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The 2016 Five-Star Recruits On Crean's Radar


benfaunce
  • Here's a look at the four 2016 prospects that IU is in the hunt to land.

The 2016 recruiting class could prove to be Tom Crean’s most important.

 

Next season he loses four-year starting point guard Yogi Ferrell and two other role players – Nick Zeisloft and Max Bielfeldt – to graduation.

 

There’s also the potential that Troy Williams, James Blackmon Jr. and Thomas Bryant take their talents to the NBA. If all three players leave, Crean is losing four of his five starters going into the 2016-17 season.

 

As I’m sure you all remember, the last time Crean lost four starters was the incredibly forgettable 2013-14 season that didn’t see a postseason birth.

 

Losing all six players would leave five remaining scholarship spots on the roster, counting the Grant Gelon commitment.

 

I expect Crean to fill at least two of those spots with ESPN Top 100 recruits and sign another two solid high school prospects. Yes, you read that right – it is an expectation that Crean has one of his best classes this summer.

 

He’s already considered by some to be on the hot seat due to a lack of discipline coming from his players, who can’t seem to stay out of trouble. And the on-court performance over the last two seasons isn’t up to IU standards.

 

There’s nothing like a top 10 nationally ranked recruiting class following a successful season to get the boosters and alumni off your back. So, Crean has his work cut out for him.

 

Let’s take a look at four five-star recruits that Indiana is in the hunt to sign:

 

Miles Bridges – SF – 6-6, 225 – Flint, Mich.

 

Simply put: Bridges is a stud. Ranked No. 8 in the nation by ESPN, the left-handed combo-forward has the potential to be one of the best all around players in college basketball. A lot of scouts compare Bridges to former Duke star small forward Justise Winslow.

 

Bridges has plenty of versatility, showing the ability to play the perimeter and around the basket. He owns a good shot and is great on the glass. Thanks to his combination of athleticism and power, Bridges’ best part of his game is dribble penetration and running in transition. IU hasn’t had a player who can drive to the bucket as well as Bridges since Victor Oladipo left for the NBA.

 

Bridges averaged an impressive 22.8 points and 10 rebounds per game during the Peach Jam Tournament back in July, giving him a significant bump in stock.

 

Bridges is probably the most difficult get on this list. He has narrowed his list of schools down to five: Michigan, Michigan State, Kentucky, North Carolina and Indiana. The Hoosiers are actually a recent addition to his list, as Iowa State was originally in his top five. Bridges won’t be an easy prospect for Crean to land, but if he does it would arguably be his biggest signing since Cody Zeller.

 

Prediction: Michigan State

 

Here's Bridges' highlight tape during the NBPA Top 100 Camp in June:

 

 

T.J. Leaf – PF – 6-9, 210 – El Cajon, Calif.

 

Leaf pulled his commitment to Arizona a little less than a month ago. Crean instantly reached out to Leaf. IU heavily recruited Leaf before he committed to Arizona, and the Hoosiers are back in the mix for him now.

 

ESPN’s No. 13 national recruit, Leaf is a very good perimeter player for his position. He can hit shots from anywhere on the court, and he is an adequate ball handler in transition and getting to the hole. He will need to fill out before we can figure out exactly what position he will play at the collegiate level. At IU, he would have the luxury to play at PF in the smaller lineups Crean loves. He has a similar game to Christian Watford, but Leaf’s ceiling is much higher than the former Hoosier.

 

Leaf played for the Israeli National Team in the U18 European Championships in July, where he averaged 16.1 points and 8.4 rebounds per game.

 

Leaf has a fairly large list right now, which includes Indiana, Kentucky, Kansas, UCLA, Texas, California, San Diego State and Gonzaga. UCLA is probably the front-runner, but Indiana is certainly still in the mix. Leaf will make a visit to Bloomington at some point during the season.

 

Prediction: UCLA

 

Here's a video of T.J. Leaf at the Adidas Gauntlet in July:

 

 

Thon Maker – PF – 7-0, 218 – Orangeville, Ont., Canada

 

Maker is probably the most talked about recruit in the 2016 class.

 

He’s been back and forth on eligibility decisions. Originally, he was expected to enroll at a school for the second semester this season. He ultimately ended up deciding to stay in the 2016 high school class.

 

Maker doesn’t really have a true position. He has the height of a center, but he also displays the athleticism, mobility and overall skill set of a wing. He has gigantic strides as he runs the floor, and he is tremendous at catching and finishing in transition. He can score in every way – above the rim, face up jumpers, fade away shots and three pointers. Overall, he’s a great fit for Indiana’s offense.

 

Maker officially has a top five list that includes Indiana, Arizona State, Kentucky, Louisville and Kansas. However, ESPN.com reported that according to Maker’s legal guardian, Indiana and Arizona State are recruiting the five-star the hardest. However that doesn’t necessarily make those schools front-runners to land Maker.

 

Maker and his guardian, Ed Smith, know the Arizona State coaches well. Maker has been working with ASU assistant coach Brian Merritt since 2011, so there’s a sense of trust there. Maker also has the opportunity to make his name long lasting at ASU, a school that doesn’t have five-stars rolling through every season like the other four schools on his list.

 

Crean’s transition offense fits Maker’s skill set the best. In addition, Crean’s ability to develop NBA talent is an important factor in Maker’s decision. Kentucky is still very much in the mix as well. Don’t count out the possibility that Maker plays overseas for a season before entering the NBA Draft.

 

Prediction: Arizona State

 

Here's Thon Maker's MVP performance at the NBPA Top 100 Camp this June:

 

 

Rawle Alkins – SG – 6-4, 200 – Brooklyn, N.Y.

 

Nicknamed “The King of New York,” Alkins is considered the best high school basketball player to come out of NYC since Lance Stephenson. Alkins has been a star on the regional and national stages over the last year, winning three CHSAA city championships and an Adidas Gauntlet title with his AAU squad, New York Rens.

 

Alkins is everything you could want in a guard. He plays with physicality and doesn’t shy away from contact. He is a tremendous finisher at the rim, fearlessly driving to the bucket. He also is a solid ball-handler and good three-point shooter, with the potential to improve. While he may not always be engaged on the defensive end, with the proper push he has the lateral quickness and reaction to be Oladipo-esque on that side of the floor.

 

Alkins still has ten schools on his list: Kansas, Louisville, Kentucky, North Carolina, Indiana, St. John’s, NC State, Maryland, UNLV and Texas. Alkins is the top priority for the Hoosiers, and I expect Crean and company to go all out to get him. The two biggest challengers for IU are probably the hometown team - St. John’s - and Kentucky.

 

One encouraging note for Hoosiers fans are comments Alkins made about current IU freshman Thomas Bryant back in May. “Thomas told me we could take IU by storm,” Alkins told reporters at the Adidas Gaunlet Series. “Me and him, we’d just kill.” Alkins was also high school teammates with IU’s Jordan Fuchs, a football player who walked-on to the basketball team last spring, so there’s added familiarity with the program. Alkins is probably the most likely five-star recruit to land in Bloomington in 2016.

 

Prediction: Indiana

 

Here's Rawle Alkins' highlight film from the Adidas Gauntlet:

 

 

You can follow Ben Faunce on Twitter, @ben_faunce



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Great article and I think Crean has to land one of these guys. If he doesn't, I think a lot of the masses will be calling for his job....... oh wait, they already so haha. Just teasing there.

This is an extremely important recruiting class with what will be leaving, hope it really turns out well.

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I think there's slim to no chance that Alkins ends up in an Indiana uniform.

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I think there's slim to no chance that Alkins ends up in an Indiana uniform.


Why not?

More generally, great article. I'm curious how you predict we land two five-stars but only think one five-star is coming once you break them down.

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Why not?

More generally, great article. I'm curious how you predict we land two five-stars but only think one five-star is coming once you break them down.

 

I'm predicting two TOP 100, not two Five Stars. So, that includes a few four stars, including De'Ron Davis and Xavier Simpson.

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I'm predicting two TOP 100, not two Five Stars. So, that includes a few four stars, including De'Ron Davis and Xavier Simpson.

 

Jaylen Fisher and Bruce Brown are two other Top 100 targets for Crean. I'll have a piece on this group early next week, updating their recruiting process and looking at summer tapes.

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I'm predicting two TOP 100, not two Five Stars. So, that includes a few four stars, including De'Ron Davis and Xavier Simpson.


We're out of the Xavier Simpson race. Visiting Wisconsin this weekend and expecting him to land there or Illinois.

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Bridges is down to his final three, and IU has made the cut. Kentucky and Michigan St. are the other two Bridges is considering.

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