Class of '66 Old Fart

Kevin Brockway - CNHI Sports Indiana The full skillset was on display. For Silver Creek standout forward Trey Kaufman, one of the best high school basketball players in Indiana, a summer tournament game with Indiana Elite gave him a chance to get up and down the floor and show his developing game. Pull-up jumpers in transition from 12 feet. Shooting range beyond the 3-point line. Dunks on alley-oop passes. Blocks from the strong and weak side. “As far as southern Indiana, you’ve got teams who box-and-one, hold the ball halfcourt for the entire game,” Kaufman said. “So it’s kind of hard to show pull-up jump shots, 3s when you’re facing zones, all that stuff. It’s been fun to show what I can do.” The 6-foot-8, 210-pound Kaufman from Sellersberg will enter his senior year as one of the favorites to win Mr. Basketball in 2021. He’s also been one of the most talked about recruits on Indiana’s radar. Kaufman, who was named Indiana’s 2020 Gatorade Player of the Year as a junior, could follow a recent trend of in-state talents who have stayed close to home to play for the Hoosiers. Or Kaufman could end up at Virginia after Tony Bennett offered a scholarship over the spring. Louisville, Purdue and Xavier also have offered Kaufman, who hasn’t set a timeline for when he will commit to a school. “All the schools that offered me, I think they really have a fair chance right now,” Kaufman said. “I tell a lot of people really the biggest thing for me is to developing, whatever team can make me the best player I can be, that’s the number one thing I want in the school.” Virginia has a strong reputation for player development under Bennett, having had eight players picked in the NBA draft since 2012, including current Pacers guard Malcolm Brogdon (2014) and Atlanta Hawks rookie forward De’Andre Hunter (2019). IU has had three players taken in the NBA draft under third-year coach Archie Miller, including Romeo Langford, who went 12th overall in the first round to the Boston Celtics in 2019. Kaufman said Miller’s recent ability to get in-state talent to play for IU will factor into his decision. The Hoosiers have landed the last three Mr. Basketballs – Langford in 2018, forward Trayce Jackson-Davis in 2019 and guard Anthony Leal in 2020. Kaufman is playing for the same Indiana Elite travel program that produced Leal, incoming freshman point guard Khristian Lander and incoming freshman swingman Trey Galloway. “That’s honestly a really big factor with Indiana, in particular, because you know the guys,” Kaufman said. “It’s not so much talent, but when you have five guys on the floor that you know you can trust on the court but also off the court, it makes a big difference, makes a big deal.” There have been some unforeseen obstacles in Kaufman’s recruitment, with an NCAA dead period in recruiting until at least July 31 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Kaufman has been allowed to communicate with coaches through FaceTime and texts, but there have been no face-to-face or campus visits since March. “I’m a real person, so although phone and texting is one thing, I think face-to-face contact is really how you build a relationship,” Kaufman said. “So it’s been hard, but it kind of builds your instincts a little bit.” Kaufman is intent on spending his summer developing his game. The shooting range has come over time and on Saturday included 3-pointers from both the wing and top of the key. “A lot of teams see me as that, some guy who can play on the perimeter and also play on the post depending on who is guarding me,” Kaufman said. “So it’s just a versatility thing. You know my goal is to be a knockdown shooter. I want to be the best shooter in the country, the best player in the country. You have to add that to your game.” After winning Gatorade Player of the Year, Kaufman has his sights set on winning Mr. Basketball in 2021. He even joked he was upset Lander reclassified because he wanted to compete with him for the award. But Kaufman knows that honor won’t come without hard work, and he’s looking to continue to get as much time in the gym as possible before the season starts. “I want to be the best player I can be,” Kaufman said. “Whatever honor it is, Mr. Basketball, Gatorade next year as well. I want to do everything I can.”

5 College Softball Programs On The Rise. https://www.softballamerica.com/stories/five-college-softball-programs-on-the-rise/ Indiana After coming from Marshall to Indiana, head coach Shonda Stanton’s teams have been known for their speed on the bases and their collective approach at the plate. IU has established its identity as a small-ball team with room for power in the middle of its lineup. Following an impressive 2019 campaign, 2020 got off to a slow start but showed promise before the end of the season. Senior pitcher Emily Goodin will be back in the circle for the Hoosiers next spring. She was 10-7 during the shortened 2020 season, but held a 1.76 ERA and threw 13 complete games. The potential breakout of pitcher Josie Wood and the addition of freshmen homegrown players Macy Montgomery and Amber Linton should give optimism to IU’s pitching staff. Nearly all of IU’s roster will return next season, spearheaded by veteran bats Annika Baez, Taylor Lambert, Grayson Radcliffe and Gabbi Jenkins. IU has the potential and the support to be a regular in the NCAA Tournament and a power in the Big Ten. The next step in the program’s progression is starting to knock off Big Ten heavyweights such as Michigan and Minnesota.

Patriot League calls off fall sports. - Recognizing the global COVID-19 pandemic continues to present significant challenges to our campuses and communities, the Patriot League Council of Presidents announces the following decisions regarding Patriot League competition: Patriot League teams will not engage in competition in the fall season (championship and non-championship); Decisions surrounding winter and spring sport competition will be made at a later date; and, The opportunity for conditioning, strength training and other practice opportunities in all sports will be permitted provided health and safety conditions support such activities. Because the United States Military Academy and the United States Naval Academy are unique in their environments and their missions within higher education, the Council of Presidents agree that the academies may continue to engage in competitive opportunities as considered appropriate by their respective Superintendents.

From Alex Bozich “They fit all the boxes in terms of having players like me who put in the work and then end up getting drafted,” Graham told Inside the Hall. “They need a big wing to help fill that void.” https://www.insidethehall.com/2020/07/13/talented-2021-forward-james-graham-talks-recruitment-iu-offer/?fbclid=IwAR06MfJNsAjNisrU5RqsQ6M-3cC3UZSYSEYrqordtZ8ONW_iWVXQfRQGONg

They'll play the Golden Eagles made up of Marquette alumni. https://www.thetournament.com/teams/golden-eagles-marquette-alumni

From Shawn Harmon - The fans of Springfield Mo are a great fanbase and we have decide to make a commitment announcement at the Greenwood Blue and Gold or the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions this year if those events still take place. NOTE: Last year these events were played in late December and early January.

Washington Township (Marion Co) school board has voted to start semester with virtual classes (July 30) and reexamine at later date of school can go live. Regarding athletics, including North Central, all activities are suspended until further notice. OF side note: Wonder if such decisions will lead to a rash of kids transferring to a district where they can play sports.

Jalen Hooks received his first D1 offer from DePaul. Likely we'll see this kid getting many more.

Steve Bouchie, the 1979 Indiana Mr. Basketball who won national title at IU, has died Steve Bouchie, who won Indiana's Mr. Basketball award at Washington High School in 1979 before joining Indiana University for its national title run in 1981, died Sunday afternoon in Evansville. He was 59. His son Carey Bouchie confirmed the news. Bouchie suffered a heart attack over the Fourth of July weekend and was brought to Ascension St. Vincent for treatment. He was enshrined in the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009, honored for his stellar career. In 1979, Bouchie became the first of four Indiana Mr. Basketballs from Washington, later to be followed by the Zeller brothers -- Luke, Tyler and Cody -- in bringing hoops fame to the Daviess County city. The Washington Times Herald noted that in his senior season, Bouchie averaged 27 points and 15 rebounds per game, and was named a Parade Magazine All-American.

According to Washington Times Herald. 1979 Indiana Mr. Basketball and former Hatchet great Steve Bouchie has passed away. He suffered a heart attack last week. Bouchie was a member of IU’s 1981 National Chamoinship team.

Too far out for 247 or Rivals to rank although ESPN does put out a Top 25 list.

Some background on '23 Amire Robinson (Stew's son) who attends Copley HS near Akron, OH. “It’s up to them (IU), but we are hoping for the alma mater,” Stew Robinson said. https://www.thedailyhoosier.com/iu-basketball-recruiting-amire-robinson-son-of-former-indiana-player-stew-robinson-talks-recruiting/?fbclid=IwAR1iGUN5KIcz-3LlNO97oK3BoAfrH8g5_TItV14qV5aQnuKOSzdTlTJfj8E

Interesting bit of trivia. Top-40 2021 prospect Aaronette Vonleh, 6-3 C, West Linn HS (OR), has committed to Arizona, according to her Twitter profile—2nd 2021 commit for the Wildcats; sister of Noah Vonleh, who is currently in the NBA with the Denver Nuggets & spent 1 year playing college ball at Indiana

Maryland announces 9 out of 185 players and staff tested positive for COVID-19 during screening on July 7-8. They have temporarily suspended voluntary, individual training for the football program.