forwards

2011-10-16T06:13:00.001-07:00

Indiana is closing in on 40 Division I commitments from the 2012 class, yet there are still plenty of prospects on the board for college coaches of any level to grab. In order to not have to put out 5 different posts, I decided to combine the Un-committed SG/SF list. The Point Guard list was released earlier this week.

1. Gary Harris: 6'4'' SG, Hamilton Southeastern H.S.

This is an obvious choice for the top spot. He has pretty much narrowed down his college options to Purdue, Michigan State, Indiana, and Kentucky. In my opinion, the Boilermakers are the front-runner, but UK would be my dark horse.

2. Mislav Brzoja: 6'5'' SG, Trader's Point Academy

The Croatian guard came to Indiana after helping his team win the gold medal at the U16 European Championship. He also participated in the U18 European Championship, averaging nearly 14 points a game for the Croatian squad. Mislav is a great outside shooter and has good size for the 2-guard spot. Good rebounder on both ends of the court and can guard multiple positions. High-Major Prospect

3. Matej Buovac: 6'7'' SF, La Lumiere

Another Croatian prospect that has made his way to the great state of Indiana. Participated with the U18 squad in the European Championships averaged just under 7 points a game. Very good outside shooter, versatile enough to play the 3 or the 2 in college. Have not had a chance to see him besides a few videos, but I would peg him as a Mid-Major Prospect.

4. Ronnye Beamon: 6'4'' SG, Hammond Bishop Noll
Holds 9 low to mid-major offers: Valpo, Lehigh, Illinois State, Jacksonville, Cleveland State, Northern Illinois, Indiana State and Evansville have all offered Beamon. He averaged 11.4 points as a junior for the Class 2A state runner-up. Also, he is a beast on the boards for just being a 6'4'' guard, finishes well around the rim too. Mid-Major Prospect

5. Jalen Pendleton: 6'2'' SG, Evansville Bosse H.S.

Pendleton is a strong guard who uses his body well to get inside and score. He is a very good rebounder from the guard spot. I saw him play at Best of the Midwest this past summer and he is a very good on-ball defender. He likes to penetrate and finish in the paint. Will need to develop more of a perimeter game. Offer from Indiana State and is receiving interest from a number of mid-majors. Mid-Major Prospect

6. Harry Wills: 6'2'' SG, Ben Davis H.S.

Very quick and is a good passer, may even project as a point guard at the college level. Good athlete who can get into the paint and finish. Good on the defensive end as an on ball defender. Will need to develop more of a perimeter game to make his offensive skill set more well rounded. A bit under the radar in this class. Has offers from Mississippi Valley State andUniversity of Indianapolis. Low-Major Prospect

7. Mo Cross: 6'3'' SF, Broad Ripple H.S.

Mo handles the ball well and can run the floor. Very good rebounder for his size. Has a nice mid-range game and can shoot the 3 pretty well too. Very good athlete. His main drawback is that he is undersized, not sure if he can play the 2, so he may be stuck as a 6'3'' small forward.

Division II, Possible Low-Major Prospect

8. Marshall Bennett: 6'6'' SF, New Creations Academy

A 2010 graduate of Rich East H.S. in Illinois is doing some post-graduate work at the Richmond, IN prep school. Bennett is a long, athletic wing with a versatile offensive skill set. He can shoot the ball well from the outside, and handles it well enough to possibly play some shooting guard. Battled a knee injury at the end of his high school career that may have kept him from going straight to a college program. Division II Prospect

9. Rashad Richardson: 6'5'' SF, Lafayette Jefferson H.S.

I really like his length and athletic ability. He played well this summer the couple of times I saw him, and had a great workout at the Top 100 event. Rashad has a nice mid-range game and has the tools to be very good defensively. Division II Prospect

10. Myles Robinson: 6'2'' SG, New Creations Academy

Sweet lefty stroke from 3-point range. Also a great athlete, check out a couple of his youtube highlights, some of his dunks are ridiculous. I look forward to seeing him play this year at New Creations, any college that needs a great athlete and shooter this is a good under-the-radar guy.Division II Prospect

11. Kyle Stidom: 6'2'' SG, Greenwood Christian

Kyle handles the ball well and is a great shooter off the dribble. He can pull up while attack the basket, or knock down 3-pointers. Not a great athlete, but as a pure shooting threat he is one of the better prospects on the board. Division II Prospect

12. Quenten Hunter: 6'2'' SG, Richmond H.S.

I am going to try and see him in an open gym soon because his coach, Joe Luce, says that he has been improving tremendously. IUPUI, Tennessee Tech, and Illinois-Chicago have come to check him out, but until I see him again I will keep him as a Division II Prospect.

13. Mike Ford: 6'4'' SF, Bowman Academy

Division II Prospect

14. Johntae Alexander: 6'4'' SF, Pike H.S.
Division II Prospect
15. Andy Bachman: 6'5'' SF, Fort Wayne North Side H.S.

Division II Prospect

16. Tyler Fischl: 6'3'' SG, Lawrence Central H.S.

NAIA Prospect

17. Ronald Lucas: 6'3'' SG, Fort Wayne Wayne H.S.

NAIA Prospect

18. KeWan Davis: 6'5'' SF, Southport H.S.

NAIA Prospect

19. Caleb Begle: 6'3'' SF, Jasper H.S.

NAIA Prospect

20. Davis Rao: 6'4'' SF, Fort Wayne Canterbury H.S.

Division III Prospect

Here are 5 more Division III Prospects listed in alphabetical order

Kevin Brown: 6'3'' SF, Castle H.S.

Aloyis Gray: 6'4'' SF, Pike H.S.

Chandler Miller: 6'4'' SF, Richmond H.S.

Jimmy Miller: 6'5'' SF, North Central H.S.

Jake Rennekamp: 6'4'' SF, Lawrenceburg H.S.

Coaches...if you need any more information on a player you can contact me at ramseyb14@hanover.edu. Or call/text me at 765-914-2581.

Top 2012 Un-Committed Shooting Guards/Small Forwards

2011-10-15T19:04:00.000-07:00

1. Gary Harris: 6'4'' SG, Hamilton Southeastern H.S.

2. Mislav Brzoja: 6'5'' SG, Trader's Point Academy

3. Matej Buovac: 6'7'' SF, La Lumiere

5. Jalen Pendleton: 6'2'' SG, Evansville Bosse H.S.

6. Harry Wills: 6'2'' SG, Ben Davis H.S.

7. Mo Cross: 6'3'' SF, Broad Ripple H.S.

Division II, Possible Low-Major Prospect

8. Marshall Bennett: 6'6'' SF, New Creations Academy

9. Rashad Richardson: 6'5'' SF, Lafayette Jefferson H.S.

10. Myles Robinson: 6'2'' SG, New Creations Academy

11. Kyle Stidom: 6'2'' SG, Greenwood Christian

12. Quenten Hunter: 6'2'' SG, Richmond H.S.

13. Mike Ford: 6'4'' SF, Bowman Academy

Division II Prospect

14. Johntae Alexander: 6'4'' SF, Pike H.S.
Division II Prospect
15. Andy Bachman: 6'5'' SF, Fort Wayne North Side H.S.

Division II Prospect

16. Tyler Fischl: 6'3'' SG, Lawrence Central H.S.

NAIA Prospect

17. Ronald Lucas: 6'3'' SG, Fort Wayne Wayne H.S.

NAIA Prospect

18. KeWan Davis: 6'5'' SF, Southport H.S.

NAIA Prospect

19. Caleb Begle: 6'3'' SF, Jasper H.S.

NAIA Prospect

20. Davis Rao: 6'4'' SF, Fort Wayne Canterbury H.S.

Division III Prospect

Here are 5 more Division III Prospects listed in alphabetical order

Kevin Brown: 6'3'' SF, Castle H.S.

Aloyis Gray: 6'4'' SF, Pike H.S.

Chandler Miller: 6'4'' SF, Richmond H.S.

Jimmy Miller: 6'5'' SF, North Central H.S.

Jake Rennekamp: 6'4'' SF, Lawrenceburg H.S.

Coaches...if you need any more information on a player you can contact me at ramseyb14@hanover.edu. Or call/text me at 765-914-2581.

Weekend Wrap

2011-10-10T18:27:00.000-07:00

The undeniable headline from this weekend would be the commitment of 2013 star prospect V.J. Beachem. The 6'7'' wing from New Haven H.S. chose the University of Notre Dame. Beachem is ranked #3 in the state by the Indiana Recruiting Guide. He is a long, skilled small forward who can shoot the ball well from the outside and create for himself off the dribble. V.J. is a great in-state pickup for Coach Mike Brey at Notre Dame.

Other news includes...

Indiana 2014 prospects participated in the John Lucas Midwest Invitational in Louisville, notably, Trey Lyles, Trevon Bluiett, P.J. Thompson, James Blackmon Jr., and Jaquan Lyle.

2012 Point Guard Trey Hendrix of Lebanon plans to visit Middle Tennessee State over his fall break. They will also be coming up to see him in open gym this week.

Top 2012 Un-Committed Point Guards

2011-10-05T17:11:00.000-07:00

Many of the top prospects in Indiana have already chosen their college destination, however, for coaches at every level, there are still some very good prospects left on the board. Here is a look at the Top 10 Point Guards who have yet to commit, including some other names. Please contact me at ramseyb14@hanover.edu or call/text me at 765-914-2581 if you need any more information on a certain prospect.

1. Jacobby Bledsoe: 5'9'' Hamilton Southeastern H.S.

Very quick and a great ball handler. He creates well for himself as well as his teammates. Good defender. I was impressed with the progress he had made on his outside shooting ability when I saw him play at the Adidas Invitational this summer. Can force the action a little bit sometimes, but for the most part he makes things happen on the offensive end. One of the better point guards in the class. Mid-Major Prospect

2. Kendall Waters: 5'10'' Muncie Central H.S.

Good athlete who can really score the ball from the point guard position. Has had some serious back problems, but continues to fight through those problems and produce on the court. Kendall is good on the defensive end as well. Low-Major Prospect

3. Daveon "Petey" Balls: 5'11'' Lawrence North H.S.

I really like Petey as an on-ball defender, he will be a lock down type of guy at the next level. Also handles the ball well and is a good passer on the offensive end. An all-around solid floor general. Just picked up his first DI offer from Northern Illinois. Just a few days after posting this, Petey went off the board to NIU!!!

Committed: Northern Illinois University

4. Tyler Corley: 5'10'' Lawrence Central H.S.

Strong ball handler who gets to the basket well off the dribble. Had a very good summer while playing with and against some of the best players in the nation. Physical player on both ends of the floor. Low-Major Prospect

5. Adam Botts: 5'11'' Muncie Central H.S.

Adam is strong for his size and a very good athlete. He surprised me this summer by throwing down a few dunks in warm-ups. His skill set will transfer right away to the next level.

Division II Prospect

6. Trey Hendrix: 5'8'' Lebanon H.S.

Division II Prospect

7. Quilyn Howard-Upshaw: 6'1'' Fort Wayne Northside H.S.

Division II Prospect

8. Damon Brown: 5'10'' Bloomington North H.S.

Division II/NAIA Prospect

9. Ben Gardner: 5'10'' Carmel H.S.
Division III/NAIA Prospect

10. Brian Webster: 5'11'' Richmond H.S.

Division III/NAIA Prospect

Others (Listed Alphabetically)-All DIII guys, possible NAIA

Aaron Emmanuel: 6'0'' La Lumiere

Isaiah Jones: 6'0'' New Albany H.S.

Michael Lenz: 6'1'' Brebeuf Jesuit H.S.

Grant Meyer: 5'10'' Silver Creek H.S.

Ty Pauley: 6'1'' Evansville North H.S.

Diamond Seltzer: 5'10'' Decatur Central H.S.

Weekend Wrap

2011-10-03T19:27:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was pretty busy in the basketball recruiting circles as 3 prospects made their college decisions. The biggest news would have to be the commitment of highly sought after Lawrence North Guard Eron Harris. The 6'3'' PG/SG chose West Virginia University. After Wisconsin pulled their offer last month, Harris was down to Dayton, Loyola, and Evansville. Then, Coach Bob Huggins made an in-home visit and extended a scholarship offer. Harris had a huge summer AAU circuit which really put him on the radar of some high-major schools.

Other commitments include...

6'6'' PF/SF David Heckman of Roncalli H.S. committed to Division II Lewis University. Fellow Roncalli teammate Ryan Weber will be attending Youngstown State next year.

Keith Cochran, a 6'10'' Center from Bluffton H.S. verbaled to the traditional NAIA powerhouse Bethel College.

Lawrence North PG Petey Balls received his first Division I scholarship offer from Northern Illinois this weekend.

Danny Mulvaney, a 6'6'' Forward from Bethesda Christian H.S. picked up an offer from Division II Palm Beach Atlantic University.

Penn H.S. 2013 prospect Leo Svete told me that he had a great visit to Wisconsin this past weekend. He has visits planned for the next 3 weekends as well, Ball State, Northern Illinois, and Virginia Tech will all have the 6'5'' Shooting Guard on campus.

Recruiting News and Notes

2011-09-27T19:22:00.000-07:00

Today there was one commitment, coming from A.J. Schmidt out of Providence High School in New Albany. He committed to Division II McKendree University in Illinois. The 6'1'' combo-guard is a good shooter and an all-around scorer. He played alongside Stetson commit Logan Irwin this summer for Spiece Select.

Recruiting News and Notes

2011-09-26T16:42:00.000-07:00

Football season is in full swing now which means that even in the state of Indiana basketball has taken a bit of a back seat. However, there is still a few things happening each week to keep us die-hard basketball fans happy.

This past week Warren Central 6'8'' Power Forward/Center Brent Calhoun committed to the University of Detroit. Calhoun used a strong AAU circuit with the Eric Gordon Central Stars to pick up an offer from Detroit, as well as IPFW, Southern Illinois-Edwardsville and Lamar. He is a guy with a big frame who has pretty good footwork in the post and finishes well. Brent should be a nice addition at Detroit.

2013 Elkhart Memorial Guard Markese McGuire added an offer from the University of Illinois-Chicago. The talented playmaker also holds offers from Evansville, Mercer, and Northern Illinois.

University of Alabama-Huntsville (DII) received a verbal commitment from Bishop Chatard Guard Greg Gardner.

East Central 6'7'' Power Forward Logan Jaehnen committed to Lindenwood University, an NAIA school in Missouri, today. Logan received quite a bit of interest from DII/DIII/NAIA schools toward the end of the summer.

2014 Point Guard, P.J. Thompson of Brebeuf Jesuit picked up his first offer this past week from IUPUI. In a loaded class, P.J. may be the best pure point guard in the state.

Quick Recruiting Update

2011-09-21T18:29:00.000-07:00

Today was a pretty busy day in the basketball recruiting circles. Here is a rundown of some of the biggest news from Indiana today.

Adeleike "Leike" Solanke, a 6'6'' wing of Marquette Catholic H.S. (2012) was offered by Loyola. Last week he picked up an offer from Georgia State. According to a source, Oregon watched him work out this morning, and Tennessee Chattanooga will be coming to see him on Monday.

Lawrence North (2012) Guard Eron Harris received an offer from West Virginia after their in-home visit.

2014 Guard Ernie Duncan from Evansville Harrison got an offer from Southern Illinois this afternoon. He also holds an offer from Evansville.

On a personal note...my Kentucky Wildcats picked up their first 2012 commitment from Archie Goodwin, 6'5'' Shooting Guard from Little Rock, Arkansas.

Recent Recruiting News and Notes

2011-09-18T09:01:00.000-07:00

I haven't been able to write for awhile as I have been getting back into the groove of college life the last 2 weeks. However, now that I am back into my schedule I will start writing everyday again. Here is a look at some of the most recent recruiting news.

Two of the Indiana Recruiting Guide's Top 50 2012 prospects have made their college commitments this past week. Roncalli's Ryan Weber, a 6'6'' Small Forward has pledged to Youngstown State University. Weber is a versatile offensive threat who should be able to contribute some points right away for the Penguins. Also committing this past week was 6'9'' Power Forward Steve Hawkins of Bowman Academy. He chose to continue his basketball career at Robert Morris University in Pennsylvania. The Colonials are coming off of an 18-14 season and are a traditional threat to win the Northeast Conference.

There was one other Division I commitment this past week as Park Tudor's Paul Bayt, a 6'4'' Shooting Guard committed to Manhattan.

In other news...

Jaylon Brown, a 6'0'' Point Guard from Fishers H.S. (2013) is visiting Butler today. He has offers from American, Ohio, Toledo, and Evansville.

Kellon Thomas to Kent State

2011-09-06T18:26:00.000-07:00

Kellon became the second Southport H.S. basketball player to commit to a MAC school in the past couple of weeks when he chose Kent State University today. His teammate Michael Ramey will be attending Ball State. I was impressed with Kellon's play this summer playing alongside great talent with Indiana Elite One. His quickness and strength with the ball allow him to get by defenders and finish through contact inside. I expect that he will contribute solid minutes right away as well as some scoring.

Kellon was also considering IUPUI, UC-Davis and Florida Atlantic.

In other news...

2013 Guard Leo Svete will be taking an unofficial visit to Bowling Green State University tomorrow.

D.J. Balentine to Evansville

2011-09-05T18:10:00.001-07:00

The 6'1'' Point Guard from Kokomo H.S. has made his verbal commitment to the University of Evansville. Balentine is a strong guard who has a great pull up jump shot as well as the ability to get to the basket off the dribble. He is a proven winner, leading Kokomo to the Class 4A State Championship game this past season.

I really liked watching him play this summer for his Eric Gordon Central Stars AAU team. Balentine should be able to make an impact right away for Coach Simmons and the Purple Aces. He chose Evansville over Indiana State and Missouri State.

Last evening when I heard that he was going to announce his decision today I figured that it almost had to be UE. He was set to make official visit to ISU and Missouri State later this month, and had just visited UE last weekend. So I thought that he must have really enjoyed his visit and decided that he was ready to make a decision.

Best of luck to D.J. Balentine in his senior year and as he continues his career at Evansville.

Recent Recruiting News

2011-08-30T18:43:00.000-07:00

Today saw 2 big name Indiana prospects come off the board in the Class of 2012 as Obij Aget and DeJaun Marrero both made their college commitments.

Aget, a 7'1'' Center from La Lumiere has decided to play for Coach Steve Alford and the University of New Mexico Lobos. He will be joining another 7'1'' big man in the 2012 class, Chier Ajou who is currently doing a post-graduate year at Culver Military Academy. These twin towers should make a nice impact for the Lobos who are coming off of a 22-13 season. Both are a bit of a project, but anytime you have a 7'1'' frame to work with the potential is there for something special.

The other big name commitment of the day came when 6'6'' Power Forward DeJaun Marrero verbally committed to play at DePaul University. The star from Bowman Academy was also considering Ball State, Iowa, Dayton, Missouri, and Missouri State. Marrero is known as a high energy player who is a beast on the boards, even though he is undersized. He is a versatile defender and finishes very well around the basket. He was a big part of the 2010 2A State Championship team at Bowman, and is coming off a season that saw him average 22.2 points and 15.4 rebounds. DeJaun should be able to play a big role right away for the Blue Demons who have struggled in recent years while playing in the powerhouse Big East Conference.

Another commitment just became known to us as 2012 Warsaw H.S. guard Jordyn Coon committed to Bethel College, an NAIA school in Mishawaka, Indiana.

Yesterday an Indiana prospect made the news not for receiving a scholarship offer, but for getting one taken away. 6'3'' Shooting Guard Eron Harris of Lawrence North H.S. got his offer from Wisconsin pull yesterday afternoon. This was quite a surprise as he was one of the most highly sought after recruits after putting together a huge AAU season. He had announced that he was going to deciding between Wisconsin and Dayton. Now one would have to assume that Dayton holds a big advantage in his recruitment and I wouldn't be surprised if he commits when he visits the school on September 9th. However, Harris also holds offers from Kent State, Ball State, Evansville, Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, Tennessee Tech, and Buffalo.

Updated! Class of 2012 Rankings

2011-08-28T08:18:00.001-07:00

The Class of 2012 is probably one of the most talented, deepest classes Indiana has seen in a while. With a plethora of Division I prospects, including some of the top prospects in the nation, this class could rival that of any other state. When there is this much talent it makes ranking the players pretty difficult, and I ended up having to put legitimate Division I prospects in the 40's. That being said, here is the Indiana Recruiting Guide's updated look at the top 50 prospects for the Class of 2012.

Updated August 29, 2011

1. Gary Harris: 6'4'' Shooting Guard, Hamilton Southeastern H.S.

Offers From: Kentucky, Indiana, Louisville, Michigan State, Ohio State, Purdue, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, IUPUI, Illinois, Minnesota, Oregon State, Alabama

Interest From:

Gary is a very strong and athletic perimeter player. He really likes to attack the rim and has a good mid-range game. Good defender. As he continues to improve his 3-point shooting he will become an even better prospect. His overall talent is amazing considering that he is still on 16 years old! He has begun to narrow down his college choices, but is still not letting much be known to the media. I think he will make an instant impact wherever he decides to play his college ball.

2. Kevin "Yogi" Ferrell: 5'11'' Point Guard, Park Tudor H.S.

Committed: Indiana University

He is one of the quickest guys in the state, especially when handling the basketball. Yogi looks to penetrate the defense and score, which he usually does at will. He will need to keep working on his outside shooting, but he has been improving in that area. After watching him at the Adidas Invitational I came away impressed with how he had improved his shooting. Should make an impact right away for Coach Crean and the Hoosiers.

3. Jeremy Hollowell: 6'7'' Small Forward, Lawrence Central H.S.
Committed: Indiana University
He had a huge month of July and has asserted himself as one of the elite prospects in the country. I watched him score at will throughout the Adidas Invitational, showcasing good range on his 3-point shot. Hollowell handles the ball well for his size, and uses his length and athleticism to be a match-up nightmare for defenses. Until this summer a knock on him had been his lack of aggressiveness, but from what I have seen of him that is no longer a problem.

4. Glenn Robinson III: 6'6'' Small Forward, Lake Central H.S.

Committed: University of Michigan

The son of former Purdue great, Glenn Robinson, Glenn III has a great body type and runs the floor very well. He can handle the ball and score off either the catch or the dribble. He has added probably 15-20 pounds of muscle since the winter and that has really helped him out on the court. He was arguably the best player at the Top 100 Showcase this summer and had a very good July. I expect him to become one of the top contributors at Michigan within a few years.

5. Hanner Perea: 6'8'' Power Forward, La Lumiere School

Committed: Indiana University

Hanner may have the most potential of any player in this class. However, his skill is still pretty raw and may be a couple years away from being a force in the Big 10. He is very strong and athletic which gives him the ability to guard many different positions. He is a great rebounder and uses his athleticism to block some shots. Also, Hanner gets up and down the floor well and can score in transition. It seems like every game I watched of his he threw down at least 1 or 2 ESPN worthy dunks, however that is about all he would do on the offensive end. Still a great talent and could give IU some good minutes off the bench right away.

6. Ron Patterson: 6'3'' Shooting Guard, Broad Ripple H.S.

Committed: Indiana University

Ron has a little more of an "old-school" offensive game. He isn't the best athlete in this class, but he finds many different ways to score. He has good strength which allows him to finish through contact when attacking the basket. He is a good, not great shooter and will need to continue to develop in that area. Ron has been sliding down the national rankings, so I expect he may come out and have a huge season this winter by playing with a bit of a chip on his shoulder. He shows some flashes of bad attitude which will need to be worked out before stepping foot in Bloomington.

7. Ronnie Johnson: 5'10'' Point Guard, North Central H.S.

Committed: Purdue University

Yes, he is small. However, Ronnie does not let his height stop him from picking apart a defense. He shoots the ball well from the outside with great range and is a great passer. Even though defenders are often taller than him by 3-4 inches, he is quick enough to create space and get open shots. He has been as impressive this summer as anybody else in this class. Ronnie is a winner who will take over the game when his teams needs it most.

8. Kellen Dunham: 6'5'' Shooting Guard, Pendleton Heights H.S.

Committed: Butler University

He is the best shooter in Indiana's Class of 2012. Dunham moves very well off the ball, and is always ready to shoot. Has a very good offensive mind-set and overall basketball IQ. He isn't the greatest athlete, but works hard to get open and is smart enough to find a way to score. Also has a very quick first step when going to the basket. Very good pick-up for Coach Brad Stevens.

9. Raphael Davis: 6'5'' Shooting Guard, La Lumiere

Committed: Purdue University

Very good shooter, can really fill it up in a variety of ways. Davis is a great competitor and works hard on the defensive end of the floor. He is a good rebounder from the guard spot. Has a tendency to force the action at times, but overall, Raphael is good in-state recruit for Coach Painter and the Boilermakers. Davis has decided to transfer to La Lumiere for his final season.

10. Jay Simpson: 6'9'' Power Forward, La Lumiere

Committed: Purdue University

Great upside, his size and strength give him the ability to attack the rim and finish inside. Jay likes to catch the ball in the mid-range area and make short drives to the basket, he is very good at finishing through contact. Also, he has been shooting the ball out to around 15 feet. His main focus will need to be on staying in good shape and improving his overall conditioning. When in good shape, Simpson is an elite prospect.

11. Nick Osborne: 6'8'' Power Forward, Muncie Central H.S.

Committed: Loyola University

Great rebounder on both ends of the court. Also, Nick has the skills to face up to the basket and score with his mid-range game, or use post moves with his back to the basket. I really like his body-type and all-around skills. Probably the one of the 2 or 3 strongest players in this class, but it causes him to get into foul trouble sometimes. He will be a very good player right away at Loyola.

12. Austin Burgett: 6'8'' Small Forward, Avon H.S.

Committed: University of Notre Dame

Austin can play either the 3 or the 4 spot at the next level. He is a good 3-point shooter and runs the floor very well for his size. I like his versatility and that he can score in a variety of ways. Will need to get in the weight room and get a little stronger, but he still does a very good job on the boards at both ends of the court. Showed that he is a very good shot blocker at the Adidas Invitational.

13. DeJaun Marrero: 6'6'' Small Forward, Bowman Academy

Committed: Depaul University

Marrero runs the floor very well and is a great rebounder at both ends of the court. He needs to work on developing his shooting range, but already has a very good inside game for his size. A lot of his offers and interest came pretty early, and his recruiting has slowed down recently but he is still an elite prospect.

14. Eron Harris: 6'3'' Shooting Guard, Lawrence North H.S.
Committed: West Virginia University
Eron has totally blown up. He went from having just low to mid-major offers to being only of the most hotly sought after recruits in the state. He is very athletic and can shoot the ball very well. Very impressed with his play at the Adidas Invitational, and obviously many college coaches were as well. Has announced that he will be choosing between Wisconsin and Dayton. New: Wisconsin has pulled their scholarship offer, set to visit Dayton on Sept. 9th.

15. Patrick Ingram: 6'2'' Shooting Guard, North Central H.S.

Committed: University of Iowa

Ingram is quick and athletic, likes to attack the rim. He has not been a go to player to this point in high school, but he will have to shoulder a bigger load this year as D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera is gone. He has had a huge month of July and I was very impressed with his play at the Adidas Invitational.

16. R.J. Hunter: 6'5'' Small Forward, Pike H.S.

Committed: Georgia State University

With his father, Ron Hunter, accepting the job at Georgia State, there was speculation as to if R.J. would remain at Pike for his senior season. R.J. is a long, lean wing player who can score in many different ways. He is a good outside shooter and can also put the ball on the floor and create his own shot. Has had some injury problems, but when he is healthy he is one of the top talents in the class.

17. Obij Aget: 7'1'' Center, La Lumiere School
Committed: University of New Mexico
Aget is a huge project, no pun intended. I really like his athleticism for such a long body, but he just doesn't have a lot of basketball skill right now. I am probably not as high on him as some people because I just don't see him developing into much more than a guy who can average 5 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks a game at the next level. His size alone demands collegiate interes
t, but I do not expect him to have a tone of success at the DI level.

18. D.J. Balentine: 6'1'' Point Guard, Kokomo H.S.

Committed: University of Evansville

Balentine is a very good shooter which allows him to stretch the defense and open up other teammates, or lets him penetrate and get to the basket. He is a big, strong body that can absorb quite a bit of contact when going to the basket. Showcased a very good pull up jumper in transition at the Adidas Invitational.

19. Bo Calhoun: 6'6'' Power Forward, South Bend Washington H.S.

Committed: Ball State University

Bo runs the floor well and scores on the block with many good post moves. Pretty good athlete who can attack the basket off the dribble when he faces up, or can knock down a mid-range jumper. He needs to add some strength to play the 4 spot at the next level and work on his perimeter shooting. Could possibly slide in and play the 3 some.

20. Michael Ramey: 6'4'' Shooting Guard, Southport H.S.

Committed: Ball State University

Great outside shooter, one of the best strokes in the state which helped him shoot over 50% from beyond the arc as a junior. Ramey will need to develop more of a game off the dribble, but his shooting alone makes him a solid mid-major prospect.

21. Jared Drew: 6'5'' Small Forward, Cathedral H.S.

Committed: St. Louis University

Good in the open court and when running the floor. He has good length which makes him a solid defender, and he can guard multiple possessions. Jared has a good mid-range game, very good around the basket too. I was really impressed with his play this summer and expect him to be a nice player at St. Louis.

22. Kellon Thomas: 5'11'' Point Guard, Southport H.S.

Committed: Kent State University

Kellon is a scoring point guard who is always looking to attack the basket. He is very strong for his size and finishes well inside. Can be effective from the perimeter as well. He has a tendency to get a little sloppy with the ball when closely guarded, but overall he tends to make things happen on the offensive end.

23. Antonio Drummond: 5'10'' Point Guard, La Lumiere

Committed: Southern Illinois University

Excellent ball handler with a quick first step. Runs the fast break well. Also a good defender. Offensively, Antonio must improve his outside shooting. Overall, I like his point guard skills and the way he commands the floor.

24. Alex Olah: 6'11'' Center, Traders Point Christian Academy

Committed: Northwestern University

Mobile post player who has a solid basketball IQ. Good passer and rebounder. Alex is still a work in progress and his offensive game is developing, but he can shoot out 15-18 feet. I think he will continue to develop into a nice low block player at Northwestern.

25. Chier Ajou: 7'1'' Center, Culver Military Academy

Committed: University of New Mexico

Was originally in the Class of 2011, but reclassified and is doing a post-graduate program at Culver. He will not play for their high school this coming winter.

26. Jacobby Bledsoe: 5'10'' Point Guard, Hamilton Southeastern H.S.

Offers From: Georgia State, Drake, Oregon State, Western Kentucky, Western Michigan, Creighton, Eastern Michigan, Evansville, Navy, Tennessee Tech

Interest From: Dayton, Michigan State, Tennessee, Southern Illinois, Ball State

Very quick and a great ball handler. He creates well for himself as well as his teammates. Good defender. I was impressed with the progress he had made on his outside shooting ability when I saw him play at the Adidas Invitational. Can force the action a little bit sometimes, but for the most part he makes things happen on the offensive end. One of the better point guards in the class.

27. Edward Seay: 6'9'' Power Forward, Merrillville H.S.
Offers From:
Interest From: Northern Illinois, Dayton, Loyola, Jacksonville, Western Michigan, San Francisco, Illinois State
Seay had one of the best days out of anyone at the Top 100 Showcase. His length and athleticism for a big guy grabs the attention of any college coach in attendance. He is a very good shot blocker and rebounder. I like his offensive potential, he should develop into a very good post presence who can face-up and get around slower defenders. Interest around Seay should continue to pick up, I have heard through a source that Michigan has been following him.

28. J.T. Yoho: 6'5'' Shooting Guard, Eastern Greene H.S.

Committed: Wright State University

Very crafty on the offensive end, he has a very good mid-range pull up jumper and is also a very good 3-point shooter. His size allows him to play the 2 or the 3 and he handles the ball well enough to even play the point if he has too. I was very impressed with his play at the Best of the Midwest. He will go in and score right away for a mid-major school.

29. Jermaine Myers: 6'0'' Point Guard, Culver Military Academy

Offers From: Ball State, Drake, Indiana State, Ohio, Valparaiso

Interest From: UNLV, IUPUI

Good floor general who lead Culver Academy to the state title game this year. Very heady point guard who can also score it. He will be a very good mid-major point guard from the day he steps on campus.

30. Jeff Laidig: 6'4'' Shooting Guard, Penn H.S.

Committed: Belmont University

Elite shooter who is always read to get a shot off. Jeff moves very well off the ball and does not force shots like some shooters. His main draw back is not being a great athlete and he does not create for himself off the dribble. Similar player Spencer Turner of Bloomington South who will be a Freshman at Belmont this year.

31. Jalen Pendleton: 6'3'' Shooting Guard, Evansville Bosse H.S.

Offers From: Indiana State

Interest From: Western Kentucky, Iowa, Murray State, Middle Tennessee State, Evansville, IPFW, Ball State, Georgia State

Pendleton is a strong guard who uses his body well to get inside and score. He is a very good rebounder from the guard spot. I saw him play at Best of the Midwest and he is a very good on-ball defender. He likes to penetrate and finish in the paint. Will need to develop more of a perimeter game.

32. Rhett Smith: 6'7'' Small Forward, Sullivan H.S.

Committed: Indiana State University

Very nice combo-forward who can play either the 3 or the 4 spot. Good athlete who handles the ball well for a big guy.

33. Joe Reed: 6'8'' Power Forward, Center Grove H.S.
Committed: IPFW
He has really been picking up interest this month. I was very impressed with him at the Adidas Invitational. Joe runs the floor well and is a good athlete for a post player. He has a good face up game and good footwork in the post. As he continues to develop he should pick up a few more offers.

34. Elijah Ray: 6'6'' Power Forward, Bowman Academy
Offers From: Valparaiso, Indiana State, IUPUI
Interest From: Iowa, Harvard, Iowa State, Tennessee, Boston College, Marquette, Illinois, UC-Irvine
Very strong body, he has a great game down low for being a little undersized. Elijah's combination of strength and athleticism gives him an advantage on the boards against bigger opponents. I was very impressed with him at the Top 100. He will be a very good mid-major player.
35. Ryan Weber: 6'6'' Small Forward, Roncalli H.S.
Committed: Youngstown State University
Ryan is very versatile, he could play either the 3 or the 4, but will probably be on the wing in college. He has good post skills offensively, and also a very good mid-range game. He has been working hard on his ball handling which will really give him an all-around offensive game.
36. Matt O'Leary: 6'7'' Power Forward, Terre Haute North H.S.
Committed: Loyola University
37. Steve Hawkins: 6'9'' Power Forward, Bowman Academy
Committed: Robert Morris University

38. Logan Irwin: 6'0'' Point Guard, Whitko H.S.

Committed: Stetson University
39. Harry Willis: 6'2'' Shooting Guard, Ben Davis H.S.
Offers From: Mississippi Valley State, Indianapolis (DII)
Interest From: Valparaiso
40. Todd Johnson: 5'9'' Point Guard, Elkhart Memorial H.S.
Committed: Northern Kentucky University (DII)
41. Tyler Alderman: 6'9'' Power Forward, Fishers H.S.
Offers From: SIU-Edwardsville
Interest From: Wright State, IUPUI, Indiana State, Ball State, Evansville
42. Dylan Langkabel: 6'3'' Shooting Guard, Morristown H.S.

Committed: Northwood University (DII)

43. Brent Calhoun: 6'8'' Center, Warren Central H.S.

Committed: University of Detroit
44. Adam Botts: 5'11'' Point Guard, Muncie Central H.S.
Offers From:
Interest From:
45. Kendall Waters: 5'9'' Point Guard, Muncie Central H.S.

Offers From:
Interest From: Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, Eastern Kentucky

46. Brad Hartman: 6'7'' Power Forward, Union County H.S.

Offers From: Jacksonville
Interest From: Navy, Eastern Kentucky
47. Tyler Corey: 5'11'' Point Guard, Lawrence Central H.S.
Offers From:
Interest From:

48. Rashad Richardson: 6'4'' Small Forward, Lafayette Jefferson H.S.

Offers From:

Interest From:

49. Riley Rapp: 6'1'' Shooting Guard, Guerin Catholic H.S.

Offers From:
Interest From: Yale
50. Michael Lenz: 6'0'' Point Guard, Brebuef Jesuit H.S.
Offers From:
Interest From:

If you have any questions or comments feel free to email me at ramseyb14@hanover.edu. Thanks!

Purdue Elite Camp and Other Recruiting News

2011-08-27T16:01:00.000-07:00

There were two big Elite Camps today, Purdue held theirs at North Central H.S. while IPFW had theirs up in Fort Wayne. Both camps brought out lots of great talent from around the state. Here are some of the standouts that I noticed today while watching the PU camp.

Grant Evans: 6'3'' Shooting Guard, Wapahani H.S. (2014)

Grant can flat out shoot the rock. Today, he showed the ability to put the ball on the floor some too with a couple of good drives to the basket. His best asset is still his catch-and-shoot game though. Grant has a very quick release and a sweet lefty stroke. Right now his overall game reminds me a little of former Marion wing, and current player at NC State, Scott Wood. Both are good athletes who could really shoot the ball.

Jalen Coleman: 6'2'' Point Guard, Cathedral H.S. (2015)

It is amazing that a player who has yet to play a high school game can stand out while playing against some of the best players in Indiana. However, that is exactly what Jalen did. He showcased good athleticism while running the floor, very quick with the ball in his hands. I like his pull up jumper when in transition, but outside shooting is an area of his game that he will need to work on. Jalen should make an impact at the varsity level right away this winter.

Sean Sellers: 6'5'' Shooting Guard, Greensburg H.S. (2014)

Continues to impress me each time I watch him play. Along with Grant Evans, Sean is in the running for the best shooter in the Class of 2014. He also has a nice mid-range game. He is a good rebounder on both ends of the court, could become even better when he adds some muscle.

Other guys who played well...

Kendall Rollins: 6'5'' Shooting Guard, Pike H.S. (2014)

Tayler Persons: 6'0'' Point Guard, Kokomo H.S. (2014)

Trevon Bluiett: 6'5'' Shooting Guard, Park Tudor H.S. (2014)

Jaquan Lyle: 6'4'' Shooting Guard, Evansville Bosse H.S. (2014)

There was some news from the IPFW Elite Camp today as well...

Alex Etherington, a 6'6'' wing from Hamilton Heights (2013), picked up his first offer today from the Mastodons. The 'Dons also offered 2013 Forward, Richard Freeman of Lawrence Central. It was his first offer as well.

While on his visit to Valparaiso today, 6'5'' Small Forward Clay Yeo (2013) picked up an offer and promptly committed to play there.

Updated! Class of 2013 Rankings

2011-08-25T18:27:00.000-07:00

Here is an updated look at the Class of 2013. It may not have the star power that the classes of 2012 and 2014 have, but there are still a lot of Division I prospects. Indiana, Purdue, andMichigan commits make up 6 of the top 10.

Updated August 25, 2011

1. Zak Irvin: 6'5'' Shooting Guard, Hamilton Southeastern H.S.
Committed: University of Michigan
Zak has a great overall skill set, very good mid-range game and can shoot it from the outside as well. He is a great athlete and has good length. Handles the ball well which lets him play a type of "point forward" position. He has had as good of a July as just about anybody in the country in my opinion, I really enjoyed watching him play.
2. Bryson Scott: 6'0'' Point Guard, Northrop H.S.
Committed: Purdue University
A very aggressive, scoring point guard. He is a great athlete who doesn't mind getting into the paint and going up against the big guys down low, he has good strength which allows him to finish against bigger defenders. One of the best defenders in the class. He is a streaky shooter from 3-point range, that would be his main area that he must work on. Great at attacking off the dribble.
3. V.J. Beachem: 6'6'' Small Forward, New Haven H.S.
Committed: University of Notre Dame
Beachem is a long and very skilled perimeter player. He has great all-around offensive ability. He can shoot the ball as well as create for himself off the dribble. I really like the diversity of his offensive game. He will need to get stronger and focus on making himself more of a lock-down defender on the defensive end, however his overall talent makes him deserving of one of the top spots in the 2013 Class. His ceiling is probably the highest out of any of these prospects.
4. Collin Hartman: 6'6'' Small Forward, Cathedral H.S.
Committed: Indiana University
Collin has the prototypical body type to play the 3 spot. He is a very good outside shooter and rebounds the ball well. Also, he handles the ball well and can distribute well enough that he could even play the 2 in college. I watched him play quite a few times this summer, both at the Adidas Invitational and Best of the Midwest. I was very impressed with how well he shot the ball, and with the range he displayed. He was hitting 3's out to 25 feet. He has been getting physically stronger, but will need to continue working hard in the weight room to take his game to the next level.

5. Demetrius Jackson: 6'1'' Point Guard, Mishawaka Marion H.S.

Offers From: Michigan, Xavier, Michigan State

Interest From: Illinois, Indiana, Notre Dame

Jackson is quick and athletic, can really break down the defense off the dribble. He is very smart on the court and distributes the ball well, good floor general. He will need to continue improving his shooting ability to really take his game to the next level, but showed some signs of improvement when I saw him at the Kentucky Hoop Fest this summer.

6. Devin Davis: 6'6'' Small Forward, Warren Central H.S.

Committed: Indiana University

Long and very athletic wing player. He handles the ball well for his size and likes to attack the rim off the dribble. Great rebounder, especially on the offensive glass. Devin plays the game with a great motor, never stops working. The overall tools are there for him to be a big time star at IU, but he must improve his jump shooting and become more of an offensive threat to really become an all-around player.

7. Basil Smotherman: 6'6'' Small Forward, Heritage Christian H.S.

Committed: Purdue University

Great competitor, attacks the glass and gets rebounds at both ends of the court. The lefty has a nice shooting stroke and likes to play around the perimeter. He showcased a could mid-range game at the Best of the Midwest, knocking down some nice pull-ups off the dribble.

8. Zavier Turner: 5'8'' Point Guard, Pike H.S.

Offers From: Evansville, Georgia State, St. Louis, Loyola, Ball State

Considering: Indiana State, Butler

Great floor general, elite quickness and seems to always find the open teammate. Sure, he is small, but his quickness and strength allow him to still be effective against taller defenders. I have really feel in love with watching Zavier play this summer, he is very fun to watch and he is just a great player. Because of his lack of size, he may end up a the mid-major level, but he is the type of player that could take over March Madness and lead a "cinderella" team.

9. Leo Svete: 6'4'' Shooting Guard, Penn H.S.

Offers From: Drake, Western Michigan, Bucknell, Loyola, Evansville, Bowling Green, Northern Illinois, BYU

Interest From: Wake Forest, Florida, NC State, Virginia Tech, Ball State, Kent State, Notre Dame, Florida State, Iowa

He is a versatile offensive player who could play the 1-3 spots. He is a great jump shooter, very nice mid-range game. He is improving his game going to the rim, but needs to keep working in that area to take his game to another level. Leo is a very hard worker and I expect him to have a big rest of the month which could bring in a couple more offers.

10. Austin Hatch: 6'6'' Shooting Guard, Canterbury H.S.

Committed: University of Michigan

Thoughts and prayers are with this young man right now after the horrific tragedy that recently occurred. A little under the radar around the state, Austin is a very good outside shooter and uses his size and strength to be a match-up problem for defenses. He rebounds very well from the guard spot. As a true shooting guard, you have to like his size. We all hope that Austin can achieve a full recovery so we can watch him play basketball yet again. With the drive and determination of this kid I am sure that anything is possible.

11. Brenton Scott: 6'0'' Point Guard, Northrop H.S.

Offers From: IPFW, Ohio, Indiana State, Ball State

Interest From: Butler, Purdue, Xavier, Illinois

Very solid overall point guard. He is a little more of a distributor than his brother Bryson. He is a very good 3 point shooter and a great defender. Not as big of a recruit as his brother, but still will be a very good mid-major point guard.

12. Jaylon Brown: 5'11'' Point Guard, Fishers H.S.

Offers From: American, Ohio, Toledo, Evansville

Interest From: Butler

Jaylon has really jumped onto the scene after this summer. He is very explosive and quick, his relatively small size does not hold him back. I expect he will have a strong junior campaign this winter for Fishers.

13. Mo Evans: 6'0'' Point Guard, Cathedral H.S.

Offers From:

Interest From: IUPUI, Wright State, Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, Ball State, Evansville, IPFW, Loyola

I had not seen him until this July, and Mo quickly became one of my favorite players to watch after seeing him at the Adidas Invitational and Best of the Midwest. He is the best passer in the state in my opinion, and also a great ball handler. He is very quick and runs the transition game as well as anyone. Not a great shooter, but gets his teammates lots of easy baskets.

14. Nick Davidson: 6'4'' Shooting Guard, Andrean H.S.

Committed: Valparaiso University

One of the best shooters in the state, especially off the catch. He gets to the foul line a lot, and is a great free throw shooter. He isn't a great defender, needs to work on getting a little quicker. Still, Nick's offensive shooting ability alone makes him a good prospect.

15. Richard Freeman: 6'7'' Power Forward, Lawrence Central H.S.

Offers From: IPFW

Interest From: Butler, Central Michigan, Fordham, Iowa

Very long, athletic big man. He has a very good mid-range game for his size, but will need to develop more of a back to the basket game in order to become more well rounded. Right now he is more of a face up guy, a solid mid-major prospect. I saw him at both the Adidas Invitational and Best of the Midwest, looked good rebounding the ball and showed that he can handle it a little bit as well. His recruiting could really jump up with a good end to the summer.

16. Mike Crawford: 6'5'' Small Forward, Tipton H.S.

Offers From:

Interest From: Notre Dame, Wake Forest, Wright State, Gardner-Webb, Loyola, Wichita State

He handles the ball well for his size, and also has a very good inside game. Good outside shooter as well. All-around offensive threat. Have really enjoyed watching him play this month and he is a guy that will continue to get on the radar screen of some bigger colleges. Offers should start coming pretty soon.

17. Darryl Baker: 6'1'' Shooting Guard, Southport H.S.

Offers From: Vanderbilt

Interest From: Indiana, Louisville, Purdue, Xavier

Darryl is a very good overall athlete who likes to attack the basket. His strength allows him to finish through contact when he gets into the paint. He needs to improve his outside shooting consistency. I have seen a lot of him over the course of this summer and he seems to disappear offensively at times. He is good enough off the dribble to take over and I would like to see him do that more often. Eligibility concerns continue to swirl after his transfer to Southport.

18. Franko House: 6'5'' Small Forward, Concord H.S.

Offers From: Western Michigan, Evansville

Interest From: IUPUI

Very versatile big guy who has good athleticism for his size. He shoots the ball well from the outside and can even bring the ball up the court if needed. Any program who needs a guy who can play the 3-5 spots at a high level, Franko House is your guy.

19. Alex Etherington: 6'6'' Small Forward, Hamilton Heights H.S.

Offers From: IPFW

Interest From: Ball State, Central Michigan, Western Michigan

He is a long and athletic wing with the prototypical body type to play the 3 spot. He doesn't mind to slash to the basket and score down low, and is also a pretty solid rebounder. He doesn't shoot it quite as well as his brother yet, but once he does he could really shoot up the rankings. Alex should have a huge high school season now that he will be the #1 option.

20. Markese McGuire: 6'3'' Shooting Guard, Elkhart Memorial H.S.

Offers From: Evansville, Mercer, Northern Illinois, Illinois-Chicago

Interest From: Ohio

Handles the ball well enough that he could play the point as well as the 2-guard. He is pretty strong and can finish through contact when attacking the basket. Pretty good outside shooter too. I think he would be a very good low to mid-major player.

21. Blake Simmons: 6'4'' Small Forward, Castle H.S.

Offers From:

Interest From: Evansville, Illinois

Simmons is an all-around offensive player who plays with a high basketball IQ (son of Evansville's Head Coach Marty Simmons). He shot the ball very well from 3-point range when I saw him at Best of the Midwest. Rebounds pretty well too.

22. Joe Fagan: 6'3'' Shooting Guard, Bishop Chatard H.S.

Offers From: Duquesne

Interest From: Ball State, Wright State, Bowling Green, Bucknell, IUPUI, IPFW, Gardner-Webb

Very good outside shooter. He has a tendency to disappear for periods of time, so he mainly just needs to be a little more aggressive. Works hard on the court. He holds one DI offer right now, and I could see him getting lots of Division II interest.

23. Clay Yeo: 6'5'' Small Forward, Triton H.S.

Offers From:

Interest From: Ohio, Evansville, Valparaiso

For as thin as Clay is, he finishes well around the rim and has a pretty solid mid-range game. Right now he gets most of his points from flashing in the middle or slashing along the baseline, but if he can develop an outside game he could really become tough to stop.

24. David Hill: 5'11'' Point Guard, Cathedral H.S.

Offers From:

Interest From: Evansville

Solid all-around point guard. Great at distributing the ball and limits turnovers. He doesn't look to score much for himself, and probably needs to become a little more aggressive if he wants to pick up more Division I interest.

25. Milos Kostic: 6'8'' Power Forward, Bishop Noll H.S.

Committed: Northwestern University

Milos surprised some people when he announced his commitment last winter. He was a bit unknown around the state, and is still a little bit of a mysterious. After a relatively quite sophomore season, I expect he may break out this year as he will be the go-to-guy at Bishop Noll.

26. Trey Patterson: 6'3'' Shooting Guard, Pike H.S.

Offers From:

Interest From:

Solid ball handler, looks to penetrate off the dribble and get to the rim. He is strong and can finish through contact inside. I like his aggressiveness on the offensive end, and can be a good defender as well. Good low Division I or Division II prospect.

27. John McCloud: 6'6'' Power Forward, Lawrence North H.S.
Offers From:
Interest From: IPFW, James Madison, Kent State, Miami Ohio, Western Michigan, Central Michigan
I have seen quite a bit of John at both the Adidas Invitational and Best of the Midwest. He runs the floor well and gets quite a few easy buckets in transition. He has good hands and finishes well around the rim. Good rebounder on both ends of the court. Can be a solid low-DI guy.
28. LaBradford Sebree: 6'3'' Small Forward, Kokomo H.S.

Offers From:
Interest From:
I like the strength of this athletic wing player. He is very strong going to the basket off the dribble and can finish through lots of contact. As he continues to work on his outside shooting he will become even harder to stop on the offensive end. I see him as a DII prospect at this time, but he could probably play low-Division I as well.
29. Hulian Terrell: 6'6'' Center, Lawrence North H.S.

Offers From:

Interest From:

Good length. He is a good area rebounder and can block some shots defensively. Hulian has good hands in the post and finishes well around the basket. Probably a Division II guy at this time.

30. Darius Latham: 6'5'' Power Forward, North Central H.S.

Offers From:

Interest From:

Darius is a pretty high level football recruit, but he has not ruled out playing basketball at the college level. He moves well for as big as he is, and has good hands and very good footwork. Would be a very solid Division II player.

Please send any feedback to ramseyb14@hanover.edu. Follow the Indiana Recruiting Guide on Twitter @INrecruitguide.

Class of 2015 Players to Watch

2011-08-22T17:11:00.000-07:00

Now that the graduating class of 2015 has entered the halls of their respective high schools for the first time, it is time for the Indiana Recruiting Guide to release a list of names for you to keep your eye on. I will not rank players in this class until after their freshman season so as to see how they handle the high school game. Obviously it is still early in these kid's careers so it can be put a finger on what type of player they will become. Here is a look at some of the top Freshman that I have seen or heard about.

Jalen Coleman: 6'2'' Point Guard, Cathedral H.S.

Chandler White: 6'2'' Shooting Guard, Fort Wayne Carroll H.S.

K.J. Walton: 6'2'' Shooting Guard, Brownsburg H.S.

Sean McGee: 5'10'' Point Guard, Fort Wayne Northside H.S.

Matt Holba: 6'6'' Small Forward, Chesterton H.S.

Brennan Gillis: 6'6'' Power Forward, Ben Davis H.S.

Brandon Hardesty: 6'6'' Forward, Franklin Community H.S.

Michael Benkert: 6'4'' Small Forward Center Grove H.S.

Hyron Edwards: 5'10'' Point Guard, East Chicago Central H.S.

Chris Nunn: 5'8'' Point Guard, Liberty Christian H.S.

Michael Tucker: 5'8''Point Guard, Eastbrook H.S.

Rashaan Jackson: 6'2'' Small Guard, Warsaw H.S.

John Jager: 5'9" Point Guard, Bloomington South H.S.
Everitt Duncan: 6'3'' Small Forward, Evansville Harrison H.S.
Stanley Duncan: 6'3" Small Forward, Evansville Harrison H.S.
Ryan Fazekas: 6'5" Power Forward, Marquette Catholic H.S.
Bronson Kessinger : 6'5" Power Forward, Corydon Central H.S.
Ken Davis: 5'9'' Point Guard, Bloomington North H.S.
Joey Morlan: 6'3'' Shooting Guard, Blackhawk Christian H.S.
Josh Speidel: 6'6'' Power Forward, Columbus North H.S.
Caleb Landrum: 6'3'' Shooting Guard, Huntington North H.S.

Please let me know if there are names that need to be added to this list. I focused all my attention on Class 2012, 2013, and 2014 this summer so I have not seen many 2015 guys yet. You can contact me at ramseyb14@hanover.edu

Darryl Baker to Southport

2011-08-21T17:00:00.000-07:00

Well what I thought was going to be a quiet Sunday evening at home became a little bit more busy after some developments in the Darryl Baker transfer saga. As early as a month ago I had been hearing from a source in the Jeffersonville area that the talented 6'3'' Shooting Guard (2013), was going to be enrolling at La Lumiere School. Then, about 10 days ago the source said that he had talked to Darryl and that the plan was to go to Southport. I was trying to confirm the report, but after speaking to Southport Head Basketball Coach Wes Peek I decided to not run the story. Coach Peek said that he was not at the school for the first day of class, instead he had gone back to Jeffersonville. So, I figured that the whole thing must have not had any truth to it. However, this morning I got a message from my source and he told me that Darryl told him that he would be at Southport on Monday. It looks like it may actually be final this time! Coach Peek has confirmed that Darryl was at the school on Friday, but nothing is official as of now. I will stay on top of this story until the transfer becomes official.

In other news...

6'8'' Power Forward Joe Reed of Center Grove H.S. verbally committed to IPFW. Reed also considered American and Illinois-Chicago, both of whom had offered. The athletic post man saw his recruiting shoot up after a very good month of July with the Eric Gordon Central Stars.

Markese McGuire, a 6'3'' Shooting Guard, from Elkhart Memorial H.S., has received an offer from Evansville.

Jared Drew, 6'6'' Small Forward, from Cathedral H.S., is off the board to St. Louis. Good pick up, and the first in their 2012 class, for Coach Majerus.

Coming this week...

2011-08-21T11:39:00.000-07:00

Over the course of this week I will be updating the Class of 2012, 2013, and 2014 Rankings for the final time until high school basketball season begins. If you would like to see a certain player in the Indiana Recruiting Guide rankings please email me at ramseyb14@hanover.edu or get ahold me on Twitter @INrecruitguide. I will also release a 2015 Watch List which will feature 10 or so of the top Freshman in the state.

J.T. Yoho, a 6'5'' Shooting Guard from Eastern Greene H.S., will be making his college decision tomorrow at 12:30. He is choosing between Bowling Green, IPFW, and Wright State. I will have the decision, along with a brief right up immediately following his announcement.

Top Un-Committed Seniors, DII/DII/NAIA Level

2011-08-15T17:36:00.000-07:00

Here is another installment of the Indiana Recruiting Guide's look at the top prospects left on the board. In this article we will be looking at players that would fit in at the Division II, Division III, and/or NAIA level. As with the players who are looking to land at a Division I program, there are many prospects left in Indiana that college coaches at these levels could sign to help their team.

Division II

1. Steve Hawkins: 6'8'' Power Forward, Bowman Academy

Steve is pretty raw overall, but he is a good shot blocker and rebounder which, along with his size, will grab the attention of schools at the college level. His best bet may be to go the JUCO route so he can get stronger and polish his offensive skills, then he could contribute right away at the DII or possibly even low DI level. However, coming straight from high school I think that he is a Division II prospect based on his size and athletic ability.

2. Brad Hartman: 6'7'' Power Forward, Union County H.S.

Brad is an athletic big man who runs the floor well and has a nice soft touch around the basket. He can extend the defense with his mid-range game which features a consistent shot out to 15-17 feet. Brad needs to get stronger to be more of a force on the glass and defensive end of the floor, but he has the overall tools to be a very good player at the next level. He has a Division I offer from Jacksonville, but I do not see him being a contributor at that level. I do like him at a DII/NAIA program though.

3. Tyler Corey: 5'11'' Lawrence North H.S.

Played with and against some of the most talented players in the country in July with his AAU team, Indiana Elite/Team Indiana. Tyler is a strong point guard who can handle the ball well and makes smart decisions, does not try to do too much. I would like to see him look to score a little bit more at times because he has the strength to get to the basket and finish inside. Could contribute some minutes right away at the DII level.

4. Rashad Richardson: 6'4'' Small Forward, Lafayette Jefferson H.S.

Rashad had a very good showing at the Top 100 Showcase. I like his length and athletic ability. He is an pretty good shooter, but could improve in that area. He is another guy who could become a much better player if he went to a Junior College for a couple years, but either way is probably no more than a DII prospect.

Division II/NAIA Prospects

These players are right on the line between these two levels.

1. Adam Botts: 5'11'' Point Guard, Muncie Central H.S.

Adam is strong for his size and a very good leaper as well. He surprised me this summer by throwing down dunks in warmups. I think he will be ready to play right away at the college level, and his height will be the only thing that makes college coaches at the DII level think twice before grabbing him up.

2. Riley Rapp: 6'1'' Shooting Guard, Guerin Catholic H.S.

Rapp is a great student and a very hard worker. He is a good outside shooter which college coaches can never have enough of. He isn't the greatest athlete and isn't too big either which keeps him from being a bigger prospect. However, he has visited Yale and I suspect that many programs at the DII/NAIA level would love to have a kid like this.

3. Keith Cochran: 6'10'' Center, Bluffton H.S.

He has garnered some interest from low-Division I programs such as Western Michigan and Mercer, but that is mostly based on his size. I think that he is more of a DII/NAIA prospect. Coaches at that level should get on him right away as it isn't too often that a kid of this size comes to that level.

NAIA Prospects

1. Petey Balls: 6'0'' Point Guard, Lawrence North H.S.

I really like this kid as an on-ball defender, he will be a lock down type of guy at the next level. Petey handles the ball well on the offensive end and is a good passer too. Just a solid all-around point guard for an NAIA program.

2. Cody Woodbury: 6'3'' Shooting Guard, Winchester H.S.

Cody is strong and a good athlete. He has a good mid-range game. Needs to improve his ball handling, but seems to be getting better each time I see him.

3. Trevor Thompson: 6'10'' Center, Ben Davis H.S.

Another guy that demands attention based on his size alone. He just doesn't move well enough or have the skill to go much higher than the NAIA level. Still, because of his size I think he would be a good player at that level.

Division III

1. Michael Lenz: 6'0'' Point Guard, Brebeuf Jesuit H.S.

I got to see Lenz play at the Adidas Invitational and was very impressed. I like his decision making and ball handling ability. I think he is the best of the guards that I have listed at the Division III level.

2. Grant Meyer: 6'0'' Point Guard, Silver Creek H.S.

Fell in love with watching this kid play this summer. He is super quick and one of the best defenders in the state. Great ball handler also. Has good strength, may be able to even play at the DII/NAIA level, but would be an instant impact player at a DIII program.

3. Ben Gardner: 6'0'' Point Guard, Carmel H.S.

Nice lefty shooting stroke. Good outside shooter, one of the games I watched this summer he went for around 25 points. He will be very good player at this level.

4. Keegan Kincaid: 6'1'' Point Guard, Switzerland County H.S.

Another guy that I really enjoyed watching play. He was on the same Team Southern Indiana AAU squad as Grant Meyer, and is a similar player to the extent that they are both quick and very good defenders. Keegan is a better 3-point shooter, but can be a little loose with the ball sometimes.

All of these prospects are very talented and it was tough to decide what level they would best fit at. Take note that guys that I put at the DIII level for example could play at a DII or NAIA school if the right fit came along, but I think that they will get the most interest from the DIII level and could contribute right away at those schools. Please contact me if you would like more info at ramseyb14@hanover.edu.

Top Un-Committed Seniors DI Level

2011-08-14T17:19:00.000-07:00

Now that many high schools are starting up again basketball season will be upon us before you know it. With that, many of the top prospects in the class of 2012 are coming off the board. However, college programs of any level that are still looking to fill a spot or two can find some very talented players. Here is a detailed look at the top players remaining broken down by college prospectus.

Division I Prospects

1. Gary Harris: 6'4'' Shooting Guard, Hamilton Southeastern H.S.

This is the obvious choice for the #1 slot. Harris was ranked #11 in the country in the latest ESPN rankings. He can essentially take his pick as to where he will play college basketball, currently Indiana, Michigan State, Purdue, Louisville, and Notre Dame are after Harris the hardest and seem to be at the top of his list, though he has not officially named any finalists. Michigan and Ohio State are other schools that have offered and may be in the mix, and Kentucky has been showing some interest.

2. DeJaun Marrero: 6'6'' Small Forward, Bowman Academy

Marrero is a versatile, inside-outside player that causes serious match up problems for opposing defenses. He plays with a great motor and is an elite rebounder for his size. However, he is a bit of a "tweener" which will cause more of a problem at the next level than it does in high school. Marrero lists these schools as the main ones that are in the running for his services Illinois, Indiana, Xavier, Purdue, Ball State, Minnesota, Memphis and Dayton, all have offered. Kansas and Tennessee have recently begun to show interest as well. He has stated that there are no clear front-runners at this time, but he may be shortening his list of possible suitors in the near future.

3. Eron Harris: 6'3'' Shooting Guard, Lawrence North H.S.

Even though he is un-committed, his recruitment is not necessarily open. Eron has named Wisconsin and Dayton has his Final 2 schools.

4. Patrick Ingram: 6'2'' Shooting Guard, North Central H.S.

Ingram has seen his recruitment pick up after a very solid summer circuit. He picked up an offer from Iowa and was just recently offered by Georgia State. His teammate from the Eric Gordon Central Stars, Nick Osborne, just committed to Loyola, so one could assume that they are in the mix (they have offered him). He also just got back from a visit to St. Louis and they are considered a front-runner for the strong guard. Southern Illinois and Ball State have also offered.

5. D.J. Balentine: 6'1'' Point Guard, Kokomo H.S.

He is another member of the EG10 AAU squad that had a great summer. Nick Osborne has already been on the phone with Balentine, as well as Ingram, give a recruiting talk on behalf of Loyola, who has offered. Missouri State, Evansville and Wright State have all offered the talented guard this summer, and Indiana State and IPFW are also in the mix.

6. Jared Drew: 6'6'' Small Forward, Cathedral H.S.

Boston College has recently become interested in this athletic wing player. He has a multitude of offers and told the Indiana Recruiting Guide just a couple of days ago that he has cut his list to 5, but he is not ready to release the list. Loyola, St. Louis, Lamar, IUPUI are some of the schools that have offered that are after him the hardest.

7. Kellon Thomas: 5'11'' Point Guard, Southport H.S.

Kellon just shortened his list to a Final 5 of Florida Atlantic, IPFW, IUPUI, Kent State, and UC-Davis. I know that he is a top priority of the IUPUI staff.

8. Obij Aget: 7'1'' Center, La Lumiere School

I know that I am not as big a fan of Obij as lots of people so I may get some grief for putting him #8 on this list. Obviously, when you are 7'1'' and have the athleticism that he has you are going to get tons of big time Division I offers, however I question how productive he will ever become. His recruitment is pretty much wide open still. He visited New Mexico this weekend and holds offers from schools such as Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, and Mississippi.

9. Edward Seay: 6'9'' Power Forward, Merrillville H.S.

Seay is a little under the radar, but I fell in love with this kid at the Top 100 workout. His length and athleticism are big assets. He is a great shot blocker and is developing a good offensive game as well. He does not have any offers at this point, but Northern Illinois, Dayton, Loyola, Western Michigan, and Illinois State are interested. Coaches from Michigan have also been keeping tabs on him. He may be a year or so away from being a big-time contributor, but any mid-major school still in need of a big man should get on him right away.

10. J.T. Yoho: 6'5'' Shooting Guard, Eastern Greene H.S.

Yoho does not overwhelm you with athleticism, but he sure can score it. His size allows him to get some mis-matches and he is a great shooter from both mid-range and from outside. Bowling Green, IPFW, Gardner-Webb, and Wright State have offered and he is currently visiting all of those schools before making a decision. Will be a good pure scorer at the mid-major level.

11. Jermaine Meyers: 6'0'' Point Guard, Culver Academy

Very good all-around point guard. He could contribute some minutes right away at the low to mid-major level. Meyers has offers from Ball State, Drake, Indiana State, Ohio, and Valparaiso. IUPUI has begun showing interest as well.

12. Elijah Ray: 6'6'' Power Forward, Bowman Academy

I really like this kid. He is a very strong body but is also a good athlete. Ray is probably one of the best rebounders left on the board, so any low or mid-major in need of rebounding help, don't let the 6'6'' frame scare you and get after him. He is a top level student as well, showcased by the interest he is receiving from schools like Harvard, UC-Irvine, and Illinois. His only offers are from Indiana State and Valparaiso.

13. Joe Reed: 6'8'' Power Forward, Center Grove H.S.

Reed benefited from a great month of July, he now holds 3 DI offers from Toledo, American and Indiana State. Interest has been coming in from Ball State, IUPUI, Illinois-Chicago and Northern Illinois. He has stated that he would like to make a decision by the end of the month, but may make a couple of more visits first.

14. Ryan Weber: 6'6'' Small Forward, Roncalli H.S.

Ryan is a versatile wing player with good strength that allows him to play either the 3 or the 4. He has offers from Drake, IPFW, Gardner-Webb, Lamar, Youngstown State, and Boston.

15. Jalen Pendleton: 6'3'' Shooting Guard, Evansville Bosse H.S.

He only has one Division I offer, from Indiana State. I really like him on the defensive end and is an overall good athlete with good strength. He needs to work on his perimeter game, but I see him as a good low-DI prospect.

The previous 15 names are guys that are for sure Division I prospects. The next 5 names are players that are right on the cusp between the Division I and Division II level.

Harry Willis: 6'2'' Point Guard, Ben Davis H.S.

He holds an offer from Mississippi Valley State (Division I) and Indianapolis (Division II). Valparaiso has also shown interest. I like him at the low DI level, his athleticism allows him to create for himself off the dribble and he has the potential to be a very good defender at the next level.

Kendall Waters: 5'10'' Point Guard, Muncie Central H.S.

Waters is a good all-around talent, but his lack of size and strength may keep him from the DI level. I think he could go in and contribute right away at a Division II program. He has interest from SIU-Edwardsville and Eastern Kentucky. DII coaches, call this guy if you need a point guard.

Brent Calhoun: 6'8'' Center, Warren Central H.S.

Brent had a very strong last week of July that lead to picking up 2 Division I offers from Lamar and Appalachian State. He isn't the most athletic guy, but he works hard on both ends of the floor. I think he will be a solid player off the bench at a low-DI program.

Tyler Alderman: 6'9'' Center, Fishers H.S.

Holds an offer from SIU-Edwardsville and has some interest from Toledo, Indiana State, and Evansville. I think he could be a stud at the Division II level so coaches should get on him right away. However, at a DI program he would be more of a project, he isn't very quick or athletic, but his big frame allows him to get the job done. He is a good kid with a solid work ethic.

David Heckman: 6'7'' Small Forward, Roncalli H.S.

David is probably more of a DII prospect. He has an offer from Findlay (DII), but is getting some DI interest from schools like Samford, Leigh, and Furman.

There you have it. 20 names of potential Division I prospects that have yet to make their college decision. If your program needs any more information on one of these guys please get ahold of me. I can be reached by email at ramseyb14@hanover.edu.

Recruiting News Update

2011-08-11T10:17:00.000-07:00

The biggest news of the past few days would certainly be Muncie Central big man, Nick Osborne, announcing his commitment to Loyola last evening. The 6'8'' Power Forward is a double-double waiting to happen and should be a huge asset right away for their program. Nick has stated that he will be busy helping recruit his AAU teammates Patrick Ingram and D.J. Balentine. New Assistant Coach Jason Gardner, formerly an assistant at Cathedral has been busy with recruiting Indiana players, also gaining a commitment from 6'7'' Forward Matt O'Leary of Terre Haute North.

Southport Point Guard Kellon Thomas has cut his list of college choices down to a Final 5. Florida Atlantic, IPFW, IUPUI, Kent State, and UC-Davis were the schools that made his list.

Dylan Langkabel, a guard from Morristown, has committed to Division II Northwood University in Michigan.

6'5'' Guard Leo Svete of Penn will be taking a visit to Florida on the 21st and 22nd of this month. Loyola recently offered the 2013 prospect as well. He now holds offers from Drake, Western Michigan, and Bucknell along with Loyola.

Best of July AAU Circuit

2011-08-05T12:46:00.000-07:00

During this past month of July many Indiana basketball players saw their hard work come to fruition as interest and offers from college programs came their way. Over the course of the month there were a few players who really stood out above the rest and saw their recruiting really take off. Guys such as Lawrence North's Eron Harris and Southport's Kellon Thomas gained multiple offers during July, along with players who were not as highly recruited before like Matt O'Leary, Brent Calhoun, and Tyler Alderman burst onto the Division I scene. Others made their college commitments during the month, or directly after it, namely, Zak Irvin and Michael Ramey. Here is a deeper look into the top performers of the July circuit.

Class of 2012

This past month marked the last time that these Seniors-to-be would put on their AAU uniforms and served as one of their final auditions for college scouts. These guys made a big impression in July.

Eron Harris: 6'3'' Shooting Guard, Lawrence North H.S.

He probably made one of the biggest leaps during the AAU season. Eron saw his recruiting interest blow up after a great tournament at the Adidas Invitational. He know holds an offer from Wisconsin, and has stated that he will be choosing between the Badgers and Dayton.

Patrick Ingram: 6'2'' Shooting Guard, North Central H.S.

Patrick was another Indiana player to brake into the Big 10 Conference after receiving an offer from Iowa. I really enjoyed watching this strong guard play, he as a very solid all-around game that would translate well to the physical Big 10. He also has offers from Indiana State, Loyola, Southern Illinois, and St. Louis to name a few.

Jared Drew: 6'5'' Small Forward, Cathedral H.S.

He continued to add to his long list of schools after a strong AAU circuit. Jared added offers from Missouri State, St. Louis, Lamar, and Loyola as well as serious interest from Boston College.

Kellon Thomas: 5'11'' Point Guard, Southport H.S.

This scoring guard had a huge month which lead to him adding more and more offers to his already sizable list. Kellon picked up an offer from Kent State recently. Stony Brook and Florida Atlantic also offered this past month.

Matt O'Leary: 6'7'' Small Forward, Terre Haute H.S.

After a strong month of July, four offers have come the way of this talented offensive threat. American, Furman, Loyola, Jacksonville all recently extended offers, and Lafayette has also offered.

J.T. Yoho: 6'5'' Shooting Guard, Eastern Greene H.S.

Yoho was very impressive when I watched a few of his games at the Best of the Midwest tournament. I was obviously not the only person impressed with this big time scorer this month as he added 2 offers in July from IPFW and Wright State.

Brent Calhoun: 6'8'' Power Forward, Warren Central H.S.

Received his first DI offers this past month as Lamar and Appalachian State both rewarded his solid play in late July. IPFW is also interest in the big man.

Class of 2013

Zak Irvin was with out a doubt the most impressive player out of the Junior-to-be player in the state. He played his way into being named the Indiana Recruiting Guide's #1 prospect in the class. Zak also made his college decision, recently committing to the University of Michigan.

Jaylon Brown: 6'0'' Point Guard, Fishers H.S.

Really burst onto the scene this past month. Jaylon received scholarship offers from American and Ohio, as well as interest from Xavier, Butler, and Evansville. The explosive guard should have a big Junior season.

V.J. Beachem: 6'6'' Small Forward, New Haven H.S.

Beachem is the highest rated uncommitted prospect in the 2013 class now that Zak Irvin is off the board. The versatile wing had a big month which lead to picking up another offer, this one from Notre Dame. Butler and Purdue have also offered. He has said that it may not be much longer before he makes his decision.

Mo Evans: 6'0'' Point Guard, Cathedral H.S.

Even though Mo still does not hold any offers, interest around the talented guard took a swing upwards during July. He is currently getting serious interest from many mid-majors including Loyola, IPFW, Evansville, Wright State, and Ball State.

Class of 2014

Evansville Bosse combo guard Jaquan Lyle proved why he is considered one of the premier Sophomore-to-be prospects nationwide. He showcased great ball-handling and passing ability, which at 6'4'', gives him the ability to play point guard as well as off the ball. He said that both Michigan State and Ohio State are "close to offering" and he already has offers from Illinois, Indiana, Purdue, and Xavier.

Sean Sellers: 6'5'' Shooting Guard, Greensburg H.S.

The lights out shooter was very impressive at the Best of the Midwest, scoring 20+ points in the 2 games that I watched him play. Big time Division I programs are keeping close tabs on this long, athletic wing, such as Michigan, New Mexico, Butler, and Purdue.

Class of 2015

Many of these Freshman-to-be are just beginning to get onto the radar screens of college coaches, however some of the top players are already garnering serious interest. Cathedral guard Jalen Coleman has picked up an offer from Indiana before ever playing a high school basketball game. Notre Dame is also very interest in the athletic guard.

A couple of other names to watch in this class are...

Chandler White: 6'3'' Shooting Guard, Fort Wayne Carroll H.S.

K.J. Walton: 6'2'' Shooting Guard, Brownsburg H.S.

In other recruiting news...

Southport sharp-shooter Michael Ramey committed to Ball State.

Fishers big man Tyler Alderman received an offer from SIU-Edwardsville and also has picked up interest from Toledo. Toledo is also in the running for Center Grove's Joe Reed, he holds an offer from them.

2011 Indiana All-Star Chris Whitehead is headed to Weatherford College, a JUCO in Texas.

Jared Drew of Cathedral told the Indiana Recruiting Guide that he has narrowed his list down to 5, however he is not releasing the names just yet.

Zak Irvin to Make College Decision

2011-07-30T16:54:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow marks the final evaluation day for college coaches, however recruiting news will hardly be coming to a halt. Now that players have had a chance to audition for hundreds of schools, coaches will begin to make moves to filling any needs by extending scholarship offers to these high school prospects. Early August is also a time that many Senior-to-be prospects make their verbal commitments so they can get their college decision off their chest before the start of their senior year of school. One guy that we know will be off the board as of tomorrow is talented Hamilton Southeastern junior-to-be, Zak Irvin.

The 6'6'' wing man has had a huge month of July which has propelled him to the top of the 2013 Indiana Recruiting Guide's rankings as well as onto the radar screen of many of the top programs in the country. Zak has decided that he will announce his decision tomorrow, picking between Michigan and Butler. One of these two schools will be lucky to have the services of one of the premier 2013 prospects in the country.

Best of luck to Zak with his decision tomorrow! Follow him on Twitter @zirvin21 to see what he decides!

Adidas Super 64 Recap and Recruiting News

2011-07-26T18:08:00.000-07:00

Indiana's AAU teams had a pretty good showing out in Las Vegas this week at the Adidas Super 64 tournament. Our state was represented by 7 teams in the 15U-17U divisions. In each of those 3 age divisions we had a team advance to at least the Final 4 of the Championship Bracket. In the 17U (2012) bracket Indiana Elite-Team Indiana shook off a rough pool play which saw them go 0-3, and won 4 straight to reach the Final 4. In 16U (2013) play, Eric Gordon All-Stars reached the final game before falling in a hard fought game to KC Pump N Run. The EG10 squad was playing without Indiana commit Collin Hartman who was sidelined with a back injury. Indiana Elite 1 represented the state in the 15U (2014) division by reaching the Final 4 where they lost by 3 points to the eventual champion, Las Vegas Prospects.

Other teams playing out in Vegas were Eric Gordon Central Stars (17U-2012) who went 4-1 overall, Indiana Elite Stars (16U-2013) who finished up 3-2, Eric Gordon All Stars (15U-2014) also went 3-2, and Indiana Elite Hoopmatics (15U-2014) finished at 3-1 overall.

In some recent recruiting news...

Tyler Alderman, a 6'8'' Center from Fisher H.S. picked up his first Division I offer from Southern Illinois-Edwardsville.

Ryan Weber, a 6'6'' Small Forward from Roncalli H.S. received an offer from Boston University. He also was offered by Youngstown State recently. He now holds 6 offers, Drake, IPFW, Gardner-Webb, and Lamar are the other teams.

Matt O'Leary, a 6'7'' Small Forward from Terre Haute North H.S. got his third DI offer, adding Loyola to his list. Jacksonville and Lafayette have also extended offers.

Kellon Thomas, a 5'11'' Point Guard from Southport got his 12th offer today after Kent State offered him.

New! Class of 2012 Rankings-Updated 8/29/11

2011-07-23T17:22:00.001-07:00

Updated August 29, 2011

1. Gary Harris: 6'4'' Shooting Guard, Hamilton Southeastern H.S.

Offers From: Indiana, Louisville, Michigan State, Ohio State, Purdue, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, IUPUI, Illinois, Minnesota, Oregon State, Alabama

Interest From: Kentucky

2. Kevin "Yogi" Ferrell: 5'11'' Point Guard, Park Tudor H.S.

Committed: Indiana University

4. Glenn Robinson III: 6'6'' Small Forward, Lake Central H.S.

Committed: University of Michigan

5. Hanner Perea: 6'8'' Power Forward, La Lumiere School

Committed: Indiana University

6. Ron Patterson: 6'3'' Shooting Guard, Broad Ripple H.S.

Committed: Indiana University

7. Ronnie Johnson: 5'10'' Point Guard, North Central H.S.

Committed: Purdue University

8. Kellen Dunham: 6'5'' Shooting Guard, Pendleton Heights H.S.

Committed: Butler University

9. Raphael Davis: 6'5'' Shooting Guard, La Lumiere

Committed: Purdue University

10. Jay Simpson: 6'9'' Power Forward, La Lumiere

Committed: Purdue University

11. Nick Osborne: 6'8'' Power Forward, Muncie Central H.S.

Committed: Loyola University

12. Austin Burgett: 6'8'' Small Forward, Avon H.S.

Committed: University of Notre Dame

13. DeJaun Marrero: 6'6'' Small Forward, Bowman Academy

Offers From: Xavier, Purdue, Ohio State, Memphis, Indiana, Illinois, DePaul, Cincinnati, Minnesota, Missouri State

Interest From: Kansas, Florida

14. Eron Harris: 6'3'' Shooting Guard, Lawrence North H.S.
Offers From: Wisconsin, Dayton, Kent State, Ball State, Evansville, Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, Tennessee Tech, Buffalo
Interest From: New Mexico, Xavier
Eron has totally blown up. He went from having just low to mid-major offers to being only of the most hotly sought after recruits in the state. He is very athletic and can shoot the ball very well. Very impressed with his play at the Adidas Invitational, and obviously many college coaches were as well. Has announced that he will be choosing between Wisconsin and Dayton.

15. Patrick Ingram: 6'2'' Shooting Guard, North Central H.S.

Committed: University of Iowa

16. R.J. Hunter: 6'5'' Small Forward, Pike H.S.

Committed: Georgia State University

17. Obij Aget: 7'1'' Center, La Lumiere School
Offers From: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, Missouri
Interest From: Indiana, Tennessee
Aget is a huge project, no pun intended. I really like his athleticism for such a long body, but he just doesn't have a lot of basketball skill right now. I am probably not as high on him as some people because I just don't see him developing into much more than a guy who can average 5 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks a game at the next level. His size alone demands collegiate interes
t, but I do not expect him to have a tone of success at the DI level.

18. D.J. Balentine: 6'1'' Point Guard, Kokomo H.S.

Offers From: Indiana State, IPFW, Loyola, Missouri State, Evansville, Wright State

Considering: Tennessee, Miami (OH)

19. Bo Calhoun: 6'6'' Power Forward, South Bend Washington H.S.

Committed: Ball State University

20. Michael Ramey: 6'4'' Shooting Guard, Southport H.S.

Committed: Ball State University

21. Jared Drew: 6'5'' Small Forward, Cathedral H.S.

Committed: St. Louis University

22. Kellon Thomas: 5'11'' Point Guard, Southport H.S.

Offers From: Georgia State, Loyola, IUPUI, IPFW, Eastern Illinois, Southern Illinois, UC-Davis, Kennesaw State, Morehead State, Gardner-Webb, Belmont, Kent State, Stony Brook, Florida Atlantic

Interest From: Tennessee, Wright State, Western Kentucky, Butler, Wichita State

23. Antonio Drummond: 5'10'' Point Guard, La Lumiere

Committed: Southern Illinois University

24. Alex Olah: 6'11'' Center, Traders Point Christian Academy

Committed: Northwestern University

25. Chier Ajou: 7'1'' Center, Culver Military Academy

Committed: University of New Mexico

Was originally in the Class of 2011, but reclassified and is doing a post-graduate program at Culver. He will not play for their high school this coming winter.

26. Jacobby Bledsoe: 5'10'' Point Guard, Hamilton Southeastern H.S.

Offers From: Georgia State, Drake, Oregon State, Western Kentucky, Western Michigan, Creighton, Eastern Michigan, Evansville, Navy

Interest From: Dayton, Michigan State, Tennessee, Southern Illinois, Ball State

Very quick and a great ball handler. He creates well for himself as well as his teammates. Good defender. I was impressed with the progress he had made on his outside shooting ability when I saw him play at the Adidas Invitational. Can for the action a little bit sometimes, but for the most part he makes things happen on the offensive end. One of the better point guards in the class.

28. J.T. Yoho: 6'5'' Shooting Guard, Eastern Greene H.S.

Committed: Wright State University

29. Jermaine Myers: 6'0'' Point Guard, Culver Military Academy

Offers From: Ball State, Drake, Indiana State, Ohio, Valparaiso

Interest From: UNLV, IUPUI

30. Jeff Laidig: 6'4'' Shooting Guard, Penn H.S.

Committed: Belmont University

31. Jalen Pendleton: 6'3'' Shooting Guard, Evansville Bosse H.S.

Offers From: Indiana State

Interest From: Murray State, Middle Tennessee State, Evansville, IPFW, Ball State, Georgia State

32. Rhett Smith: 6'7'' Small Forward, Sullivan H.S.

Committed: Indiana State University

Very nice combo-forward who can play either the 3 or the 4 spot. Good athlete who handles the ball well for a big guy.

34. Elijah Ray: 6'6'' Power Forward, Bowman Academy
Offers From: Valparaiso, Indiana State
Interest From: Iowa, Harvard, Iowa State, Tennessee, Boston College, Marquette, Illinois, UC-Irvine
Very strong body, he has a great game down low for being a little undersized. Elijah's combination of strength and athleticism gives him an advantage on the boards against bigger opponents. I was very impressed with him at the Top 100. He will be a very good mid-major player.
35. Ryan Weber: 6'6'' Small Forward, Roncalli H.S.
Offers From: Drake, IPFW, Gardner-Webb, Lamar, Youngstown State, Boston
Interest From: Richmond, Northeastern, Furman, Stetson, Belmont, Indiana State, Eastern Kentucky
Ryan is very versatile, he could play either the 3 or the 4, but will probably be on the wing in college. He has good post skills offensively, and also a very good mid-range game. He has been working hard on his ball handling which will really give him an all-around offensive game.
36. Matt O'Leary: 6'7'' Power Forward, Terre Haute North H.S.
Committed: Loyola University
37. Steve Hawkins: 6'8'' Power Forward, Bowman Academy
Offers From:
Interest From:

38. Logan Irwin: 6'0'' Point Guard, Whitko H.S.

Committed: Northwood University (DII)

43. Brent Calhoun: 6'8'' Center, Warren Central H.S.

Offers From: Lamar, Appalachian State
Interest From: Evansville, Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, IUPUI, Valparaiso, St. Louis
44. Adam Botts: 5'11'' Point Guard, Muncie Central H.S.
Offers From:
Interest From:
45. Kendall Waters: 5'9'' Point Guard, Muncie Central H.S.

Offers From:
Interest From: Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, Eastern Kentucky

46. Brad Hartman: 6'7'' Power Forward, Union County H.S.

Offers From: Jacksonville
Interest From: Navy, Eastern Kentucky
47. Tyler Corey: 5'11'' Point Guard, Lawrence Central H.S.
Offers From:
Interest From:

48. Rashad Richardson: 6'4'' Small Forward, Lafayette Jefferson H.S.

Offers From:

Interest From:

49. Riley Rapp: 6'1'' Shooting Guard, Guerin Catholic H.S.

Offers From:
Interest From: Yale
50. Michael Lenz: 6'0'' Point Guard, Brebuef Jesuit H.S.
Offers From:
Interest From:

If you have any questions or comments feel free to email me at ramseyb14@hanover.edu. Thanks!

Adidas Super 64-Day 1

2011-07-23T06:41:00.001-07:00

I have been following the Vegas tournament online from Tennessee where I am visiting my grandparents and playing lots of golf. However, it has been confusing because of the time distance between down here, my home in Indiana, and Vegas. The question down here has become, "well what time is it in VEGAS!?" The first round of games will be starting in a couple hours today so I wanted to get a quick recap of the Indiana scores from yesterday.

2012's

Indiana Elite-Team Indiana had a rough start to their tournament as they dropped both games yesterday. Luckily they are in one of the "Super Pools" so no matter what their record is in pool play they will advance to the Championship Bracket.

Double Pump Elite 53 Indiana Elite-Team Indiana 50

Eric Gordon Central Stars 75 KC Pump N Run 71

Dream Vision 17U 80 Indiana Elite-Team Indiana 65

2013's

The Indiana teams were involved in lots of close games in the 2013 division, but luckily they came out on top in 3 of the 4 games. Both of these teams are in Super Pools as well.

Eric Gordon All Stars 56 Wisconsin Playground Warriors 53

Indiana Elite Stars 55 KC Pump N Run 54

Eric Gordon All Stars 63 New Heights NYC 51

Atlanta Celtics 16U 64 Indiana Elite Stars 62

2014's

Indiana Elite One 69 Urban DFW Elite 48

Eric Gordon All Stars 74 Colorado Hawks 64

Indiana Elite Hoopmatics 80 Elite Nation 58

Today teams will continue pool play and seeds will be decided for the tournament play which begins tomorrow. For updates throughout the day follow me on Twitter @INrecruitguide.

Monte James-Penn H.S.

2011-07-22T18:24:00.000-07:00

Obviously, the Indiana Recruiting Guide is a basketball scouting service. However, for just a few minutes we are going to delve into a fall sport, football. For all of the college basketball coaches who read this please pass it along to your school's football staff.

A few days ago I had the chance to catch up with a new friend of mine, Monte James from Penn High School. After getting a chance to learn a little bit about him I decided that this guy needed to get some more publicity and figured that I could help him out a little bit by putting together an article.

First off, this Senior-to-be is one of the nicest, most driven kids I have come across. He is very appreciative of every opportunity that comes his way and seems to be the type of guy that always makes the most out of any situation. Monte is a 6'3'' 290 pound Offensive/Defensive Lineman, primarily at the Tackle position. His speed is one of his biggest assets, and as a basketball guy myself, I can tell you that his footwork and size would be enviable in the low post. His combination of size, strength, and quickness makes it very hard for defenders to get around him when he is on the offensive side of the ball, and he is equally hard to stop on when on the defensive side.

Monte has worked hard to achieve a major goal of his...playing collegiate football. Recently, he has been assured that his dream will become reality. NAIA powerhouse, University of St. Francis has offered him, and he has also been offered a roster spot a Division III Manchester College. However, his sights are set upon the Division I ranks. As usual with Monte, his hope will most likely come to fruition. He is receiving some serious interest from Purdue, Valparaiso, Ball State, Indiana, Northwestern, Western Michigan and Indiana State. As I said before he is a very driven individual and he spoke at length with me on how thankful he is for every opportunity that has come his way through football. "Every day I get up and thank God for everything He has done for me and my family," he said.

I expect that before too long Monte will pick up a few Division I offers and will be well on his way of making his lifelong dream a reality, not just playing college football at the highest level, but also attending college. He said that he is looking for a school with a good "academic and coaching reputation." I have really enjoyed getting to talk with this young man and I am sure that nothing but great things will come in his future.

To the basketball fans that may read this, please pass this kids name along to your football friends, as they will be hearing the name a lot in the coming fall.

New Rankings

2011-07-18T16:11:00.000-07:00

Over the next few days I will be working on updating the rankings for the classes of 2012, 2013, and 2014. I will also be adding a "watch list" of 2015 prospects. I would like input from our readers as to who you think should be where? Anybody that is too high or too low? Anybody that needs to be added that I don't currently have?

After watching over 40 games during the 10-day evaluation period I have found a few guys that will be added to each ranking, as well as seeing the improvements of some players that will warrant them moving up the rankings. Please send any comments to me at ramseyb14@hanover.edu or ask me on Twitter @INrecruitguide.

Look forward to new rankings the rest of this week!

Recruiting News and Notes

2011-07-17T10:30:00.000-07:00

Now that the first 10-day whirlwind of AAU tournaments has come to an end, it is time to take a look at the recruiting news that has broke in the past couple of weeks. Also, there should be many more announcements to be made in the coming week or so as college coaches decide who impressed them the most during the evaluation period.

The first piece of news just came an hour or so ago, as the Indiana Recruiting Guide's #1 prospect in the Class of 2013, V.J. Beachem, picked up an offer from Notre Dame. Coach Mike Brey had been watching the 6'6'' Small Forward closely this month. Beachem has a long list of schools that are showing interest in his services, and I expect that the offers will come pouring in the near future. I had the chance to get in on an interview with the New Haven H.S. star after one of his games at the Adidas Invitational as he spoke about his recruitment. He mentions in the interview that the recruiting process is "speeding up" as to when he will make his decision. So, with his decision possibly coming soon many of the other schools that have shown interest will want to start offering so as to have a chance to land the talented wing.

Check out the video!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bnpe69HRQG0

Other more recent pieces of recruiting news include...

Patrick Ingram: 6'3'' SG, North Central H.S. (2013) has picked up an offer from Iowa. In the Indiana Recruiting Guide's article that previewed the July AAU circuit, I had noted that I expected Ingram to pick up an offer or two from some bigger schools, evening mentioning the Hawkeyes as a possibility.

Jalen Coleman: 6'1'' PG, Cathedral H.S. (2015) received his first offer, from Indiana University, before he ever has played a high school game. I had the chance to watch him play three times at the Best of the Midwest and came away very impressed with his upside. I am not a huge fan of offering kids this young, but if you were to begin this early Jalen would certainly be one of the first I would extend an offer to.

Other news that has come in the past 10 days or so...

Joe Reed: 6'8'' PF, Center Grove H.S. (2012) has had a very good month, and that solid play lead to him receiving an offer from Toledo. Reed is getting interest from many other mid-major schools, and I expect he will have another offer or two pretty soon.

Jared Drew: 6'6'' SF, Cathedral H.S. (2012) continues to add to his long list of offers by picking up one more from Missouri State. Loyola and Lamar are two of his other most recent offers. Coaches from Boston College, Tennessee, and Wichita State have been following him as well.

Eron Harris: 6'5'' Shooting Guard, Lawrence North H.S. (2012) has probably been one of the fastest rising prospects in the state. Tennessee Tech has been added to his list of offers that include Evansville, IPFW, and SIU-Edwardsville. Bo Ryan from Wisconsin has been following him closely this month, as well as coaches from Xavier and New Mexico.

Jaylon Brown: 6'0'' PG, Fishers H.S. (2013) now holds an offer from American. Ohio, Butler, and Xavier have also expressed interest.

Jaraan Lands: 6'5'' SF, Brownsburg H.S. (2014) receiving early interest from many Big 10 schools, including IU, Purdue, Ohio State, and Wisconsin. Classmate Kendall Rollins: 6'6'' SF, Pike H.S. is also getting interest from IU and Purdue, as well as Wright State, Tulane, and Detroit.

Jaquan Lyle: 6'4'' SG, Evansville Bosse H.S. (2014) impressed me this month as much as just about anyone else I saw. He is a great ball handler and passer who also has good size. This allows him to play both the point, and 2-guard spot. He currently has offers fromIllinois, Indiana, Purdue, and Xavier. He said that both Ohio State and Michigan Stateare "close to offering."

Brad Hartman: 6'7'' PF, Union County H.S. (2012) picked up his first Division I offer from Jacksonville this week. The athletic big man is also getting interest from Navy andEastern Kentucky.

Matt O'Leary: 6'7'' SF, Terre Haute North H.S. (2012) got an offer from Lafayette recently. I was very impressed with his play at the Adidas Invitational. He can play and guard multiple positions, and I like his overall offensive game. Great shooter for his size. Any low or mid-major looking for a versatile player who can score it, get on O'Leary right away.

As more recruiting news comes in within the next few weeks I will continue to update you with more articles like this one. It is our goal at the Indiana Recruiting Guide to not only get this information to our readers as quickly as possible, but also give the most accurate information after confirming news with multiple sources. If you have any questions or want info on a certain players recruitment you can email me at ramseyb14@hanover.edu, or ask me on Twitter @INrecruitguide.

Best of the Midwest-Day 2

2011-07-14T16:38:00.000-07:00

Another long day in the gym is in the books for me. Many teams and coaches are bringing the 10-day evaluation period to a close as they get knocked out of bracket play, tomorrow marks the final day of the first period. I began my day at the Noblesville Boys and Girls Club for a couple of games, then moved to the Fishers Fieldhouse. Here is the breakdown of the games I watched today.

Indiana Elite South vs. Predators-Ali

Final: 74-48 IE South

This game was a blowout from the beginning. Even with only six guys, and missing star Sophomore-to-be Troy Spears, IE South dominated the game from the opening tip. 6'0'' Point Guard Nick Crays of North Daviess (2013) was very impressive, draining 5 3's on the way to a game high 17 points. Blake Simmons added 13 points. Two interesting tidbits of random information from this game...I had a great conversation with IUPUI assistant coach Matt Whinrey, who by his own admission can't watch basketball without eating popcorn. Come to find out, Oral Roberts has some of the best popcorn one can come by. Also, with about 2 minutes remaining in the game, Indiana Elite coach Dan Dakich left the sidelines, leaving his team without a coach, to go do his radio show.

Eric Gordon All Stars 2014 vs. Spiece KY Gators

Final: 61-54 EG10

I saw EG10 2014 twice today, so I will go ahead and combine their first tournament game into this recap.

Eric Gordon All Stars 2014 vs. Spiece Hoosier Hoops

Final: 76-47 EG10

I was very impressed with 6'2'' Point Guard Jalen Coleman today. He is just a Freshman-to-be who will attend Cathedral High School. Jalen is a good ball handler and passer. Also, he is a great athlete, but really needs to work out his outside shooting. As he continues to develop he should become a star, and one of the top players in his class. Sean Sellers continued to shoot the ball well, going for 16 points on 4 3's in game 2. Coleman had 14, and 6'7'' Forward Perry Poindexter added 8. Point Guard Taylor Persons of Kokomo had a couple good games today, he is very good going to the basket and finishing through contact. Probably had around 30 points combined in the 2 games.

Indiana Select 2012 vs. Team Southern Indiana 2012 Red

Final: 67-55 Select

J.T. Yoho showcased an all-around offensive game, dropping 22 points to lead his team to victory. Blue River forward Kyle Gross added 10 points. I like the athleticism of Gross and he plays with a high basketball IQ, will be a good NAIA player.

Besides these games that I watched in full, I spent some time roaming the courts just checking in on certain players. Here is a rundown of a few guys who stood out, not including guys that I have written about everyday for the past 8 or so. This will be a list of guys that I had not had in my database before.

Joe Fagan: 6'2'' Shooting Guard, Chatard H.S. 2013 (Indiana Elite Stars)

Paul Furlin: 6'0'' Point Guard, Hamilton Southeastern H.S. 2013 (Indiana Elite Stars)

Greg Spina: 6'3'' Shooting Guard, Martinsville H.S. 2013 (Indiana Elite Stars)

Garret Hall: Cathedral H.S. 2013 (Indiana Select)

Sean Howard: Lawrence North H.S. 2013 (Indiana Select)

Michael Morris: New Palestine H.S. 2013 (Indiana Select)

I also had a chance to check the end of the Indiana Select 2013 vs. Eric Gordon 2013 game. Quite a crowd of both fans and college coaches surrounded the court for this one, as the game was tightly contested throughout. Select had the ball with 2 seconds to go in regulation and a chance to win the game, but their inbounds attempt was stolen by Zak Irvin. In overtime, Indiana University commit Collin Hartman threw down a baseline dunk and drew a foul to give EG10 a 3 point advantage early in the extra frame, and they never looked back. Final score: EG10 79 Select 74. V.J. Beachem lead with 18 points, and Devin Davis and Zak Irvin had 14 a piece.

I have yet to decide if I will be going back over to Fishers in the morning, so I may be done with the first 10-day period. It was certainly a whirlwind, but very enjoyable. By my tally I have watched 43 games since it began on July 6th. For all your recruiting coverage, as well as updated rankings that will come soon, be sure to follow the Indiana Recruiting Guide on Twitter @INrecruitguide. Even during the "dead period" I will be staying active with stories and reports.

Best of the Midwest-Day 1

2011-07-13T19:12:00.000-07:00

The first 10 day evaluation period of July is coming to a close. I heard many coaches telling each other "two more days! two more days!" The Best of the Midwest tournament is a great way to finish off the period as a majority of the teams are from Indiana. Here is a recap of the 6 games that I attended today.

Indiana Select 2012 vs. MBC Stars-Maroon

Final: 88-76 Indiana Select

Select jumped out to a big lead early in the game and held onto a 20 point advantage into the second half. However, they seemed to be trying their best to give it away late. Once MBC picked up with a full-court defense Indiana Select seemed flustered and committed many turnover. I believe the lead may have been cut to 5 at one point, but in the end some solid play by J.T. Yoho and Ben Gardner secured a victory for Select. Yoho, who was playing in front of coaches from Gardner-Webb and Evansville, put on an offensive show. He showcased an all-around game, stoking some 3's as well as scoring in the paint. He finished with a game high 30. Carmel's Ben Gardner has a great outside shot as well, and seemed to be the only ball handler who wanted to bring the ball up the court late in the game. He could be a starting point guard right away for a DIII program.

Team Southern Indiana 2012 Red vs. Camp Darryl Baker Royal 2012

Final: 59-54 TSI

This is my third or fourth time watching TSI Red this month, so I will not bore you with breakdowns of the same players once again. Today I saw a different TSI squad as they were without star player Darryl Baker. Once again I was impressed with the overall play of the guards, especially Keegan Kincaid (Switzerland County) and Grant Meyer (Silver Creek).

Spiece Indy Heat vs. Omaha OSA Crusaders

Final: 92-83 OSA in overtime

This is the type of game that would eat away at you as both a player and a coach. Holding on to a 3 point lead with less than 5 seconds to play in the game, Spiece fouled OSA so as to keep them from tying the game on a 3-pointer. The OSA player stepped up to the line and nailed the first free throw before missing the second. That is when things got crazy, with .01 seconds remaining, Spiece guard Trevon Bluiett committed a foul while going after a rebound. Two more free throws later and the game was in overtime, where Omaha OSA came away with the win. The loss cannot be blamed on star 2014 prospect Bluiett though, he lead the team with 19 points. Guards Trey Patterson and Jalen Norwood also had very good games.

Eric Gordon All Stars (2013) vs. Team Illinois

Final: 80-41 EG10

I love the collection of talent on this squad. Zak Irvin continued to make his case to be the #1 player in the Class of 2013 in Indiana by scoring 16 points in limited minutes. Indiana recruit Collin Hartman showcased great range on his 3-point shooting, draining three of them on his way to 13 points. Purdue recruit Basil Smotherman also had a good game, displayed a very good mid-range jump shot.

Spiece Higher Level vs. Camp Darryl Gray 2012

Final: 83-81 Camp Darryl

I was excited for a chance to 2013 guard Markese McGuire from Elkhart Central after he put on a show at the Top 100 event yesterday. In the first half he continued his sharp play, scoring 11 of his 16 points in the half. However, he cooled off in the 2nd as his team dropped a close game. He has a very good first step and a nice pull-up jumper. Definite low-major type guy. Also impressive were Eric Miller, a 6'7'' forward from Carroll-Flora and South Bend Riley guard Brock Cosey.

Eric Gordon All Stars (2014) vs. Omaha OSA Crusaders

Final: 70-65 EG10

I am just going to say it, Sean Sellers is a stud. The 6'5'' Greensburg wing poured in 28 points, draining 6 3-pointers, some from NBA range. He also showcased good ball-handling and rebounding skills. He is just a solid all around player. 6'0'' Kokomo Point Guard, Taylor Persons was also impressive, scoring 16 points. He is very strong and finishes well inside through contact. Very good driving along the baseline. Bryant McIntosh, a 6'2'' guard showed off a very pretty floater when attacking the basket on his way to 13 points. There is quite a collection of Division I talent on this team.

Sorry if tonights recap seems a little shorter than usual, I will admit that I am tired and ready to go to bed. I will be back in the gym all day tomorrow though!

Best of the Midwest

2011-07-13T05:49:00.000-07:00

I am about to head to the Fishers Fieldhouse for the Best of the Midwest tournament. This will be the final tournament of the first 10-day evaluation period. I am sure that players and coaches are looking forward to a short break from the craziness. Here is a look at the games I will be attending today.

11:30- Indiana Select 2012 vs. MBC Stars-Maroon

12:45- Team Southern Indiana 2012 Red vs. Camp Darryl Royal 2012

2:00- Spiece Indy Heat vs. Omaha OSA Crusaders

3:15- Eric Gordon All Stars (2013) vs. Team Illinois

4:30- FH Elite Indy Bulls vs. Indiana Elite Stars

7:00- Eric Gordon All Stars (2014) vs. Omaha OSA Crusaders

Looks like I am set up to have another great July day in the gym!

For updates throughout the day follow the Indiana Recruiting Guide on Twitter @INrecruitguide.

IBCA Underclassmen Recap

2011-07-11T18:25:00.000-07:00

Had a really good time at the Top 100 Underclassmen workout at Ben Davis High School today. Many of the states top players took a day off from the AAU circuit to show off their skills in this showcase setting. The players began by running through a series of drills including some 1-on-1 competition, a shooting station, and ball-handling. That was neat to see players participate in those type of workouts. A few observations after watching the station work...

Logan Irwin: 6'0'' Point Guard, Whitko H.S. 2012 (Stetson commit)

I have never seen somebody do 2-ball dribbling exercises the way this kid can. He keeps the ball very low to the ground and dribbles faster than anyone I have seen do the drill. That alone was fun to watch.

Zavier Turner: 5'8'' Point Guard, Pike H.S. 2013

He was maybe the most impressive player in the 1-on-1 station. Not only was he locking down everyone when he was the defender, but he seemed to score at will on the offensive end. Very quick, and can create space between him and the defender so he can get off an open jumper.

Jared Drew: 6'6'' Small Forward, Cathedral H.S. 2012

He had a ferocious dunk to begin his day. In the 1-on-1 station he took the ball at the left wing, made two or three hard dribbles to his right, then just took off and threw down a two-handed slam that left the defender on his backside.

Noah Shooting: This was one of the stations that the players went through. It was some high-tech device that measured the arc of your shot among other things. I am not even going to attempt to explain it, but if you like that kind of stuff look it up. It was pretty interesting.

After about 30-45 minutes of the drill work the guys broke into 12 different teams and played games for the rest of the evening. I will break the teams down by color.

Columbia Team (Numbers 1-10)

No player really stood out to me on this team today, however this squad did features the states leading scorer in Zach Richie from Oregon-Davis H.S.

Forrest Team (Numbers 11-20)

Austin Burgett: 6'8'' Power Forward, Avon H.S. 2012 (Notre Dame commit)

At the risk of sounding like ESPN analyst Jay Bilas, I really like his length. Also, he is a good outside shooter and has a good mid-range game. Good shot blocker defensively.

Glenn Robinson III: 6'6'' Small Forward, Lake Central H.S. 2012 (Michigan commit)

Very impressed with him today, this was my first look at Glenn this month. I like his athleticism and strength. He rebounds the ball well on both ends of the court and can handle it well enough to bring the ball up himself. Needs to continue to work on his shooting.

Keegan Kincaid: 6'2'' Point Guard, Switzerland County H.S.

This is kid is becoming one of my favorite players to watch this July. He plays very hard, is great defender and handles the ball really well. Just an all-around solid point guard.

Purple Team (Numbers 21-29)

V.J. Beachem: 6'6'' Small Forward, New Haven H.S. 2013

I really didn't watch a whole lot of him today because I had seen him a few times already this month, but when I did watch he knocked down a few nice outside shots. Without a doubt on of the top handful of players in the state for the class of 2013.

Mike Crawford: 6'5'' Small Forward, Tipton H.S. 2013

He didn't have quite as good of a day as I thought he might, but he certainly still played well. I like the way he handles the ball, he has the ability to grab rebounds and then go coast-to-coast and finish.

Elijah Ray: 6'6'' Power Forward, Bowman Academy 2012

Very strong and a big body down low. Rebounds the ball well, just may be a little undersized to play as a 4 man at the DI level. Still I was impressed with him today and is at least a very good DII player, and could probably play at a lower level DI.

Zavier Turner: 5'8'' Point Guard, Pike H.S. 2013

Each and every time I watch Zavier play I end up liking him more and more. He is quite possibly the quickest player in his class. Also shoots the ball pretty well. Obviously he is short, but that will not keep him from being a very effective point at the mid-major level.

Teal Team (Numbers 30-39)

Logan Jaehnen: 6'6'' Power Forward, East Central H.S. 2012

I have had the chance to watch Logan play a couple of times in the last week now, and each time he just keeps looking better. He is a tireless worker on both ends of the court. He has very good post moves and is good rebounder. Interest around him is beginning to pick up as he continues to impress many college coaches.

Zak Irvin: 6'6'' Shooting Guard, Hamilton Southeastern H.S. 2013

Zak has had just as good of a July as anybody in the state of Indiana. He is a great shooter, especially from mid-range. He length and athleticism allows him to get shots off on anyone, as well as guard 3 different positions. Definitely a high-major prospect.

Royal Team (Numbers 40-48)

Gary Harris: 6'4'' Shooting Guard, Hamilton Southeastern H.S. 2012

This was my first look at Gary, one of the nations top prospects, this month. He is just an all-around scorer. He can shoot it pretty well, take the ball to the basket, or score off of offensive rebounds. Whatever court he was on he was followed by most of the big name coaches at the event. I look forward to seeing where he decides to go.

Edward Seay: 6'8'' Power Forward, Merrillville H.S. 2012

Of anybody at the Underclassmen event, Seay may have turned the most heads. A tall, long post player with good athleticism, he can fill a need for any mid-major that needs a 4 man. He is a good shot blocker and has a pretty good shot out to 15 feet. Look for a late surge of interest to pick up around him.

Gold Team (Numbers 51-59)

Jared Drew: 6'6'' Small Forward, Cathedral H.S. 2012

Drew had a very good day. He is very active on the offensive glass, great athlete. He has a good pull-up jump shot that he can shoot out to 3-point range. Has the ability to defend multiple positions. Still would not surprise me if he picks up a few more offers before July is over.

Blake Simmons: 6'5'' Small Forward, Castle H.S. 2013

Good outside shooter, Blake isn't an overwhelming athlete but he is very effective on the offensive end. He has a high basketball IQ and I think he will be a solid low to mid-major player.

Navy Team (Numbers 60-68)

D.J. Balentine: 6'1'' Point Guard, Kokomo H.S. 2012

I love his strength as a point, big body but still quick enough to guard the position. Also a very good shooter. He continues to impress me this summer and the interest around him keeps picking up.

Tyler Wideman: 6'8'' Power Forward, Lake Central H.S. 2014

It must be very hard for college coaches to not fall in love with him. He is a force in the post, a huge frame for just a Sophomore-to-be. He also moves pretty well for a big boy, and has great hands. Tyler keeps improving his offensive skill set. The most impressive play I saw from him yesterday was when he pulled down a rebounder, dribbled the ball up court, then pulled up for a 3 and drained it. Definite high-major player.

Jordyn Coon: 6'3'' Small Forward, Warsaw H.S. 2012

I have watched Jordyn play a couple of times before, but this was my first look at him this summer. He had a great day, showcasing good athleticism and long arms. After his showing yesterday he should get some interest from DII and NAIA schools.

Red Team (Numbers 70-79)

Sean Sellers: 6'5'' Small Forward, Greensburg H.S. 2014

I really likes Sean's overall skill set. He is long and athletic, can do score in many different ways on the offensive end. I saw him shoot the ball well from the outside, as well as have a few nice drives to the basket. Will really need to work hard in the weight room over the next year.

Collin Hartman: 6'6'' Shooting Guard, Cathedral H.S. 2013 (Indiana commit)

Great outside shooter with some serious range. He also rebounds the ball well on both ends of the court. One of the top 5 players in Indiana in the class of 2013, really like his all-around game.

Mark Mercer: 6'8'' Power Forward, Plymouth H.S. 2014

I saw him for the first time down at the Kentucky Hoop Fest on Saturday and was impressed and wrote his name down. Then yesterday he looked great again and I heard a few big Division I coaches talking about this kid. He needs to get stronger, but the length is there. He has good offensive skills, he can score down low and is a good outside shooter as well. Look for him to really blow up in the near future.

Logan Irwin: 6'0'' Point Guard, Whitko H.S. 2012 (Stetson commit)

Logan didn't have his best day (well, after two-ball dribbling that is) but he still finds a way to get others involved and be effective. He is a great on-ball defender and very good passer. Quickly has become one of my favorite guys to watch.

Kelly Team (Numbers 81-89)

No big time prospects at this time, and nobody really stood out to me as having a great day from this team.

Black Team (Numbers 90-99)

Jacobby Bledsoe: 5'10" Point Guard, Hamilton Southeastern H.S. 2012

Very good passer and ball handler, however he tries to force the action a bit too much sometimes. He is very quick and can also shoot the ball pretty well from the 3-point range. I like him as a low to mid-major point guard.

J.T. Yoho: 6'5'' Shooting Guard, Eastern Greene H.S. 2012

Very good size for a guard. Great rebounder, can play anywhere from the point to a forward spot. Like his all-around game.

Basil Smotherman: 6'5'' Small Forward, Lawrence North H.S. 2013 (Purdue commit)

Smotherman played better today than I have seen him play all month. He showed his entire offensive game, knocking down some 3-pointers, as well as scoring in the paint. He will continue to develop into a very solid player at Purdue.

Maroon Team (Numbers 100-109)

Troy Spears: 6'5'' Shooting Guard, Park Tudor H.S. 2014

Has a nice shooting stroke and handles the ball well, he could play some point as well as 2-guard. I like him as a defender as well. Already a very good player, I expect him to do nothing but get better and better.

Ryan Weber: 6'7'' Small Forward, Roncalli H.S. 2012

Very good outside shooter, can handle the ball well and pull up for a jump shot. His size lets him shoot over the top of many defenders. Good strength as well. Definitely could contribute to a low DI program.

Markese McGuire: 6'3'' Shooting Guard, Elkhart Memorial H.S. 2013

Had as good of a day as anybody else at the showcase. Good all-around offensive player, can score from 3-point range, as well as off the dribble attacking the basket. He is a good athlete also and can grab some offensive rebounds. I was very impressed, Division I prospect.

Kellon Thomas: 5'11'' Point Guard, Southport H.S. 2012

Kellon is very, very strong. He is very tough to guard and when he gets into the paint he absorbs a lot of contact and finishes. He proved at the Top 100 that he is nearly unstoppable in 1-on-1 situations.

Grant Evans: 6'3'' Shooting Guard, Wapahani H.S. 2014

He may well be the best shooter in the 2014 class in Indiana. Sweet lefty stroke. Also, Grant is continuing to develop more of a game off the dribble. He is quickly becoming a true scorer, not just a shooter. Expect interest around him to continue to grow.

Orange Team (Numbers 111-119)

Trevon Bluiett: 6'5'' Shooting Guard, Park Tudor H.S. 2014

Great ball handler and outside shooter for his size. He is very good at taking a couple dribbles and pulling up from mid-range. Trevon's size allows him to play and defend 3 positions. He will be a big time Division I player.

That is a look at the top players and performers from each of the 12 teams. Besides these guys there were plenty of other very good players, many guys that I will be following (along with college coaches) as they continue with the AAU circuit. Here are some more names that deserve to be on the "Watch List."

Adam Miller: 6'5'' Shooting Guard, Hauser H.S. 2012

Steven Bennet: 6'4'' Shooting Guard, New Castle H.S. 2013

Keegan Kincaid: 6'1'' Point Guard, Switzerland County H.S. 2012

Joe Reed: 6'8'' Power Forward, Center Grove H.S. 2012

Brad Hartman: 6'7'' Power Forward, Union County H.S. 2012

Leo Svete: 6'4'' Shooting Guard, Penn H.S. 2013

Isaiah Jones: 6'2'' Shooting Guard, New Albany H.S. 2012

Aaron Brennan: 6'5'' Power Forward, Guerin Catholic H.S. 2014

Todd Johnson: 5'7'' Point Guard, Elkhart Memorial H.S. 2012

Nathan Rich: 5'10'' Shooting Guard, Columbus East H.S. 2013

Rashad Richardson: 6'4'' Small Forward, Lafayette Jefferson H.S. 2012

Keith Cochran: 6'10'' Center, Bluffton H.S. 2012

David Heckman: 6'7'' Small Forward, Roncalli H.S. 2012

Caleb Begle: 6'3'' Shooting Guard, Jasper H.S. 2012

The Top 100 Underclassmen Showcase was a great event. Even though some of the top players did not attend there was still a lot of talent at Ben Davis High School, and many coaches were in attendance. Hopefully some players benefit from being there!

IBCA Underclassman Showcase-Preview

2011-07-11T07:42:00.000-07:00

Today the Top 100 sophomores-to-be through seniors-to-be will gather at Ben Davis High School for a series of drills, as well as games in front of college coaches. The event runs from 2:00-8:00. Some of the top players will not be in attendance, such as Park Tudor's Yogi Ferrell, however most of the top prospects will be there.

I am most looking forward to watching 6'4'' Shooting Guard Gary Harris of Hamilton Southeastern. He is widely considered the top player in Indiana in the Class of 2012, and one of the top uncommitted prospects in the country. I have not had the chance to watch him yet this month because while I was at the Adidas Invitational he was not with his team, instead he went to Akron for the King James camp.

This is a great opportunity for players who have yet to make a college decision to impress the scouts in a showcase type environment. The workout begins with a series of drills, including transition offense and defense, a shooting station, rebounding, and ball handling. Then the evening will finish off with 3 rounds of games.

It will be interesting to see if anybody has a break out day and walks away with the college coaches buzzing. I am sure that there will be somebody who will begin to garner more interest after a good workout today. Look for guys such as Jacobby Bledsoe, Mike Crawford, Joe Reed, and Kellon Thomas to have big days.

I will put out a recap of the event later tonight when I get home. For updates throughout the event follow the Indiana Recruiting Guide on Twitter @INrecruitguide.

Kentucky Hoop Fest-Day 2

2011-07-10T15:12:00.001-07:00

I was only in attendance for a short time today because I had to be back home in the late afternoon for dinner with some friends and family. However, I did have time to check out a few games over at the Basketball Academy in Louisville, its a really neat complex.

There were not too many players that stood out to me this morning as college prospects, however I was watching Sophomores-to-be, so I did store away a few names to check back with as they develop. One team that I did get a chance to see was Team Blaze which features talented guards Saikou Jallow and Grant Sims. Both are 6'2'' and play for Bloomington North. I think that they will both end up being Division I players. Right now, Sims is ahead of Jallow just because he is a better outside shooter and a little more athletic. However, I like the length of Saikou and think that he may have the most long term potential. Both guys rebound well from the guard spot and have very good court vision and passing ability. They are both kids to keep an eye on in the coming years. Other than those two prospects, I watched MBA 2014-Kreiger and Team Southern Indiana Red 2014. Neither of these teams had prospects at this time, but since they are young I have a few names I want to track. A couple kids on Team Southern Indiana White 2014 and Southwest Extreme made my "watch list."

I have enjoyed my last few days at the Adidas Invitational and the Kentucky Hoop Fest. Both are very good events with lots of talent. Tomorrow I will be at Ben Davis High School for the Top 100 workout. Follow me on Twitter @INrecruitguide for updates!

Kentucky Hoop Fest-Day 1

2011-07-09T18:37:00.000-07:00

After spending the last 3 days in Indianapolis for the Adidas Invitational, I decided to go ahead and come down to Louisville for the historic Kentucky Hoop Fest. As I have been accustomed to doing lately, my day in the gym began by 8:00 a.m. and went until around 8:30 p.m. I had the chance to watch 7 games involving Indiana AAU teams, including a few that I had yet to see this summer. Here is a rundown of the games, as well as some players who impressed me with their performance.

Team Southern Indiana 2013 Red vs. Team Vigilance

Final: 56-46 TSI 2013 Red

Strong guard play was the key to TSI holding on to a victory in their first pool play game. The duo of Aidan McEwen and Jermaine Parrish displayed great ball-handling and passing skills. McEwen, a 6'3'' combo guard from Clarksville (2013) has great court vision, always looking up court for an open teammate. Also, he made some strong drives to the basket and finished through contact. Solid DIII or NAIA prospect. At just 5'11'', Parrish a Point Guard from New Albany (2013), is obviously smaller. However, he makes up for it in strength and quickness. He also showed some good hands on the defensive end. DIII player down the road.

Spiece Central-Mahurin vs. Minnesota Glory Elite

Final: 59-33 Spiece

Spiece Central dominated this game from the opening tip. They were lead by 6'7'' Forward of Rockville, Lane Mahurin who contributed 13 points. He has good length and can finish over the top of defenders down low. Division III prospect at this time. Sam Philpott, a 6'7'' Power Forward from Noblesville H.S. was also impressive. He has a nice mid-range game and is a good defensive rebounder. Probably a NAIA player. I also really like 5'9'' Point Guard from Fishers, Jon Flemming. He showcased great passing ability and is a good ball handler. Good defender as well, DII/NAIA prospect.

Indiana Elite Stars vs. Gainsville Wildcats

Final: 62-53 IE Stars

Before the July evaluation period began I wrote a little preview in which I said that I expect Mike Crawford, a 6'5'' wing from Tipton (2013) would have a huge month. Well, he made me look pretty good today as he scored 16 points on the way to an impressive victory over a tough Gainsville team. He showed off an all-around game, nailing a deep 3, driving to the basket, and scoring off a put back. He really can do it all offensively. Teammate Mo Evans, a 6'0'' PG from Cathedral (2013) impressed me once again.

Team Blaze Select 15U vs. Ohio Crossover

Final: 60-47 Blaze

Bloomington North should be set in the backcourt for the next 3 years. Guards Saikou Jallow and Grant Sims are both very good players, and have good size for their age. Jallow is a bit taller and longer right now. He displayed very good court vision and good rebounding ability from the guard spot. Sims is an all-around scorer. He ran the fast break well and finished lay ups in traffic. He is also a good outside shooter. Both will be Division I players down the road.

MBA Select 2013 vs. Wisconsin Wizards

Final: 70-26 MBA

This was my first chance to see MBA play this summer, I had been eagerly awaiting a chance to see talented 6'1'' Mishawaka Marian Guard Demetrius Jackson. He showcased good strength and quickness in the open floor, as well as his ability to create turnovers. Finished up with 20 points while playing in front of Michigan, Miami (OH), St. Bonaventure, Wright State, and Evansville. Also impressive was 6'4'' Shooting Guard Jake Thompson from Wawasee. He has a very pure shooting stroke and good ball handling skills. Could play the 1-3 spots. Good Division II prospect, maybe even low Division I.

Team Southern Indiana 2012 Red vs. West Virginia Wildcats

Final 64-52 West Virginia

Unfortunately for TSI, nobody was really that impressive. It was an all-around ugly game with lots of turnovers and missed shots. Michigan, Miami (OH), Wright State, Eastern Kentucky, Toledo, and IUPUI were all in attendance, but I don't they were too impressed with what they saw. 2013 Guard Darryl Baker showed off some good strength and the ability to finish in the paint, and guards Keegan Kincaid and Grant Meyer both played pretty well also. Both guards would be good Division II or NAIA players.

Spiece Select-Irwin vs. Florida Q6 All-Stars

Final: 56-45 Spiece

If all you had done was watch the two teams warm up you would have figured that Q6 came away with a 20 point victory. However, games aren't won in warm ups. Spiece came out with some aggressive defense and forced Florida into many missed shots. Stetson recruit Logan Irwin lead the way with 16 points. Very impressed with his play.

Another July day is in the books. Great day of basketball at the opening day of the Kentucky Hoop Fest, and will look forward to being back in the gym tomorrow!

Final

Adidas Invitational-Top Performers

2011-07-08T19:48:00.000-07:00

I was able to watch around 20 games in the past two-and-a-half to three days, and got the opportunity to see a lot of the top talent that Indiana has to offer. Now that I have headed on down to Louisville for the Kentucky Hoopfest, I wanted to give a look back at the top players and performances that I saw in the last couple of days. Here are 8 guys that I was most impressed with.

Jeremy Hollowell: 6'7'' Small Forward, Lawrence Central H.S. (2012)

AAU: Indiana Elite/Team Indiana

Indiana University

He probably has had the best tournament of anybody in the state. In the two games of his that I have witnessed he scored 14 and 29 points, then went for 28 this evening. He is shooting the ball at a very high level, showing good range as well. In the past, a knock on Hollowell has been his lack of aggressiveness, however that is no longer the case. He has been much more aggressive off the dribble which has lead to his increased scoring. It looks like he is ready to play at the next level.

Eron Harris: 6'4'' Shooting Guard, Lawrence North H.S. (2012)

AAU: Indiana Elite/Team Indiana

Interest around the long, athletic wing has been growing a lot in the past month or so. It has continued to increase after solid play through the first few days of the Adidas Invitational. Eron is a very good spot up shooter from the outside, and is getting better at attacking off the dribble. He is athletic enough to make that a huge part of his game. Also, he is a very good defender. His length allows him to create lots of problems for the ball handler.

Zak Irvin: 6'6'' Small Forward, Hamilton Southeastern H.S. (2013)

AAU: Eric Gordon 16U

He has solidified himself as one of the best, if not the best player in the state for the Class of 2013. Zak has showcased himself as an all-around stud, hitting a game winning 3-pointer, handling the ball well, playing great defense, showing a great mid-range, and the ability to be a leader of his team. He had already been hearing from schools such as Indiana, Michigan, and Butler, but now expect his recruitment to really blow up.

Zavier Turner: 5'9'' Point Guard, Pike H.S. (2013)

AAU: Eric Gordon 16U

Single handedly took over a game earlier today against Texas Select. With his team trailing by 5 points in the second half, Zavier took it upon himself to create turnovers and go coast-to-coast for some impressive layups as well as some nice assists. He has very good hands and is very quick which allows him to be disruptive on the defensive end. Offensively, he is strong, especially for his small stature. That size does not hold him back though, he finishes through contact and the rim and gets to the free throw line as well. Definite mid-major prospect, should start to get some even bigger looks as well.

Jaquan Lyle: 6'4'' Shooting Guard, Evansville Bosse H.S. (2014)

AAU: Spiece Indy Heat 2014

Lyle is a very good ball handler with size, which allows him to play the point or off the ball. Personally, I like him more when he has the ball in his hands coming up the floor, he is a great playmaker. Rebounds very well from the guard spots. He is a top prospect nationwide in the 2014 class, and I expect he will have his pick as to what college to attend.

Mo Evans: 6'0'' Point Guard, Cathedral H.S. (2013)

AAU: Indiana Elite Stars

I will say it again, any low Division 1 school looking for a point guard in the class of 2013 please give Mo Evans a call. He is probably the best passer in the state, shredding the defense both in transition and in the half court set. He has good length for only being six feet tall, and is a strong ball handler. Really impressed with this kid who I didn't know much about coming into the tournament.

Patrick Ingram: 6'2'' Shooting Guard, North Central (2012)

AAU: Eric Gordon Central Stars

Very strong guard who can really rebound and defend. That is not his whole game though, he is a more than capable offensive threat as he showed by dropping 26 in a game yesterday. I really like his game and expect he will continue to get more and more interest as July progresses.

Ronnie Johnson: 5'10'' Point Guard, North Central (2012)

AAU: Eric Gordon Central Stars

Purdue University

North Central will certainly have one of the most explosive back courts in the state this coming season between Ronnie and Patrick. Purdue is getting quite a player here, he is a great outside shooter and clears space well to get his shot off against taller defenders. Good use of stutter-steps and step-backs, and can also drive around defenders and is strong enough to finish around the rim. Should contribute right away at PU.

Adidas Invitational-Day 3

2011-07-08T12:02:00.000-07:00

Today's recap will be abbreviated because I only was at the gym until about noon. Decided it was time to finally head home for a while after spending the last 2 nights in Indianapolis for the tournament. Still, I was able to see three very good basketball games. After spending this evening resting up I hope to return to Indy to watch the final games tomorrow.

Indiana Elite Team Indiana vs. Compton Magic

Final: 84-78 IE Team Indiana

This was my second chance to see Team Indiana play, and once again they were impressive. Playing in front of Coach Crean as usual, 6'7'' Wing Jeremy Hollowell, an IU commit, had another very good game pouring in 29 points. He has played great all tournament and is proving his status as a Top 50 player in the country. However, 29 points was nothing compared to the 46 that 6'2'' Combo Guard Gabe York put up. He is leaning towards either Arizona, Marquette, or Washington. Another IU recruit Yogi Ferrell chipped in 17 points for IE, while Hanner Perea had his usual crowd pleasing dunk, or three, to finish with 9 point.

Spiece Indy Heat vs. Minnesota Pump N Run

Final: 68-67 Spiece

This collection of young talent continues to impress even while playing mostly older competition. 2014 Guard James Blackmon Jr., an IU commit, had 21 points to lead Spiece, while Jaquan Lyle contributed 13. I really like the way this 6'4'' combo guard from Evansville Bosse plays. He is a very good rebounder for a guard, and can also go coast-to-coast once he gets the ball. Definitely one of the top prospects nationwide in the 2014 class.

Eric Gordon 16U vs. Texas Select

Final: EG10 won by about 15, forgot to write down the score.

Texas Select had a 5 lead in the second half, but then Zavier Turner, a 5'9'' Point Guard from Southport took over the game. He displayed good hands on the defensive end and got some steals, then went coast to coast with his quickness, and finished at the rim through some heavy contact from much bigger players. Do not let his small stature fool you, Turner is very strong, and with out a doubt one of the best point guards in Indiana in the 2013 class. 6'6'' Wing Zak Irvin was very impressive once again. He is just an all-around stud, and is certainly making a case to be the best player in the state in the junior-to-be rankings.

I will be looking forward to getting back in the gym tomorrow, but it will also be nice to relax at home by the pool for a little while!

Adidas Invitational-Day 2

2011-07-07T19:11:00.000-07:00

Well, I have spent two straight 12 hour days in various basketball gyms in Indianapolis and now my feet hurt, my hand hurts from writing, and I feel like my head is spinning from everything that is going on. Still, it has been a couple of the most enjoyable days I have had in a long time. Today, I had the opportunity to see 7 games involving AAU teams from Indiana. Here is the rundown of what I saw.

Eric Gordon 16U vs. Houston Select

Final: 73-72 EG10

Zak Irvin, a 6'6'' wing from Hamilton Southeastern H.S. (2013), stole the show in front of a slew of college coaches. He hit the game winning shot, a 3-pointer from the right corner, as time expired. He lead EG10 with 21 points, while Indiana University recruit Collin Hartman (2013) knocked in 4 3's in front of Coach Tom Crean. Irvin's stock has been rising for awhile now and it is finally ready to explode. I really think that this kid can play just about anywhere in the country.

Indiana Elite South vs. KC Pump N Run

Final: 72-61 Pump N Run

Coach Beilein from Michigan and Coach Crean were both on hand to watch 6'5'' Small Forward Troy Spears (2014) from Park Tudor H.S. He only had 5 points, but displayed a nice shooting stroke and good ball handling skills. 6'6'' Forward Franko House (2013) from Concord had 18 points. He is a big, strong body but is agile enough to cause big time match-up problems. He is a solid Division II prospect.

Indiana Elite Stars vs. Urban DFW Elite

Final: 84-74 IE Stars

Any low Division 1 school in search of a point guard in the Class of 2013, get on your phone and call Cathedral's Mo Evans. The 6'0'' PG may be the best passer in the state. He found every opening in transition and split defenders in the half-court. He also has good length for just being 6'0'' tall. 6'6'' Alex Etherington shot the ball well from 3, ending with 14 points.

Spiece Indy Heat vs. Michigan Mustangs

Final: 85-76 Spiece

This game was all about Derrick Walton from the Mustangs and Trevon Bluiett from Spiece. Walton, a 6'0'' guard had a game high 35 points, while Trevon a 6'5'' 2014 Forward from Park Tudor poured in 28 of his own. He displayed an all-around game, showcasing good ball-handling, shooting, and passing skills. 2014 Point Guard P.J. Thompson form Brebeuf Jesuit was also very impressive.

Meanstreets vs. Louisville Magic

Final: Don't know, left at half

I did not see much of this game, but what I did was very entertaining. First of all, some of these kids flat out do not look 15, I sure wish I was 6'6'', sculpted from marble, and had a goatee when I was 15. (Maybe I would still be playing basketball instead of writing about it!) Anyway, Jaraan Lands from Brownsburg H.S. was very impressive. He is receiving early interest from IU, Purdue, Xavier, Ohio State, and Wisconsin. Also, 6'8'' Power Forward Tyler Wideman looked good in the post. He was working hard to get position and displayed some of the softest hands I have seen. Great sign for such a young kid.

Indiana Elite One vs. Double Pump

Final: 76-52 Double Pump

I need to apologize to the IE One coach, I must be very bad luck. This is the second time I saw them this tournament and they have lost both games. 5'8'' Point Guard from Southport, Kellon Thomas displayed lightening quickness as well as good strength. He can absorb lots of contact and finish at the rim. He had 12 points, Jared Drew had 9, while IU recruit Ron Patterson added 7.

Eric Gordon Central Stars vs. MBA Select

Final: 77-70 MBA

Lots of coaches on hand to watch this game. Everyone on this EG10 besides Purdue commit Ronnie Johnson has yet to make a college decision, so that brings the coaches out in full force. Nick Osborne, a 6'8'' Power Forward from Muncie Central, scored 19 points and showed that he is one of the best rebounders in the state. I had predicted that he would have a big tournament, and he did have a pretty good two days. However, possibly most impressive tonight was 6'7'' Power Forward Joe Reed from Center Grove. Reed had 14 points and rebounded well, especially on the offensive glass. Interest should really start to pick up around him, good low to mid-major guy.

Day 2 is in the books. I will be back at the gym early tomorrow morning to watch Indiana Elite Team Indiana at 8:15, then heading to watch Spiece Indy Heat and then the 16U Eric Gordon squad. Should be another fun day as teams either win or go home. For complete coverage as it happens follow the Indiana Recruiting Guide on Twitter @INrecruitguide.

Adidas Invitational-Day 1

2011-07-06T20:44:00.001-07:00

Wow! That was one long day of basketball, I watched 9 games today and was in the gym from 8:00 a.m. until about 11:00 p.m. Luckily, there is nothing I would rather be doing than watching basketball and talking with coaches and players.

If "star watching" is enjoyable to you, the Adidas Invitational is the place to go. Everyone who is anyone in the coaching world was on hand in one of the gyms being used to watch prospective players compete. Legends such as Coach K, Coach Roy Williams, Coach Cal, and Coach Calhoun were all in attendance. However, the crowd was not just full of the big names. Every level was well represented, all the way from high-majors on down to DIII and NAIA schools. I spent my day watching 7 different Indiana based AAU teams. Now, here is the abbreviated version of my day at the Adidas Invitational.

Game 1: Spiece Select 2012-Irwin vs. Florida Elite

Final: Florida Elite 63-34

I came away from this game very impressed with 2012 Whitko Point Guard, and Stetson recruit, Logan Irwin. It is always a refreshing sight when a teams best player is also its hardest worker, and that is exactly what Logan is. He is one of the best on-ball defenders that I have watched and caused many turnovers with that pressure defense. On the offensive end he is just as effective. He has a different looking shot, but it does go in a good amount of the time. I think that a place like Stetson is a perfect fit for him.

Game 2: Spiece Gym Rats-Baldwin vs. East Coast Fusion-Dalton

Final: East Coast Fusion 76-69

If any low Division II or NAIA school is looking for a solid power forward in the Class of 2012, I have found a sleeper. Tyler Arrowsmith of Churubusco High School is certainly under the radar, but if he puts many more games together like the one I saw today that won't last long. He poured in 21 points off of the low block, showing a very quick baseline drop step move that appeared to be un-guardable. I like his length and his array of post moves, really hope to see him playing at the next level.

Game 3: Team Southern Indiana 2012 Red vs. SDA Pump N Run 17U

Final: Pump N Run 74-61

Darryl Baker is a great player and certainly a Division 1 talent, but I found myself watching two other guys on this team even more than him. Those guys would be Keegan Kincaid a 6'1'' Point Guard from Switzerland County H.S. and Grant Meyer a 6'0'' PG from Silver Creek. Both are very strong and quick with the ball in there hands. Kincaid is a better 3 point shooter, and Meyer is a absolute lock down defender. Both have good athleticism and work hard which makes them very disruptive on the defensive end. Any NAIA or DII school that needs a point guard needs to make a call to either of these guys, they are the type of player that wins you games. Could probably play Division II ball in the right fit.

Game 4: D3 Pride vs. Minnesota Heat

Final: D3 Pride 70-46

I was starting to think that I was a jinx to the Indiana teams. Finally, D3 Pride picked up a victory with me in attendance, along with a slew of Division I coaches. Notre Dame commit Austin Burgett scored 17 points in front of his future Coach, Mike Brey. Also impressive was Point Guard Jacobby Bledsoe from Hamilton Southeastern. He displayed a smooth outside shot, as well as quick and explosive moves going to the basket. Also a solid defender. He will be a very good pick up for a mid-major team, I know Cincinnati was on hand to watch him today.

Game 5: Indiana Elite One vs. Team Eleate (AZ)

Final: Team Eleate (I failed to write down the score)

Terre Haute North Forward, Matt O'Leary was very impressive today. He showed the ability to knock down an outside shot, as well as the ability to get inside and finish around the basket. Point Guard Kellon Thomas from Southport also impressed me. He is very strong and can shoot the 3. Both guys would be very good pick-ups for a low to mid-major. Coach Tom Crean was in the stands to watch IU commit Ron Patterson. San Diego State, Boise State, Ball State, Missouri, and Lamar were all in attendance as well.

Game 6: Indiana Elite Team Indiana vs. Connecticut Basketball Club

Final: Indiana Elite Team Indiana 81-73

IU commit Jeremy Hollowell lead the way for IE with 24 points. He showcased a much improved outside shot, as well as increased aggressiveness going to the rim. Down the stretch Point Guard, and fellow IU recruit Yogi Ferrell was big, scoring many of his 15 points in the final minuets. In the next day or two make sure you check Youtube for the HUGE dunk that Hanner Perea threw down towards the end of the game.

Game 7: Eric Gordon Central Stars vs. Nashville Celtics

Final: 91-73 EG10

Coach Brad Stevens and Coach Matt Painter was in the crowd, as well as coaches from Tennessee, Liberty, and Stetson. Uncommitted Point Guard D.J. Balentine knocked down 3 3's on his way to 16 points. I suspect that he may pick up another offer or two in the coming weeks. Purdue commit Ronnie Johnson lead EG10 with 21 points.

Well there you have it. That was my very busy, yet fun, day in a nutshell. Now it is time to go to sleep so I can get up early and do it all over again. I will mainly be watching 16U teams tomorrow. Should be another fun day!

To receive updates throughout the day make sure you follow the Indiana Recruiting Guide on Twitter @INrecruitguide.

Adidas Invitational-Wednesday Schedule

2011-07-05T18:27:00.001-07:00

Wednesday marks the beginning of the July AAU circuit. With most of the nations best teams coming to Indianapolis for the Adidas Invitational, there will be no better place for basketball fans than Naptown. Here are the games that I will be attending tomorrow.

8:15- Spiece Select 2012-Irwin vs. Florida Elite

9:30- Spiece Gym Rats-Baldwin vs. East Coast Fusion DALTON

12:00- Team Southern Indiana 2012 Red vs. SDA Pump N Run 17U

1:15- D3 Pride vs. Minnesota Heat (Duberry)

3:45- Indiana Elite One vs. Team Eleate (AZ)

6:15- Indiana Elite Team Indiana vs. Connecticut Basketball Club

8:45- Eric Gordon Central Stars (IN) vs. Nashville Celtics

July AAU Circuit-Thoughts and Predictions, Volume 2

2011-07-04T16:32:00.000-07:00

The state of Indiana is full of young talent. The AAU circuit is a great opportunity to see how the sophomores-to-be have improved since their first year of high school basketball, as well as give us a first look at this years incoming freshman class. Here are a few "young guns" that I would recommend keeping an eye on this month.

Jeremie Tyler: 6'1'' Point Guard, Indianapolis Tech H.S. (2014)

AAU: Indiana Elite-Kendrick

I had a chance to see Tyler play with Tech a couple of weeks ago at the Indy Summer Tournament and came away impressed with his improvement. He is a raw athlete who has a very nice shooting stroke and can also cause defenses problems as a slasher or off the dribble. He will need to get in the weight room to bulk up quite a bit, but don't be surprised if he picks up an offer or two before the end of the month. I know that Xavier has been involved.

Tyler Wideman: 6'8'' Power Forward, Lake Central H.S. (2014)

AAU: Meanstreets

College coaches have, and will continue to fall in love with the young guys physical make-up. He is a strong, wide, body that also posses a great set of hands for such a young player. I expect him to garner some more national attention after a few big tournaments coming up. I am sure that Purdue, who has offered, is hoping they can land an early commitment from Wideman.

Bryant McIntosh: 6'2'' Point Guard, Greensburg H.S. (2014)

AAU: Eric Gordon All-Stars

As the rumors swirl about his transfer from New Castle to Greensburg, this kid just continues to improve on the court. He has had some early interest from Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, and Old Dominion. Bryant has been working hard on his strength and conditioning over the last month and I think he is poised to have a break out July. Don't be surprised to see an offer or two roll in soon.

Chandler White: 6'2'' Shooting Guard, Fort Wayne Carroll H.S. (2015)

AAU: Indiana Elite Jazz

I have heard that White may attend Fort Wayne Northrop H.S. along with the Scott brothers, however I am not sure how valid that rumor is. What I do know is that this kid can flat out play. He is a big time scorer who could average 20 points this season as a freshman in my opinion. Interest will start to pour in as he has a big month of July.

K.J. Walton: 6'2'' Shooting Guard, Brownsburg H.S. (2015)

AAU: Spiece Indy Heat 2015

Walton is one of the top 2015 prospects in the state. He handles the ball well and can score going to the basket or shooting from the outside. I suspect that some serious interest will pick up early this month.

Watching the younger guys make a name for themselves is always one of the best parts of the AAU circuit, but can also be one of the toughest to predict as to who will have break out summers. These kid's bodies are still developing, as are their skills. I expect big things from these 5 prospects this summer, and I am sure there will be many more names that burst onto the scene in the coming weeks.

July AAU Circuit-Thoughts and Predictions, Volume 1

2011-07-03T17:47:00.000-07:00

With the July evaluation period upon us it is time for coaches, parents, and players (and recruiting guys like me) to get back in the basketball gym. Long, yet fun days await us as rumors swirl and scholarships are offered. With the first big tournament approaching, the 2nd Annual Adidas Invitational Classic in Indianapolis, I decided to put together some thoughts on what is coming in the next few weeks.

Players on the Rise: Every summer there are a few guys who enter the July period with only a couple small offers, then within weeks have committed to a mid or high-major school. So, who will those guys be this year?

D.J. Balentine: 6'1'' Point Guard, Kokomo H.S. (2012)

AAU: Eric Gordon Central Stars

The sharp shooting guard who lead his high school team to the State Finals this season has just two offers, Missouri State and IPFW. If he continues playing the way he did during the school season I expect for some bigger offers to start rolling in. Any school that may have missed on their top couple of choices at either guard spot could use Balentine in their program. Don't be surprised to see Tennessee, Stanford, or Boston College to enter into the mix as all have shown some interest in the past.

Nick Osborne: 6'8'' Power Forward, Muncie Central H.S. (2012)

AAU: Eric Gordon Central Stars

Osborne is a guy that I really expect to burst onto the national radar this month. He has the prototypical body type for the college game, a 6'8'' post player who can also step away from the basket and score with his mid-range game. He currently holds offers from Ball State, Xavier, and Miami (OH). Stanford has also been in contact with the unsigned senior-to-be. With a solid start to the July AAU schedule, look for schools such as Iowa, Butler, or even Purdue to make a late offer.

Patrick Ingram: 6'2'' Shooting Guard, North Central H.S. (2012)

AAU: Eric Gordon Central Stars

He has said that he wants to make a college decision by the end of the AAU season. So, with that time quickly approaching, a school making a late offer could still swoop in and catch a commitment from the talented guard. Ingram currently has offers from 8 mid-major schools, such as, Southern Illinois, Ball State, Indiana State, and St. Louis. St. Louis is probably his favorite right now, however don't be surprised him he ends up committing to a school who has not yet offered. Wichita State, Iowa, and Tennessee are 3 schools that are showing some interest.

J.T. Yoho: 6'5'' Shooting Guard, Eastern Greene H.S. (2012)

AAU: Spiece Select

Yoho could probably gain more from a solid July than almost anyone else in the state. The crafty scorer holds just 2 offers, Gardner-Webb and Bowling Green. I think that after putting together a couple of good performances he could garner some more mid to high-major interest. As a long guard who can really fill it up, any college looking for a 2-guard to fill out a recruiting class should consider Yoho.

Mike Crawford: 6'5'' Small Forward, Tipton H.S. (2013)

AAU: Indiana Elite Stars

Expect the offers to start rolling in for this athletic wing. He is strong enough to score in the paint, yet has the offensive skills to dominate on the perimeter and attacking the basket. He has fielded calls from Notre Dame, Wake Forest, and Wright State just to name a few. I could see Purdue getting involved in his recruitment, as well as places like Michigan or Xavier. I doubt it will be long into this month until Crawford receives his first offer.

Darryl Baker: 6'1'' Shooting Guard, Jeffersonville H.S. (2013)

AAU: Team Southern Indiana 2012 Red

I really like his athleticism and he has been improving his all-around offensive game. I expect him to have a big month and look for him to get a few offers from mid to high-major schools soon.

With the deep talent pool that the state has to offer, a list like this could go on forever. However, these are 6 names I would really keep my eye on. I expect these prospects to have a huge month on their way to landing some serious interest.

If you have any questions or comments please email me at ramseyb14@hanover.edu. Also, make sure you follow us on Twitter! @INrecruitguide

Jon Detweiler Memorial Tournament

2011-07-01T13:37:00.000-07:00

The Jon Detweiler Memorial Tournament offered players, coaches, and fans a great day full of basketball while raising money for the historic Williamsburg Gym in the memory of Mr. Detweiler. Fittingly, Jon's son, Mark Detweiler coached his Union County team to a 4-0 record and the tournament championship.

This summer I have been working with Centerville, so I was busy coaching the guys most of the day and didn't have a chance to see everyone play. We started the day off with 3 very convincing wins, defeating Greenfield 48-27, Blackford 48-31, and Northeastern 42-18. Our defense was very solid all day long and a balanced offensive attack was enough to give us comfortable victories. However, after having started the day around 9:30 that morning in the gym, the guys did not come out sharp against Union County, falling 32-18 in the final game.

Top Players

Like I said, I was not able to see a whole lot of action besides the games that I was coaching so I apologize if I omit somebody who deserves to be mentioned.

Brad Hartman: 6'7'' Power Forward, Union County H.S. (2012)

Brad continues to improve his game. He is a pretty athletic big man who handles the ball well and is very quick makings his moves in the post. I think he could play for a low level DII and just about any NAIA school.

Cody Woodbury: 6'3'' Shooting Guard, Winchester H.S. (2012)

Very strong and athletic. Good outside shooter and has improved his shooting off the dribble. Could contribute right away at the NAIA level.

Alex Etherington: 6'6'' Small Forward, Hamilton Heights (2013)

From the bit I saw of Alex yesterday he hit a few very deep 3's and showcased his athletic ability with a thunderous dunk over an opponent. He will be a good low to mid-major player. He really needs to improve his attitude though, he seems to always be yelling at a teammate or coach.

Braden Suttle: 6'5'' Small Forward, Centerville (2013)

Suttle is probably one of the most improved players I have see this summer. He has been knocking down about 2 3-pointers a game for Centerville this summer and still has a solid back to the basket game. Will be a good DIII or NAIA player.

These are the 4 best players that I saw yesterday, of the 8 teams in the tournament, I was very impressed with the overall level of play. It was simply a great event.

I have really enjoyed my summer of coaching the Centerville Bulldogs, I had been a part of the program from 2000-2010 as the Head Statistician, but being able to coach was a great experience. Know I am looking forward to the AAU circuit!

USSFA-Indy Summer Shootout Final

2011-06-26T18:53:00.000-07:00

I finally made the trip over to Carmel this evening to watch some of the Indy Summer Shootout, and I am certainly glad I did. I was able to check out the final 3 quarters of the Broad Ripple vs. North Central game which was won by Broad Ripple, 76-73. Indiana University bound Ron Patterson lead all scorers with 28 points, while Purdue commit Ronnie Johnson lead the Panthers with 24. The loss can be taken with a grain of salt because NC was without both Patrick Ingram and Perry Poindexter. However, I was impressed with Broad Ripple and I think they should have a very successful season.

Now, onto the recap of the championship game between traditional powerhouse Lawrence North and Indianapolis Tech. The began, and ended with stretches of sloppy play, but both teams settled into a nice groove for the middle 16-20 minutes. Trey Lyles, an IU recruit, scored 32 points in a losing effort as LN took it to Tech by a score of 70-55. The victors were lead by Eron Harris who contributed 15 points to the balanced offensive attack. Here are some player recaps.

Trey Lyles: 2014 6'9'' Forward, Indianapolis Tech H.S.

Lyles simply put on a show. I came away assured that he is worthy of the #5 national ranking. For just an incoming Sophomore he has almost the total package. He proved to be a capable scorer both inside and out, he hit 3 3's and also had at least 3 or 4 buckets off of offensive rebounds. He is a strong kid and also has a very good looking shot. I expect him to really dominate this coming season.

Jeremy Tyler: 2014 6'1'' Point Guard, Indianapolis Tech H.S.

Even though he didn't exactly fill up the stat sheet today, most basketball fans would be able to see the potential of Jeremy Tyler. I really like his athleticism and he has a very smooth shooting stroke. He will really need to get in the weight room over the next couple of years, but despite his lack of strength he was active on the offensive glass and had a couple nice rebounds. Certainly a solid mid to high major prospect.

Eron Harris: 2012 6'3'' Shooting Guard, Lawrence North H.S.

Harris was very impressive tonight. I had said a couple of weeks ago that he needed to improve his outside shooting, well he came out in the second half and hit 3 3's in about the first two minutes. He continues to impress me as a slasher type guy, and his athleticism really causes problems for defenses. Interest has been picking up for him, and I expect it to continue to do so throughout the July AAU circuit.

Basil Smotherman: 2013 6'4'' Small Forward, Lawrence North H.S.

Smotherman is still being worked into the lineup at LN, so his role isn't totally defined at this point. However, he did a very good job on the defensive end and also got some really nice rebounds. Added 9 points, and looked good attacking the basket from the baseline, but just missed some shots. I think that once he gets used to the new teammates and a new system he will be just fine.

Petey Balls: 2012 6'0'' Point Guard, Lawrence North H.S.

I like this kid. He is a solid ball handler and and all-around hard nosed player. Seems to really have a knack for the offense when the ball is in his hands and looked to find open teammates, almost always making the right pass. Locks up on defense pretty well also. I could see him playing at a DII school with the right fit, but definitely could contribute at the NAIA level.

Recruiting News and Notes

2011-06-16T17:24:00.000-07:00

Wednesday marked the first day that 2013 prospects could be contacted via phone by college coaches. For many Indiana prospects this day is spent with a constant buzzing coming from their mobile device as coaches try to be the among the first to contacts their prized recruits. Here is a rundown of some of the notable prospects and who they were in contact with on the first day of the phone contacting.

The Indiana Recruiting Guide's #1 Class of 2013 prospect, V.J. Beachem 0f New Haven heard from many schools: Butler, IU, Purdue, Michigan, Michigan State, Florida, Notre Dame, Depaul, Cincinnati, Iowa, Stanford, Georgetown, Minnesota, Northwestern and Pitt. Must have been a busy day for him!

The #5 2013 prospect as ranked by us at the Indiana Recruiting Guide, Zak Irvin, also had a busy day Wednesday fielding phone calls. He heard from Baylor, Cincinnati, Florida, Georgetown, Indiana, Purdue, Tennessee, Xavier, and Marquette. Irvin also spoke with Butler and Michigan who both offered the 6'5'' wing player.

Demetrius Jackson of Mishawaka Marian spoke with Butler and Indiana.

Pike guard, Zavier Turner was on the phone with Central Michigan, Dayton, Evansville, IUPUI, Loyola, Northern Illinois, Ohio, Rice, Saint Louis and Western Michigan.

Austin Hatch, a 6'6'' Shooting Guard from Fort Wayne Canterbury committed to Coach John Beilein and the Michigan Wolverines as soon as he picked up an offer on Wednesday.

2012 guard, Whitko's Logan Irwin committed to Stetson while on a visit at the school on Wednesday.

2014 guard Grant Evans of Wapahani said that he liked his visit to Purdue and had a good time on campus when I spoke with him today. He also recently was at Butler.

After a whirlwind of action the last 24 hours in the basketball recruiting world, things should slow down a little bit until the AAU season picks back up in July.

Summer Leagues

2011-06-07T10:54:00.000-07:00

The first full week of June brings the beginning of summer basketball workouts and leagues. I am serving as an assistant coach this summer at Centerville High School and we have daily workouts Monday-Thursday and play in the Centerville Summer League on Monday nights. Games are played at 5, 6, 7, 8 at Centerville High School. This year we have a pretty good mix of schools, including Richmond, Centerville, Union County, Hagerstown, Northeastern, Cambridge City Lincoln, National Trail (OH), and Tri Village (OH). This is some good competition for basketball fans to come watch, especially those in East Central Indiana.

Also, the IPS Summer League begins this evening at Arlington High School. They play on Tuesday evenings at 6,7,8, and 9. This should be another very good league to follow, and I will plan on going over there some this summer to watch.

June serves as a break from the AAU circuit as high school teams get there players together to begin to prepare for the coming winter. Its a great time to see how your younger guys have progressed since the past season and get a first look at the incoming freshman class. If anyone knows of any other good summer leagues please lets us know and we will try to come watch. Just email ramseyb14@hanover.edu.

Updated! Class of 2014 Rankings

2011-06-02T16:05:00.001-07:00

Here is an updated look at the top prospects in Class of 2014. This class is shaping up to be another great one for the state of Indiana. Trey Lyles is #8 in the country according to the most recent ESPN rankings, and Jaquan Lyle is #12. Bluiett and Blackmon are also nationally renowned prospects.

Updated August 24, 2011

1. Trey Lyles: 6'8'' Power Forward, Indianapolis Tech H.S.

Committed: Indiana University

Lyles is very versatile and plays with a high basketball IQ for a player of his age. He has a very good inside game and shoots the ball very well from the outside as well. Just a great all-around player, especially for just a sophomore. He is without a doubt one of the top prospects in the nation.

2. Jaquan Lyle: 6'4'' Shooting Guard, Evansville Bosse H.S.

Offers From: Indiana, Illinois, Purdue, Xavier, Michigan State

Interest From: Ohio State, West Virginia

Very good size and is a great ball handler and passer which gives him the ability to play the point as well as off the ball. He is an okay shooter, but needs to improve in that aspect of his game. I like him more as a point guard right now actually. I got to see a lot of him at the Adidas Invitational and Best of the Midwest this summer and he impressed me each and every time. Very smooth all-around player and is also a top prospect nationwide.

3. Trevon Bluiett: 6'5'' Shooting Guard, Park Tudor H.S.

Offers From: Indiana, Virginia, Purdue, Xavier, IUPUI

Considering: Texas, Marquette, Butler, Virginia Tech, Tennessee, Michigan, Michigan State, Florida, Florida State, Arizona

Bluiett is a great offensive player. He is a very good outside shooter, both off the dribble and catch-and-shoot. Just a pure all-around scorer who could easily give you 15-20 points a night. I was very impressed with the way he handled the ball this July, evening showcasing the ability to run the point when needed. He has good size which lets him play many positions, but his lack of superior quickness makes him a bit of a liability on the defensive end.

4. James Blackmon Jr.: 6'2'' Shooting Guard, Fort Wayne Luers H.S.

Committed: Indiana University

Good shooter and is an all-around great scorer. He handles the ball well which allows him to create his own shot with ease. Pretty good athlete and is quick with the ball, he finds ways to score in almost any situation. In some games that I saw during the this summer he struggled to get into a rhythm, but then other times he got on a roll and could rattle off 10 points in no time. I expect him to continue to develop into an exceptional player.

5. Perry Poindexter: 6'7'' Small Forward, North Central H.S.

Offers From:

Interest From: Indiana, Purdue, Michigan State, Xavier, Michigan, Butler

I have got to see him quite a bit this summer and it is easy to see why college coaches are interested in this prospect. He is very long (7'2'' wingspan) which allows him to block lots of shots and rebound. His offensive game is starting to develop, I saw him hit a few mid-range jumpers and can finish down low in the paint. Has the tools to be one of the top players in his class, but is still a little raw.

6. Sean Sellers: 6'5'' Shooting Guard, Greensburg H.S.

Offers From:

Interest From: New Mexico, Butler, Michigan, Purdue

Great all-around offensive player. He has good size for a wing player and is one of the best shooters in his class. Sellers can also attack the basket off the dribble and can rebound pretty well. Just needs to work hard to add some muscle and he will take his game to the next level. Saw him score 28 points in a game at Best of the Midwest.

7. Tyler Wideman: 6'8'' Center, Lake Central H.S.

Offers From: Purdue

Interest From: Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern

Wideman has a great body, he is both tall and thick which allows him to simply over power defenders. He has very good hands and footwork around the basket, finishes around the rim. Also, he grabs quite a few rebounds using is large frame. I was impressed with the way he moved at the Adidas Invitational, good athlete for such a big kid. Will be a force along with Glenn Robinson III for Lake Central this coming season.

8. Justin Brent: 6'4'' Shooting Guard, Speedway H.S.

Offers From:

Interest From: Indiana, Purdue, Georgetown, Xavier, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, Marquette, Dayton, Detroit, Wright State

Having played Point Guard for most of the school season, Brent is a very good ball handler which allows him to use his athletic ability and attack the basket off the dribble, similar to Jaquan Lyle in that respect. He is developing a very good mid-range game as well. I really like his upside and expect some high-major offers to come before too long.

9. Jaraan Lands: 6'5'' Small Forward, Brownsburg H.S.

Offers From: Oklahoma State

Interest From: Indiana

He has very good size and strength for his age. I like the way he attacks the basket, he is very good at absorbing contact and getting to the foul line. Jaraan can shoot the ball well from the outside too. Brownsburg should be set for the next few years between Jaraan and 2015 stud K.J. Walton.

10. P.J. Thompson: 5'9'' Point Guard, Brebeuf Jesuit H.S.

Offers From:

Interest From: Indiana, Purdue, Xavier, Butler, Illinois, Virginia Tech, Stanford

Right now, he is probably the best pure point guard in the class. He is a very good floor general who seems to always make the right decisions and puts his teammates in good positions to make things happen. Obviously, Thompson is a little undersized but that does not hold him back. Very impressed with his play this summer.

11. Bryant McIntosh: 6'2'' Point Guard, Greensburg H.S.

Offers From:

Interest From: Michigan, Indiana, Purdue, Stanford, Indiana State, Tennessee, Michigan State

He has been working hard in the past couple of months on his strength and quickness and it is paying dividends this month. He is a good shooter and is also a solid passer. I was impressed with the way he ran the point at the Best of the Midwest. Also, McIntosh possess's one of the best floaters I have seen, it goes in every time. Really like the way he is developing. I look forward to watching him play alongside Sean Sellers as a Greensburg Pirate this year after spending last season at New Castle.

12. Troy Spears: 6'4'' Shooting Guard, Park Tudor H.S.

Offers From: Evansville, New Mexico

Interest From: Indiana, Michigan, Butler, Stanford

Very good shooter and all-around scorer. I really like watching him move without the ball and come off screens, very good at curling to the basket. Has pretty good size which lets him finish around the basket when he drives. Good defender as well. Played well for Indiana Elite South while playing up a year in the 2013 class. Gets over-shadowed a bit at Park Tudor because of Yogi Ferrell and Trevon Bluiett, but I expect him to be a key piece to their run back to Conseco Fieldhouse.

13. Grant Evans: 6'2'' Shooting Guard, Wapahani H.S.

Offers From: Wright State, Gardner-Webb

Interest From: Ohio State, Cincinnati, Virginia Tech, Evansville, Belmont, Missouri State, IPFW

Evans is a very good 3-point shooter and also takes the ball to the basket well, gets to the foul line a lot. He looks like a kid who could still grow a few inches, and as he adds some muscle he will become even tougher to stop. I was impressed with how he played against some good competition at the Top 100 workout.

14. Jeremie Tyler: 6'1'' Point Guard, Indianapolis Tech H.S.

Offers From:

Interest From: Xavier, Wright State, Indiana State, Evansville

Great quickness and is a very solid ball handler. He shoots the ball well from the outside as well. Had a chance to see him a couple times this summer and he has the potential to be one of the best catch-and-shoot guys in the state. Would like to see him get in the weight room and add some strength. He has good length and is a lock-down defender. Offers a great 1-2 punch for Tech with teammate Trey Lyles, they should be very solid for the next 3 seasons.

15. Kendall Rollins: 6'6'' Small Forward, Pike H.S.

Offers From:

Interest From: Purdue, Wright State, Indiana, Detroit, Tulane, IUPUI, IPFW, Indiana State, Depaul

Very good size and athletic. A great overall talent, Rollins may shoot up the rankings as he develops. He can shoot from the outside and rebounds pretty well. I look for him to have a breakout season this winter for Pike as he will have to take over a bigger role with the loss of Marquis Teague.

16. Ernie Duncan: 6'2'' Point Guard, Evansville Harrison H.S.

Offers From: Evansville, Southern Illinois
Interest From: Indiana, Purdue, Xavier, Indiana State, Butler, Michigan, Ohio State, Clemson
He handles the ball well and has a pretty strong body for a Sophomore. He doesn't overwhelm you athletically, but he is a very solid player on both ends of the floor. Rebounds well from the guard spot.

17. Taylor Persons: 6'0'' Point Guard, Kokomo H.S.

Offers From:

Interest From: Purdue, Butler, Indiana, Indiana State, Loyola

I had never seen him before this summer, and I had the chance to see him 3 times at the Best of the Midwest. He plays very hard and is really strong for his age. Solid ball handler and passer, looks to attack the basket off the dribble and can finish through contact. Each time I watched him he would end up with 12-16 points. A little undersize and not an overwhelming athlete, but very solid and gets the job done.

18. Aaron Brennan: 6'6'' Power Forward, Guerin Catholic H.S.

Offers From:

Interest From: Purdue, Indiana, Michigan State

Have not gotten a chance to see him yet so he may deserve to be higher in the rankings than what I have him at. I will be making an effort to see him play very soon. I have heard great things about him, and with some of the schools inquiring about him I have to assume he is very, very good.

19. Mark Mercer: 6'8'' Power Forward, Plymouth H.S.

Offers From:

Interest From:

I first saw him for just a couple of minutes down at the Kentucky Hoop Fest, was impressed, and wrote his name down. Then I saw him again at the Top 100 and he blew me away. Anytime now this guy is going to blow up, he is a definite DI prospect. He has all the offensive skills, can score down low and shoot the ball out to the 3-point line.

20. Tyler Arens: 6'8'' Center, Marion H.S.

Offers From:

Interest From:

Any time you see this kind of size on a sophomore you have to pay attention. I saw him play for the first time at the Best of the Midwest and he has pretty good strength and looks to be athletic. Good rebounder who can also shoot it from mid-range a little bit. Anxious to see how he improves over the next year.

21. Daeshon Francis: 6'1'' Shooting Guard, Lawrence North H.S.

Offers From:

Interest From: IUPUI

22. Grant Sims: 6'2'' Shooting Guard, Bloomington North H.S.

Offers From:

Interest From: Xavier, Butler, Indiana State, Miami (OH), Valpo, Toledo

23. Justin King: 6'5'' Small Forward, Bowman Academy

Offers From:

Interest From:

24. Saikou Jallow: 6'2'' Point Guard, Bloomington North H.S.

Offers From:

Interest From:

25. Brad Hunt: 6'9'' Center, Jennings County H.S.

Offers From:

Interest From:

Please send any feedback to me at ramseyb14@hanover.edu.

Also, follow us on Twitter @INrecruitguide.

Updated ESPN Rankings

2011-05-24T15:04:00.000-07:00

ESPN released their updated prospect rankings today. They give the Top 100 in the Class of 2012, the Super 60 for the 2013 Class, and the Terrific 25 for 2014. Overall, Indiana was very well represented on these 3 lists, especially in the Class of 2012. We placed 9 current Indiana high school basketball players in the Top 100, 12 if you count guys who now play at other schools. Here is how the rankings break down with regard to Indiana guys.

Class of 2012

#4 Mitch McGary

#16 Gary Harris

#32 D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera

#34 Yogi Ferrell

#41 Jeremy Hollowell

#49 Hanner Perea

#60 Glenn Robinson III

#63 A.J. Hammons

#72 Rapheal Davis

#81 Kellen Dunham

#86 Ron Patterson

#89 Ronnie Johnson

I like these rankings more than the list that Rivals came out with earlier this year. Rivals had Hanner Perea ranked at #15, ahead of everyone besides McGary, that is simply too high. I think that ESPN pretty much go the order of the Indiana guys right now, expect I think Ron Patterson should probably be higher, maybe in the 60's. I know he has been sliding down everyone's rankings lately, but I still like the way he plays the game. That is really the only change that I would have made to these rankings. No matter what, placing 12 players in the Top 100 shows that Indiana may well have the deepest 2012 class in the nation.

As for the class of 2013, Indiana only got 1 prospect in the Super 60 with Purdue recruit Bryson Scott coming at #53. While I said that ESPN did a great job with the 2012 rankings, I think they missed on the Indiana guys for 2013. I don't see how V.J. Beachem is not the #1 player in the class in Indiana, and Rivals had him at #42, with Scott at #45. I realize that our 2013 class is not nearly as deep as 2012, so those would probably be the only two that I would put in the Super 60, but I just don't see how they could put Scott ahead of Beachem.

In the Terrific 25 Indiana put 3 prospects on the list. Always nice to see two of the Top 10 be from the Hoosier State!

#5 Trey Lyles

#10 Jaquan Lyle

#24 James Blackmon Jr.

Overall, I think ESPN did a very good job with the rankings, the only complaint I have is with V.J. Beachem not being a part of the Super 60. However, Indiana had a very good showing on all of the rankings and the future looks bright for our basketball rich state.

Make sure you follow the Indiana Recruiting Guide on Twitter @INrecruitguide.

Class of 2013 Rankings

2011-05-23T13:33:00.000-07:00

Updated August 25, 2011

1. Zak Irvin: 6'5'' Shooting Guard, Hamilton Southeastern H.S.
Committed: University of Michigan
Zak has a great overall skill set, very good mid-range game and can shoot it from the outside as well. He is a great athlete and has good length. Handles the ball well which lets him play a type of "point forward" position. He has had as good of a July as just about anybody in the country in my opinion, I really enjoyed watching him play.
2. Bryson Scott: 6'0'' Point Guard, Northrop H.S.
Committed: Purdue University
A very aggressive, scoring point guard. He is a great athlete who doesn't mind getting into the paint and going up against the big guys down low, he has good strength which allows him to finish against bigger defenders. One of the best defenders in the class. He is a streaky shooter from 3-point range, that would be his main area that he must work on. Great at attacking off the dribble.
3. V.J. Beachem: 6'6'' Small Forward, New Haven H.S.
Offers From: Purdue, Butler, Notre Dame
Interest From: Indiana, Cincinnati, Xavier, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Minnesota, Stanford, Tennessee, Florida
Beachem is a long and very skilled perimeter player. He has great all-around offensive ability. He can shoot the ball as well as create for himself off the dribble. I really like the diversity of his offensive game. He will need to get stronger and focus on making himself more of a lock-down defender on the defensive end, however his overall talent makes him deserving of one of the top spots in the 2013 Class. His ceiling is probably the highest out of any of these prospects.
4. Collin Hartman: 6'6'' Small Forward, Cathedral H.S.
Committed: Indiana University
Collin has the prototypical body type to play the 3 spot. He is a very good outside shooter and rebounds the ball well. Also, he handles the ball well and can distribute well enough that he could even play the 2 in college. I watched him play quite a few times this summer, both at the Adidas Invitational and Best of the Midwest. I was very impressed with how well he shot the ball, and with the range he displayed. He was hitting 3's out to 25 feet. He has been getting physically stronger, but will need to continue working hard in the weight room to take his game to the next level.

5. Demetrius Jackson: 6'1'' Point Guard, Mishawaka Marion H.S.

Offers From: Michigan, Xavier

Interest From: Illinois, Indiana, Notre Dame, Michigan State

6. Devin Davis: 6'6'' Small Forward, Warren Central H.S.

Committed: Indiana University

7. Basil Smotherman: 6'6'' Small Forward, Heritage Christian H.S.

Committed: Purdue University

8. Zavier Turner: 5'8'' Point Guard, Pike H.S.

Offers From: Evansville, Georgia State, St. Louis, Loyola

Considering: Indiana State

9. Leo Svete: 6'4'' Shooting Guard, Penn H.S.

Offers From: Drake, Western Michigan, Bucknell, Loyola

Interest From: Wake Forest, Florida, NC State, BYU, Virginia Tech, Ball State, Kent State, Notre Dame

10. Austin Hatch: 6'6'' Shooting Guard, Canterbury H.S.

Committed: University of Michigan

11. Brenton Scott: 6'0'' Point Guard, Northrop H.S.

Offers From: IPFW, Ohio, Indiana State, Ball State

Interest From: Butler, Purdue, Xavier, Illinois

12. Jaylon Brown: 5'11'' Point Guard, Fishers H.S.

Offers From: American, Ohio, Toledo, Evansville

Interest From: Butler

13. Mo Evans: 6'0'' Point Guard, Cathedral H.S.

Offers From:

Interest From: IUPUI, Wright State, Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, Ball State, Evansville, IPFW, Loyola

14. Nick Davidson: 6'4'' Shooting Guard, Andrean H.S.

Committed: Valparaiso University

15. Richard Freeman: 6'7'' Power Forward, Lawrence Central H.S.

Offers From: IPFW

Interest From: Butler, Central Michigan, Fordham, Iowa

16. Mike Crawford: 6'5'' Small Forward, Tipton H.S.

Offers From:

Interest From: Notre Dame, Wake Forest, Wright State, Gardner-Webb, Loyola, Wichita State

17. Darryl Baker: 6'1'' Shooting Guard, Southport H.S.

Offers From: Vanderbilt

Interest From: Indiana, Louisville, Purdue, Xavier

18. Franko House: 6'5'' Small Forward, Concord H.S.

Offers From:

Interest From: IUPUI

19. Alex Etherington: 6'6'' Small Forward, Hamilton Heights H.S.

Offers From: IPFW

Interest From: Ball State, Central Michigan, Western Michigan

20. Markese McGuire: 6'3'' Shooting Guard, Elkhart Memorial H.S.

Offers From: Evansville, Mercer, Northern Illinois

Interest From: Ohio

21. Blake Simmons: 6'4'' Small Forward, Castle H.S.

Offers From:

Interest From: Evansville, Illinois

22. Joe Fagan: 6'3'' Shooting Guard, Chatard H.S.

Offers From: Duquesne

Interest From: Ball State, Wright State, Bowling Green, Bucknell, IUPUI, IPFW, Gardner-Webb

23. Clay Yeo: 6'5'' Small Forward, Triton H.S.

Committed: Valparaiso University

24. David Hill: 5'11'' Point Guard, Cathedral H.S.

Offers From:

Interest From: Evansville

25. Milos Kostic: 6'8'' Power Forward, Bishop Noll H.S.

Committed: Northwestern University

26. Trey Patterson: 6'3'' Shooting Guard, Pike H.S.

Offers From:

Interest From:

Offers From:

Interest From:

Good length. He is a good area rebounder and can block some shots defensively. Hulian has good hands in the post and finishes well around the basket. Probably a Division II guy at this time.

30. Darius Latham: 6'5'' Power Forward, North Central H.S.

Offers From:

Interest From:

Please send any feedback to ramseyb14@hanover.edu. Follow the Indiana Recruiting Guide on Twitter @INrecruitguide.

UPDATED!- Class of 2012 Rankings

2011-05-18T16:40:00.000-07:00

Updated July 23, 2011

1. Gary Harris: 6'4'' Shooting Guard, Hamilton Southeastern H.S.

Offers From: Indiana, Louisville, Michigan State, Ohio State, Purdue, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, IUPUI, Illinois, Minnesota, Oregon State, Alabama

Interest From: Kentucky

Gary is a very strong and athletic perimeter player. He really likes to attack the rim and has a good mid-range game. Good defender. As he continues to improve his 3-point shooting he will become an even better prospect. I watched him play quite a bit at the Top 100 Showcase, and while he didn't exactly dominate, you could tell that he was the top player at the event. I think he will make an instant impact wherever he decides to play his college ball.

2. Jeremy Hollowell: 6'7'' Small Forward, Lawrence Central H.S.
Committed: Indiana University
He has had a huge month of July so far and has asserted himself as one of the elite prospects in the country. I watched him score at will throughout the Adidas Invitational, showcasing good range on his 3-point shot. Hollowell handles the ball well for his size, and uses his length and athleticism to be a match-up nightmare for defenses. Until this summer a knock on him had been his lack of aggressiveness, but from what I have seen of him that is no longer a problem.

3. Kevin "Yogi" Ferrell: 5'11'' Point Guard, Park Tudor H.S.

Committed: Indiana University

4. Glenn Robinson III: 6'6'' Small Forward, Lake Central H.S.

Committed: University of Michigan

The son of former Purdue great, Glenn Robinson, Glenn III has a great body type and runs the floor very well. He can handle the ball and score off either the catch or the dribble. He has added probably 15-20 pounds of muscle since the winter and that has really helped him out on the court. He was arguably the best player at the Top 100 Showcase and has had a very good July. I expect him to become one of the top contributors at Michigan within a few years.

5. Hanner Perea: 6'8'' Power Forward, La Lumiere School

Committed: Indiana University

6. Ron Patterson: 6'3'' Shooting Guard, Broad Ripple H.S.

Committed: Indiana University

Ron has a little more of an "old-school" offensive game. He isn't the best athlete in this class, but he finds many different ways to score. He has good strength which allows him to finish through contact when attacking the basket. He is a good, not great shooter and will need to continue to develop in that area. He shows some flashes of bad attitude which will need to be worked out before stepping foot in Bloomington.

7. Ronnie Johnson: 5'10'' Point Guard, North Central H.S.

Committed: Purdue University

Yes, he is small. However, Ronnie does not let his height stop him from picking apart a defense. He shots the ball well from the outside with great range and is a great passer. Even though defenders are often taller than him by 3-4 inches, he is quick enough to create space and get open shots. He has been as impressive this month as anybody else in this class. Ronnie is a winner who will take over the game when his teams needs it most.

8. Austin Burgett: 6'8'' Small Forward, Avon H.S.

Committed: University of Notre Dame

Austin can play either the 3 or the 4 spot at the next level. He is a good 3-point shooter and runs the floor very well for his size. I like his versatility and the he can score in a variety of ways. Will need to get in the weight room and get a little stronger, but he still does a very good job on the boards at both ends of the court. Showed that he is a very good shot blocker at the Adidas Invitational.

9. Kellen Dunham: 6'5'' Shooting Guard, Pendleton Heights H.S.

Committed: Butler University

10. Raphael Davis: 6'5'' Shooting Guard, La Lumiere

Committed: Purdue University

11. Nick Osborne: 6'8'' Power Forward, Muncie Central H.S.

Offers From: Ball State, Fordham, IPFW, Loyola, Miami (OH), Ohio, Xavier

Interest From: Stanford, Alabama, Boston College, Butler, Oklahoma State

12. DeJaun Marrero: 6'6'' Small Forward, Bowman Academy

Offers From: Xavier, Purdue, Ohio State, Memphis, Indiana, Illinois, DePaul, Cincinnati, Minnesota

Interest From: Kansas, Florida

13. Eron Harris: 6'3'' Shooting Guard, Lawrence North H.S.
Offers From: Wisconsin, Dayton, Kent State, Ball State, Evansville, Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, Tennessee Tech, Buffalo
Interest From: New Mexico, Xavier
Eron has totally blown up. He went from having just low to mid-major offers to being only of the most hotly sought after recruits in the state. He is very athletic and can shoot the ball very well. Very impressed with his play at the Adidas Invitational, and obviously many college coaches were as well.

14. Patrick Ingram: 6'2'' Shooting Guard, North Central H.S.

Offers From: Iowa, Indiana State, Loyola, Southern Illinois, Ball State, St. Louis

Interest From: Tennessee

15. D.J. Balentine: 6'1'' Point Guard, Kokomo H.S.

Offers From: Indiana State, IPFW, Loyola, Missouri State, Evansville, Wright State

Considering: Tennessee, Miami (OH)

16. Michael Ramey: 6'4'' Shooting Guard, Southport H.S.

Offers From: Ball State, Fordham, St. Joseph's (PA), IPFW, Gardner-Webb, Morehead State, Eastern Kentucky, Southern Illinois

Interest From: Clemson, Georgia Tech, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, VCU, Virginia Tech

17. R.J. Hunter: 6'5'' Small Forward, Pike H.S.

Committed: Georgia State University

With his father, Ron Hunter, accepting the job at Georgia State, there was speculation as to if R.J. would remain at Pike for his senior season. R.J. is a long, lean wing player who can score in many different ways. He is a good outside shooter and can also put the ball on the floor and create his own shot. He will need to bulk up over the summer and has had some injury problems, but when he is healthy he is one of the top talents in the class.

18. Jared Drew: 6'5'' Small Forward, Cathedral H.S.

Offers From: Wisconsin Green-Bay, Indiana State, IPFW, IUPUI, Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, Evansville, St. Louis, Lamar, Loyola

Interest From: Boston College, Tennessee, Wichita State, Missouri State

Good in the open court and when running the floor. He has good length which makes him a solid defender, and he can guard multiple possessions. Jared has a good mid-range game, very good around the basket too. I have been impressed with him this month and expect interest to continue to pick up around him.

19. Kellon Thomas: 5'11'' Point Guard, Southport H.S.

Offers From: Georgia State, Loyola, IUPUI, IPFW, Eastern Illinois, Southern Illinois UC-Davis, Kennesaw State, Morehead State, Gardner-Webb, Belmont

Interest From: Tennessee, Wright State, Western Kentucky, Butler, Wichita State

20. Jacobby Bledsoe: 5'10'' Point Guard, Hamilton Southeastern H.S.

Offers From: Georgia State, Drake, Oregon State, Western Kentucky, Western Michigan, Creighton, Eastern Michigan, Evansville, Navy

Interest From: Dayton, Michigan State, Tennessee, Southern Illinois, Ball State

Very quick and a great ball handler. He creates well for himself as well as his teammates. Good defender. I was impressed with the progress he had made on his outside shooting ability when I saw him play at the Adidas Invitational. Can for the action a little bit sometimes, but for the most part he makes things happen on the offensive end. One of the better point guards in the class.

21. Obij Aget: 7'1'' Center, La Lumiere School
Offers From: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, Missouri
Interest From: Indiana, Tennessee
Aget is a huge project, no pun intended. I really like his athleticism for such a long body, but he just doesn't have a lot of basketball skill right now. I am probably not as high on him as some people because I just don't see him developing into much more than a guy who can average 5 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks a game at the next level. His size alone demands collegiate interes
t, but I do not expect him to have a tone of success at the DI level.
22. Edward Seay: 6'9'' Power Forward, Merrillville H.S.
Offers From:
Interest From: Northern Illinois, Dayton, Loyola, Jacksonville, Western Michigan, San Francisco, Illinois State
Seay had one of the best days out of anyone at the Top 100 Showcase. His length and athleticism for a big guy grabs the attention of any college coach in attendance. He is a very good shot blocker and rebounder. I like his offensive potential, he should develop into a very good post presence who can face-up and get around slower defenders. Interest around Seay should continue to pick up, I have heard through a source that Michigan has been following him.

23. J.T. Yoho: 6'5'' Shooting Guard, Eastern Greene H.S.

Offers From: Bowling Green, IPFW, Gardner-Webb, Wright State

Interest From:

24. Jermaine Myers: 6'0'' Point Guard, Culver Academy

Offers From: Ball State, Drake, Indiana State, Ohio, Valparaiso

Interest From: UNLV

25. Rhett Smith: 6'7'' Small Forward, Sullivan H.S.

Committed: Indiana State University

Very nice combo-forward who can play either the 3 or the 4 spot. Good athlete who handles the ball well for a big guy.

26. Elijah Ray: 6'6'' Power Forward, Bowman Academy
Offers From: Valparaiso, Indiana State
Interest From: Iowa, Harvard, Iowa State, Tennessee, Boston College, Marquette, Illinois, UC-Irvine
Very strong body, he has a great game down low for being a little undersized. Elijah's combination of strength and athleticism gives him an advantage on the boards against bigger opponents. I was very impressed with him at the Top 100. He will be a very good mid-major player.
27. Joe Reed: 6'8'' Power Forward, Center Grove H.S.
Offers From: Toledo, IPFW, Lewis (DII)
Interest From: Stetson, American, Ball State, Miami Ohio, Belmont, IUPUI, Wright State, Northern Kentucky
He has really been picking up interest this month. I was very impressed with him at the Adidas Invitational. Joe runs the floor well and is a good athlete for a post player. He has a good face up game and good footwork in the post. As he continues to develop he should pick up a few more offers.
28. Ryan Weber: 6'6'' Small Forward, Roncalli H.S.
Offers From: Drake, IPFW, Gardner-Webb, Lamar
Interest From: Richmond, Northeastern, Furman, Stetson, Belmont, Indiana State, Eastern Kentucky
Ryan is very versatile, he could play either the 3 or the 4, but will probably be on the wing in college. He has good post skills offensively, and also a very good mid-range game. He has been working hard on his ball handling which will really give him an all-around offensive game.

29. Logan Irwin: 6'0'' Point Guard, Wawassee H.S.

Committed: Stetson University
Logan has a great mid-range game and is a big time scorer. He likes to penetrate and pull-up. He became one of my favorite guys to watch this month. He is a tireless worker and a great on-ball defender. You know your team is in good hands when your best player is also your hardest worker, and that is exactly what Logan is.
30. Jalen Pendleton: 6'3'' Shooting Guard, Evansville Bosse H.S.

Offers From: Indiana State

Interest From: Missouri State, Tennessee State, Evansville

31. Dylan Langkabel: 6'3'' Shooting Guard, Morristown H.S.

Offers From:

Interest From: Butler, Valparaiso, Wright State, Detroit, New Mexico

32. Harry Willis: 6'2'' Shooting Guard, Ben Davis H.S.

Offers From:

Interest From: Butler, Michigan, Virginia Tech, Xavier

33. Matt O'Leary: 6'7'' Power Forward, Terre Haute North H.S.

Offers From: Jacksonville, Lafayette, Lewis (DII), St. Francis (NAIA)

Interest From: Ball State, Wright State, Evansville

34. Kendall Waters: 5'9'' Point Guard, Pendleton Heights H.S.
Offers From:
Interest From: Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, Eastern Kentucky

35. Brent Calhoun: 6'8'' Center, Warren Central H.S.

Offers From: Lamar, Appalachian State

Interest From: Evansville, Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, IUPUI, Valparaiso, St. Louis

36. Tyler Alderman: 6'9'' Power Forward, Fishers H.S.

Offers From:

Interest From: Wright State, IUPUI, Indiana State, Ball State, Evansville

37. David Heckman: 6'7'' Power Forward, Roncalli H.S.

Offers From:

Interest From: Furman, Samford, Lehigh, Lafayette, Princeton, Hartford, New Hampshire

38. Steve Hawkins: 6'8'' Power Forward, Bowman Academy

Offers From:

Interest From:

39. Brad Hartman: 6'7'' Power Forward, Union County H.S.
Offers From: Jacksonville
Interest From: Navy, Eastern Kentucky
40. Tyler Corey: 5'11'' Point Guard, Lawrence Central H.S.
Offers From:
Interest From:

41. Rashad Richardson: 6'4'' Small Forward, Lafayette Jefferson H.S.

Offers From:

Interest From:

42. Adam Botts: 5'11'' Point Guard, Muncie Central H.S.
Offers From:
Interest From:

43. Riley Rapp: 6'1'' Shooting Guard, Guerin Catholic H.S.
Offers From:
Interest From: Yale
44. Petey Balls: 6'0'' Point Guard, Lawrence North H.S.
Offers From:
Interest From:
45. Michael Lenz: 6'0'' Point Guard, Brebuef Jesuit H.S.
Offers From:
Interest From:
46. Grant Meyer: 6'0'' Point Guard, Silver Creek H.S.
Offers From:
Interest From:
47. Cody Woodbury: 6'3'' Shooting Guard, Winchester Community H.S.
Offers From:
Interest From:
48. Keegan Kincaid: 6'1'' Point Guard, Switzerland County H.S.
Offers From:
Interest From:

49. Keith Cochran: 6'9'' Center, Bluffton H.S.

Offers From:

Interest From:

50. Trevor Thompson: 6'10'' Center, Ben Davis H.S.

Offers From:
Interest From:

If you have any questions or comments feel free to email me at ramseyb14@hanover.edu. Thanks!

Final Class of 2011 Rankings (1-25)

2011-04-27T17:04:00.001-07:00

After a great 4 years of high school, culminating with the 2011 season, this list of players has stood above the rest. Here is the final Indiana Recruiting Guide Class of 2011 Rankings. If you see any glaring absences or a player we have listed as "Undeclared" is, in fact, committed please email me at ramseyb14@hanover.edu!

1. Marquis Teague: 6'2'' Point Guard, Pike H.S.

University of Kentucky

Not only is he the top player in Indiana, Teague is arguably the #1 player in the nation. He is very explosive going to the basket, and finishes well around the rim. He has good strength which allows him to draw contact and get to the free throw line. His first step is amazing. Teague is a perfect fit for the Dribble-Drive Offense at UK.

2. Cody Zeller: 6'11" Power Forward, Washington H.S.

Indiana University

This is finally the last Zeller that will show up in Indiana recruiting news for quite some time. The youngest of the star brothers plays much like Tyler, he runs the floor very well for a big man, is a great rebounder, and has a good mid-range game. Cody is a great pick up for IU, and I expect him to help take the Hoosiers back to the top of the NCAA rankings.

3. Braden Dawson: 6'6'' Small Forward, Lew Wallace H.S.

Michigan State

Very athletic, top level rebounder for a wing player. He crashes the offensive boards very well. He is becoming a better outside shooter, but still has some work to do. His size and length causes serious match-up problems for defenders. Dawson will be a great player for Coach Izzo and the Spartans.

4. Nic Moore: 5'10'' Point Guard, Warsaw Community H.S.

Illinois State

Moore is one of the best pure scorers in the state. He can shoot the ball from deep as well as take it to the basket. He is a great penetrator and uses his strength to finish around the rim. Has the potential to become one of the better mid-major players in the country

5. Michael Chandler: 6'10'' Center, Lawrence North H.S.

Central Florida

Chandler is a great rebounder and shot blocker. He is a true defensive stopper in the lane. His offensive game needs some fine tuning, but he is strong and athletic which allows him to get some easy buckets down low. Has de-committed from both Louisville and Xavier.

6. Darwin "Dee" Davis: 5'10'' Point Guard, Bloomington South H.S.

Xavier

Davis is as quick as they come. He is a very pesky defender. Nobody is better at running the fast-break, he is great at changing speeds and directions, and can find the open man or finish on his own. If he can become a better outside shooter his game would really take off to the next level.

7. Andy Smeathers: 6'6'' Small Forward, Center Grove H.S.

Butler

An overall good athlete. He can light it up from outside, is a good passer, and attacks the rim well. If he can add some muscle he could become just as dominate as Gordon Hayward was at Butler.

8. Justin Gant: 6'8'' Power Forward, Terre Haute North Vigo H.S.

Indiana State

Gant's offensive skills are great all-around. He can shoot very well, he handles the ball well for a power forward, and he is a great passer. He runs the floor very well. In order to become even more dominate, he will need to get stronger and develop some more back to the basket moves.

9. Antonio Wilson: 6'8'' Power Forward, Elmhurst H.S.

Undeclared

Super athlete. He is very long, and runs the floor well for his size. He uses his athletic ability well on the defensive side and is a good rebounder. Wilson needs to work hard to become more of an offensive presence. Would be a very good Mid-Major player, but is probably going the Junior College route first.

10. Austin Etherington: 6'6'' Small Forward, Hamilton Heights H.S.

Indiana University

He is a great scorer, can really shoot from the outside. His length makes him very tough to guard on the perimeter. He will need to become a better defender in order to be able to guard the athletes in the Big 10. Should be a solid 4 year contributor at IU.

11. Alex Pritchett: 6'7'' Power Forward, Beford North Lawrence H.S.

Wright State

Great shooter for his size, also a very solid rebounder. Will need to work on his post game to become more of a true power forward in college. He is a hard worker so I am sure he will make the needed improvements. I expect big things from Pritchett.

12. Kendall Griffen: 6'5'' Small Forward, Avon H.S.

Wright State

He is a very good inside scorer, uses his body well, good at drawing contact. He works very hard at all times. Griffen needs to add more perimeter skills to be more effective at the next level.

13. Adonis Filer: 6'3'' Point Guard, Hammond Bishop Noll H.S.

Brewster Academy

The Indiana All-Star averaged 15.9 points per game this season for State Runner-Up Bishop Noll. I think that after a year of Prep School he will become a solid Division I player.

14. Austin Richie: 6'2'' Shooting Guard, Lowell H.S.

Western Michigan

Richie exemplifies everything I think an old-school Indiana High School Basketball player should be. First off, he will literally shoot from anywhere on the court, and make it. He is maybe the best shooter in the state, and can simply fill it up. Needs to get stronger, but he will be a big time scorer for the next 4 years in college.

15. Jeremiah Jones: 6'3'' Shooting Guard, Merrillville H.S.

Undeclared

He is a very good leaper, attacks the basket with lots of explosiveness. However, he tends to settle for way too many outside shots. If he accepts his role and becomes more of a slasher, he could be a good player for a small D1 school. However, he most likely will be attending prep school next season.

16. Jonny Marlin: 5'11'' Point Guard, Center Grove H.S.

IPFW

Marlin is a true "floor general." He is a good shooter, and a great ball handler and passer. I expect him to be a great point guard for Coach Fife and IPFW.

17. P.J. Boutte: 5'8'' Point Guard, T.C. Howe H.S.

Detroit

He is one of the quickest players in the state. His ball-handling is simply amazing, and his passing is about the same. Obviously he is small, but there is nobody better at getting up and down the floor than P.J. I think he will be a great fit at Detroit.

18. Chris Page: 6'4'' Shooting Guard, Plainfield H.S.

Albany

He is long and has good leaping ability. He does a very good job of getting to the rim. He shoots the ball well from the outside, but will need to improve his ball handling so he can go around defenders at the next level.

19. Max Landis: 6'1'' Point Guard, Perry Meridian H.S.

Gardner-Webb

Landis is a very solid basketball player. He does everything pretty well, shooting, ball-handling and passing. He will need to get in the weight room and add some pounds to be able to handle the ball pressure at the D1 level.

20. Joe Crisman: 6'4'' Shooting Guard, Munster H.S.

Loyola

His main draw back is that he is not overly athletic. Crisman is a good all-around player with no blaring weaknesses. He defends well and is a strong kid. Should be a nice player at Loyola.

21. Zac VanDeWater: 6'4'' Shooting Guard, Whitko H.S.

Indiana Wesleyan

VanDeWater turned down lots of serious D1 interest to attend IWU. He is a very good scorer, shoots well from outside and uses lots of good fakes to get to the basket and finish around the rim. He and future teammate Tyler Greathouse could be the foundation to lead IWU to a NAIA national title.

22. Josh Gentry: 6'4'' Small Forward, Pike H.S.

North Dakota

Gentry is very athletic. He attacks the rim well for his size. Plays very good defense. He will need to work on his shooting range.

23. Tyler Greathouse: 6'8'' Power Forward, Columbus North H.S.

Indiana Wesleyan

Greathouse is part of a stellar recruiting class for IWU. Between him and Zac VanDeWater, they picked up two prospects with D1 offers. He is a great shooter for his size which allows him to really expand the defense. He is a very good rebounder as well. Will be dominate at IWU.

24. Dustin Smith: 6'2'' Shooting Guard, Eastern Hancock H.S.

Maine Central Institute

Smith has really been shooting up the rankings since this summer. He is a lights out shooter, especially when he is able to catch and shoot. He likes to run around screens and moves very well without the ball. He as become a much better ball handler, but will need more work so he can create more shots for himself. Smith is a solid small D1 or D2/D3 prospect after he attends Prep School.

25. Michael Albrecht: 5'11'' Point Guard, Crown Point H.S.

Northfield Mount Hermon Prep

"Spike" is a good shooter, good passer, an overall solid point guard. Could run an offense for a small D1 or D2 school after spending a year at Prep School.

Final Class of 2011 Rankings (26-50)

2011-04-27T17:02:00.000-07:00

26. Eric Stutz: 6'8'' Power Forward, Castle H.S.

Eastern Kentucky University

He has a great motor and is a great rebounder. Overall, Stutz has a very solid game. He doesn't have any one skill which stands out, but is just a good player. Needs to improve his strength to be more of a contributor at EKU.

27. Spencer Turner: 6'3'' Shooting Guard, Bloomington South H.S.

Belmont College

Turner is an elite shooter, in my opinion probably one of the best pure shooters in the state. He is not the quickest player which will be a drawback at the next level, however he is very smart and strong. His shooting ability will fit in very well at Belmont.

28. Jalen Packer: 6'2'' Point Guard, Princeton Community H.S.

Undeclared

Packer is a long, lefty, pass-first ball handler. He does everything you want your point guard to do. He finishes well around the basket, and penetrates a defense with ease. If he adds more of a outside game to go along with his excellent ball handling and passing he could be a D1 prospect.

29. Greg Dickey: 5'11'' Point Guard, Tipton H.S.

University of St. Francis

He is a true "floor general" point guard. Good ball handling skills. He is strong for his size, and can really shoot it from deep. Dickey has a great skill set, should be a good player for powerhouse St. Francis.

30. Matthew Schauss: 6'4'' Shooting Guard, Centerville H.S.

Bethel College

For a guard, Schauss has good size which makes him a match up problem for many defenders. In high school he runs the point so he has good experience handling the ball which will help at the college level. He is great at getting to the rim and finishing, and also has a very good mid-range game. He needs to improve his outside shooting.

31. Jared Smoot: 6'9'' Center, Crown Point H.S.

Navy

Smoot is very long and strong. He is a very good rebounder, but needs to attack the boards with more aggression if he wants to keep getting those rebounds at the D1 level. Also needs to develop more of an offensive post game.

32. Chier Ajou: 7'1'' Center, Culver Military Academy H.S.

New Mexico

Ajou is certainly the most intriguing prospect in the state of Indiana. At 7'1'' he was sure to get his shot to play college basketball. Right now, he is very, very raw, but he can block shots and disrupt many others. He is a work in progress that could turn into a solid player.

33. Evan Maschmeyer: 6'3'' Shooting Guard, Jeffersonville H.S.

Undeclared

Maschmeyer is a very good shooter from the outside. However, he can also take the ball to the basket and does a good job of finishing there as well. Could be a solid pick up for a Divison II team.

34. Chris Whitehead: 5'9'' Point Guard, New Albany H.S.

Undeclared

He is a very good ball handler and attacks the rim well for his size. Whitehead's main problem is that he is only 5'9''. Good pick up for a small college that likes to get up and down the court.

35. Alex Peterson: 6'11'' Center, Carmel H.S.

Huntington College

Anytime you have a 6'11'' frame you are going to be given plenty of opportunities as a basketball player. Peterson is a good shot blocker and rebounder, very disruptive on the defensive side of the floor. Right now he is very thin and needs to add lots of weight to become dominate down low. Would be worth a look for any small Division I program.

36. Spencer Comer: 6'3'' Shooting Guard, Rushville H.S.

University of St. Francis

Comer is very athletic. He uses his strength and quickness very well on the defensive end. He is a very good outside shooter, but needs to improve his ball handling so he can attack the basket and create more shots for himself.

37. Silas Sims: 6'5" Point Guard, Hauser H.S.

Manchester College

The tall, long point guard lead Hauser to the Regional Championship game this season. Sims is a good scorer, and uses his size well to create mis-matches with smaller defenders. He should be a nice addition to Manchester's squad.

38. Connor Rich: 6'4'' Shooting Guard, Tipton H.S.

Depauw University

Rich is the one of the best pure shooters in the state. He works very hard off the ball, running off screens and changing directions. He isn't very athletic and doesn't create off the dribble very well, but his deep range and shooting ability make him a solid pick up for Depauw.

39. Jon Trawick: 6'3'' Small Forward, Richmond H.S.

Undeclared

Jon is one of the strongest players his size that I have seen. This makes him a big time match up problem for other guards. He needs to really work on his shooting, but it is improving. He is a beast down low, finishes very well. He is a "tweener", if his shot continues to improve he would take his game to the next level. Most likely will be heading to Prep School.

40. Ricky Carbajal: 6'6'' Power Forward, Munster H.S.

Quincy University

He does not have the best offensive skill set, but is still able to be a big force in games because of his work ethic and above average athletic ability. He scorers a lot of points off of offensive rebounds. To take his game to the next level he needs to become more of an offensive threat.

41. Brandon Clark: 6'0'' Point Guard, Merrillville H.S.

Santa Clara

Clark is an above-average shooter and is a good defender. Much like Robinson though, he tends to try to create when there is no play to be made. If he can harness his abilities and learn to play along with the flow of the game he will be a great pick up for Santa Clara.

42. Zach Miller: 6'2'' Shooting Guard, Connersville H.S.

Bethel College

Miller is a a great shooter and moves very well off the ball. I like the way he works to get open and uses screens to create spacing. He is a pretty good ball handler which makes him more versatile, but is most comfortable playing off the ball.

43. Nyree Robinson: 6'3'' Shooting Guard, Carmel H.S.

Undeclared

Robinson is a great athlete which allows him to get to the rim where he is a very good finisher. On the down side, he has a tendency to force the action. If he could accept a role, he could be a solid D2 or D3 players.

44. Brandon Grubl: 6'3" Point Guard, Morgan Township H.S.

Elmhurst College

The do-it-all guard averaged 22.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. Grubl is a true floor general and I expect him to have a very good career at Elmhurst.

45. Evan Blackmon: 5'11'' Point Guard, Bishop Luers H.S.

Danville Area Community College

Good athlete, very strong. Blackmon does a very good job of penetrating the defense and finding an open man on the perimeter, or finishing himself. He needs to work on his shooting ability to make his game more well-rounded.

46. Alex Hutson: 6'1'' Point Guard, Seeger H.S.

Undeclared

Hutson is a top level shooter with serious range. All-around he can really fill it up. Needs to improve ball-handling if he wants to play the point in college, he may be better off playing off the ball. Solid D3 prospect.

47. Chandler Thomas: 6'5'' Small Forward, Cathedral H.S.

Undeclared

He has been working hard to become a true small forward, but is really still more comfortable in the post. Thomas has become a decent shooter, but still needs work on his ball handling to become a better prospect. Probably a NAIA player at this time.

48. Brandon Smith: 5'11'' Point Guard, Cathedral H.S.

Lynn College

Smith is a scoring point guard. He is strong for his size which allows him to finish well inside despite being undersized.

49. Rontray Chavis: 6'5'' Small Forward, Princeton Community H.S.

Cincinnati State

His main problem is that he is a power forward stuck in a small forwards body. He has a better perimeter skill set than his brother, but is still a tweener. He is a good athlete and very strong, but needs to improve his ball handling and shooting ability to become a true small forward.

50. Jordan Hahn: 5'11'' Point Guard, New Castle H.S.

Huntington College

Hahn is a very good outside shooter. Great leader, a "floor general" point guard. He is not overly athletic which makes it tough for him to get around better defenders, but he is very smart and crafty.

Indiana Recruiting Guide 1A/2A All-State Team

2011-04-15T06:01:00.000-07:00

It is amazing how many great players there are in these smaller schools. You have an Indiana All-Star, multiple Division I prospects, 20-point per game scorers, and the states leading scorer is on the Honorable Mention list. Lots of talent this year, so it took awhile to decide who was deserving of All-State versus Honorable Mention honors. Here is this years Class 1A/2A All-State team!

Yogi Ferrell (Park Tudor)

Indiana University

Yogi led Park Tudor to Conseco for the second straight season, but this year he and the Panthers came away with the State Title. The star junior averaged 18.7 points and 6.6 assists per game.

Griffyn Carpenter (Triton)

Undeclared

Led his team to the State Finals on the back of his 19.1 points per game. Very solid all-around player.

Adonis Filer (Bishop Noll)

Brewster Academy

The only Indiana All-Star from either Class A or Class 2A, the State Finalist averaged 15.9 points per game. Has reclassified as 2012 and is heading to Prep School next season.

DeJaun Marrero (Bowman Academy)

Undeclared

The Division I prospect averaged 22.1 points and 15.3 rebounds this season on his way to being named to the "Core" group of Jr. All-Stars.

Dylan Langkabel (Morristown)

Undeclared

In his first season back in Indiana after playing for St. Benedict's Prep School, the junior averaged 27.4 points per game for Morristown.

Brandon Grubl (Morgan Township)

Undeclared

The do-it-all guard led Morgan to the Regional Championship game while averaging 22.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game.

Logan Thomas (Monroe Central)

Ball State (Student)

Logan put together one of the best statistical season's of anybody in recent memory. He averaged 25.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 7.6 assists per game.

Greg Dickey (Tipton)

University of St. Francis

The hard-nosed floor general will be joining NAIA DII powerhouse St. Francis next season. Dickey averaged 14.3 points and 4.5 assists per game, and is one of the best on the ball defenders I saw this season.

Matthew Schauss (Centerville)

Bethel College

Schauss led the Bulldogs to their 3rd consecutive Sectional Championship. The combo-guard averaged 22 points and 6 rebounds a game.

Dustin Smith (Eastern Hancock)

Undeclared

One of the best shooters in the state, Smith averaged 22.5 points and 5 rebounds a game in his senior campaign. Even with his long range 3-pointers, he shot 43% from beyond the arc.

Honorable Mention

James Blackmon Jr. (Fort Wayne Luers) Indiana University

Clay Yeo (Tipton)

Raymond Green (Indianapolis Metro)

Grant Evans (Wapahani)

Zach Richie (Oregon-Davis)

Mike Crawford (Tipton)

Silas Sims (Hauser)

J.T. Yoho (Eastern Greene)

Garrett Bateman (Shoals)

Kendall Vieke (Vincennes Rivet)

Indiana Recruiting Guide 3A/4A All-State Team

2011-04-11T16:45:00.000-07:00

This is the first year that the Indiana Recruiting Guide will be announcing an All-State team. In order to give players from all levels the exposure and accolades that they deserve, we will be naming two teams, a 3A/4A team as well as 1A/2A squad. There will be 10 All-State selections, as well as 10 Honorable Mention picks. Congratulations to all of these great players!

2010-2011 Indiana Recruiting Guide Player of the Year: Cody Zeller (Washington)

Indiana University

The McDonald's All-American and Indiana Mr. Basketball award-winner averaged 24.1 points and 13.3 rebounds a game on his way to another State Championship.

Marquis Teague (Pike)

University of Kentucky

Marquis, another of Indiana's McDonald's All-American game participants, lead Pike to a 20-5 record this season. He averaged 22.1 points and 6 assists per contest. He looks to the next in a long line of great point guards to play for Coach Cal at UK. Finished 3rd in the Indiana Mr. Basketball voting.

Dee Davis (Bloomington South)

Xavier University

Lead Bloomington South the Class 4A State Championship. Davis averaged 21.9 points and 5.6 assists. He finished 4th in the Indiana Mr. Basketball voting.

Nic Moore (Warsaw)

Illinois State University

After a fantastic senior campaign, Moore struggled with an injury down the stretch which derailed his hopes of leading Warsaw back to the State Finals. He finished 2nd in the Mr. Basketball voting while averaging 27.7 points per game.

Braden Dawson (Lew Wallace)

Michigan State University

A McDonald's All-American, Dawson is one of the most highly touted seniors in the country. His team had a rough season, but I expect him to fit right into his role at the next level.

D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera (North Central)

Undeclared

The Junior averaged 25.2 points while leading the Panthers to a Regional Championship. Rivera has really improved his outside shooting, knocking down over 50 3's this season.

Kellen Dunham (Pendleton Heights)

Butler University

Averaged 23.6 points and made 77 3-pointers (43% shooting). The junior is without a doubt one of the best pure shooters in the state.

Andy Smeathers (Center Grove)

Butler University

His stats may not wow you, but Smeathers is one of the most complete players in Indiana. At 6'8'', he can shoot the ball from the outside, and is also a good slasher and can finish around the rim. Averaged 14.6 points and 5 rebounds. I see him turning into a Gordon Hayward type of player in a couple years at Butler.

Gary Harris (Hamilton Southeastern)

Undeclared

Possibly the most sought after commodity in the Class of 2012 in Indiana, Harris enjoyed a great Junior season, averaging 18.6 points and 5 rebounds.

Glenn Robinson (Lake Central)

University of Michigan

Son of former Purdue great Glenn Robinson, the Junior averaged 22.1 points and 5.2 rebounds. He was also named to the "Core" group of Junior All-Stars.

Honorable Mention

Austin Richie (Lowell)-Western Michigan

Justin Gant (Terre Haute North)-Indiana State

Eric Stutz (Castle)-Eastern Kentucky

Joe Crisman (Munster)-Loyola

Ron Patterson (Broad Ripple)-Indiana

Trey Lyles (Indianapolis Tech)-Indiana

Jonny Marlin (Center Grove)-IPFW

Austin Etherington (Hamilton Heights)-Indiana

P.J. Boutte (Howe)-Detroit

Spike Albrecht (Crown Point)-Undeclared

The Class 1A/2A All-State team will be released later this week.

Class 4A State Title Preview

2011-03-25T10:00:00.000-07:00

Bloomington South Panthers (25-2) vs. Kokomo Wildkats (23-2)

Two staples of Indiana High School Basketball will face off in the final game of the 101st IHSAA State Tournament. Both teams feature strong guard play and balanced scoring attacks. Bloomington South won a State Championship in 2009 while the Wildkats haven't been to the Finals since 1989, and they won their only State Championship 50 years ago in 1961. Experience would certainly tip in the favor of the Panthers who have played on this stage before and start 5 seniors. Kokomo on the other hand starts just two seniors, and are lead in scoring by star Junior guard D.J. Balentine.

Bloomington South

Dee Davis- The Xavier signee is shooting an astounding 69.8% from the field and scores 21.9 points per game. He also adds 5.6 assists.

Spencer Turner- A Belmont recruit, is widely considered one of the best pure shooters in the state. He is averaging 16.3 points on the season.

Desmond Marks- Reminds me a lot of Glen "Big Baby" Davis. At 6'5'' and probably 250 pounds Marks is the biggest body that South has. He moves very well for his size and has a good shooting touch. I think he could be an X-factor in this game.

Kokomo

D.J. Balentine- The junior is leading the way with 16.2 points and has really picked up his play in the clutch moments of each game on the road to Conseco. He will keep the Wildkats in the game down to the final buzzer.

Huston Clark- A great finisher, is the biggest Wildkat at 6'4." The senior leads the team with 6.6 rebounds, and also contributes 8.3 points.

LaBradford Sebree- Just a sophomore, but Sebree has played a big part in taking Kokomo to this year's title game. He is the second leading scoring with 8.4 points per contest, and pulls down just over 4 rebounds.

I continue to pick against Kokomo yet they continue to win. They have been playing great basketball of late and I know that the entire community has really rallied around this team along the way. However, Bloomington South just has too many offensive threats. I see them bringing home their 2nd Championship in 3 years.

Bloomington South 64 Kokomo 61