Class of '66 Old Fart

From Osterman and the Indpls. Star. 2017 forward Clifton Moore commits to IU Zach Osterman, zach.osterman@indystar.com 5:55 p.m. EDT October 2, 2016 Buy Photo (Photo: Matt Kryger/IndyStar) BLOOMINGTON – High-profile AAU programs, with strong shoe-company ties, kept coming for Clifton Moore. A late-blossoming, unusually skilled 6-10 forward from suburban Philadelphia, Moore attracted his share of attention. But he wouldn’t leave Hoopdreamz, the program he’d played with since elementary school. “He never left us when all the shoe-company teams came, because of the relationships with our guys,” said Moore’s coach, Jonathan Michels. “I don’t know if there’s one thing you can put your finger on. He’s a religious kid, and he’s really a family kid. For him, it’s just a matter of being some place and getting that feel that it feels right.” That deep value of loyalty, as much as anything, led Moore to commit to Indiana on Sunday, Michels told IndyStar. A three-star prospect who only landed on IU’s radar in July and just picked up an offer less than three weeks ago, Moore committed following a weekend official visit to Bloomington. He announced his decision on Twitter. I want to thank all my coaches and schools that recruited me,” Moore said on Twitter. “I am proud to announce that I will be committing to Indiana University.” A three-star prospect, according to the 247Sports Composite, Moore is the No. 46 power forward in his class. But Michels cautioned against pigeon-holing his former pupil – whose wingspan stretches to 7-3 – into just one position. “Minimum, he’s gonna be able to play the wing and play the four spot,” Michels said, adding that Moore sometimes initiated his team’s offense, acting as a point guard. “There’s times that he bounced the ball for us and we initiated offense through him,” he said. “The sky is the limit.” IU assistant coach Chuck Martin first made contact in July, during the late-summer evaluation period. He kept in touch through the month, and Indiana officially offered in mid-September. Moore also held offers from Northwestern, Boston College, Ole Miss, George Washington and Temple among others. Pitt, Xavier and Villanova were all showing interest. He visited Ole Miss recently, and was actually scheduled to be in Evanston, Ill. next weekend. But plans changed Sunday. “He’s really a comfort-level kid,” Michels said. “He really is comfortable with coach (Tom) Crean and coach Martin. I think he came this weekend with the idea that, ‘If it is what I think it’s gonna be, then I’m not leaving.’” Moore becomes Indiana’s third commitment in the current senior class, alongside Justin Smith, a Chicago-area forward who committed last week over co-finalist Villanova, and Al Durham a Georgia guard who has been in the fold for nearly a year now. Durham also took his official visit to IU this weekend. The Hoosiers are now scheduled to be oversigned by two players in the current class, with just one senior, forward Collin Hartman, on roster. They might also have to address attrition from the NBA draft, with underclassmen like Thomas Bryant, OG Anunoby and James Blackmon Jr. all potential early entrants. But before Moore’s own college career begins, Michels said he will need to begin building a more college-ready body. For a player who just turned 17 in August, Michels doesn’t see Moore hitting his ceiling any time soon. In fact, he’s willing to bet that ceiling is higher than just Indiana. “The biggest thing, he’s gotta get stronger, especially in that league,” Michels said. “I’m partial, but I think he’s gonna end up being an NBA player. For a guy his size, he’s so skilled.”

In your humble opinion is this a + or a - in the Wilkes recruitment?

Early responses: http://www.insidethehall.com/2016/10/02/q-clifton-moore-talks-indiana-commitment/ http://www.idsnews.com/article/2016/10/mens-basketball-gets-third-recruit-for-2017

Best article thus far. http://www.hoosiersportsreport.com/2016/10/iuwbb-h-s-aau-coaches-offer-perspectives-on-penn-to-iu/ IUWBB: H.S., AAU coaches offer perspectives on Penn-to-IU Kentucky Premier’s David Tapley knew Jaelynn Penn had significant interest in Indiana before she headed to Bloomington this weekend. But did he think Penn, who averaged 17 points a game for his Nike EYBL team this summer, would actually commit to IU this weekend? Especially with a visit to national power South Carolina scheduled in the near future? “Absolutely not,” Tapley said, laughing. “She must have really liked it.” Tarpley’s surprise only underscores what kind of commitment head coach Teri Moren has landed in the five-star Penn, who plays for Butler High School in Louisville, Ky. But, with the help of Tarpley and Butler’s Larry Just, here is an idea of how it all came together for ESPN’s 39th best recruit in 2017. As previously reported, Penn decommitted from Dayton in September when coach Jim Jabir resigned. Once that news broke, Tapley’s phone blew up with calls from coaches “slobbering” with interest. Just helped to play “mediator,” as he puts it, encouraging Penn to have a plan once she started looking at schools. The list of interested parties was many, including Kentucky and Louisville. In fact, Tarpley said only a few top programs didn’t call, including Notre Dame and UConn. When IU called, they had a few ins with Penn. Assistant coach Janese Banks, who was hired by Moren in May, recruited Penn’s Butler High School teammate, Danielle Lawrence, to IUPUI. Assistant Glenn Box, hired away from St. Louis in June, helped secure a verbal commitment from Butler’s Tasia Jeffries. And on top of that, Tarpley knew Moren and Rhet Wierzba from their Indiana State days. Those prior relationships were a big advantage for IU, according to Just. While South Carolina’s Dawn Staley and her assistants hadn’t had much time to build connections, the Hoosiers already had some in place, especially with Banks’ tie-in with Lawrence. “Danielle and Jaelynn hit it off big when they were together with me,” Just said. “(Penn) just wants to feel like someone will take care of her and will give her a chance to do what she’s comfortable doing. She can help IU continue with their rise and take that to even another level. She will look forward to that.” Penn isn’t just a great athlete. She’s a top student. That means she didn’t just find IU’s rising women’s basketball program appealing, but also the university’s medical school. For her visit, Penn went to IU’s football game against Michigan State. She also went with teammates to a haunted house. But, again, Tarpley expected Penn to take her time in making a decision. Then, he had an interesting exchange with Penn’s father on Saturday night. “Her dad texted me a bunch of pictures,” Tarpley said, “and said, ‘This is going really well,’ and I said “Really?’ … ‘Yeah, she really likes it here.’ … ‘Well, is there a chance she might commit today? … (Penn’s father said) ‘I hope.'” “I knew he was sold when he said that,” Tarpley said. Once news broke Sunday afternoon that Penn committed to IU, Tarpley and Just understood the significance. This may highlight the continued turning of the tide at IU following last year’s NCAA tournament appearance, which followed an offseason of tremendous turnover in 2015. Tarpley had former Hoosiers guard Larryn Brooks on his Kentucky Premier team. She was the most prolific scorer in IU women’s basketball history through her sophomore campaign, but transferred to Texas Tech after Moren’s first year. Tarpley wonders if Brooks should regret leaving. He also thinks Penn could have a Brooks-like impact alongside foundational pieces in All-Big Ten juniors Tyra Buss and Amanda Cahill. Penn may have averaged 14.2 points per game as a junior at Butler, but that was on a state championship team with multiple Division I prospects. As an AAU player, she has played with Kentucky’s Miss Basketball, Erin Boley, who is headed to Notre Dame, and Crystal Dangerfield, who is headed to UConn. “She’s so skilled and so athletic, pro hops. This kid can play,” Tarpley said of Penn. “This kid here’s all business, this kid ain’t loud. This kid’s got her head right. That’s the key to all this.” Penn’s high school coach echoes Tarpley. “I don’t think there is a better player you are going to find in the state of Kentucky,” Just said. “May not score the most, may not rebound the most, but she is going to do everything. She is going to impact the game in every way it can be impacted, and there aren’t many kids who have the chance to do that. “I’m excited she has chosen a place she feels good about and I think Indiana is getting a great player and a great person on top of that.”

They were lowered by stadium staff.

Couple of short post-announcement articles http://www.hoosiersportsreport.com/2016/10/iuwbb-hoosiers-land-five-star-penn/ http://www.idsnews.com/article/2016/10/womens-basketball-lands-five-star-recruit

Nebraska scored at 52' and hung on to take a 1-0 victory. Just not a good offensive effort as the Lady Hoosiers could only muster 5 total shots and 1 corner. Also called for 11 fouls to only 6 for Nebraska. Fouls coupled with 5 offsides and we never got into any rhythm or momentum. Ladies record falls to (5-7-1) (2-3-0). Ladies are idle until Oct. 6, when Penn State pays a visit to Bloomington.

No score at the half. Our Ladies have only had 1 shot attempt but have only allowed Nebraska to have 6. Hoosiers also have 5 offside penalties which is a horrible statistic. One of those offisides nullified a goal at 33' from Macy Miller.

Here's a fluff piece on Anderson from earlier this month interspersed with tweets; the tweets actually being more informative IMO. http://endlessmotor.net/2016/09/16/getting-to-know-damezi-anderson-jr/

Penn State Basketball: Freshman Joe Hampton To Leave Program Penn State basketball announced on Friday that freshman forward Joe Hampton will leave the program for personal reasons. The 6-foot-7 forward is recovering from an ACL injury and seemed unlikely to play significant time during the 2016-17 season. “Joe has made the decision to leave the program based on personal reasons," Penn State coach Patrick Chambers said in a statement. "We wish him the best of luck The former three star prospect out of Oak Hill Academy in Maryland committed to Penn State early in his recruiting cycle before decomitting in 2015. Hampton eventually committed to the program again in May of 2015 a few months later. He joined the trio of Philadelphia based freshman in Penn State's 2016 recruiting haul, Tony Carr, Nazeer Bostick and Lamar Stevens. The group is widely regard as the best in program history and ultimately remain that way even with Hampton's departure. Hampton's motivation for leaving is unknown, although the freshman was reportedly struggling in the early stages of summer workouts and was still finding his form physically. A few weeks out from practice Penn State will rely on junior Payton Banks, Julian Moore, Mike Watkins, Deividas Zemgulis and Stevens at the forward position. Moving forward Chambers and his staff will have a scholarship available for the 2017 recruiting class, a previously unavailable asset. ith his future endeavors.”

Congratulations to one of my all-time favorites. Former #iubb star @ajguyton named an assistant coach under Nate Loenser for the @windycitybulls of the D-League.

Surprising to me since he's seemingly had an aversion to redshirting ever since his arrival.

Almost as certain as death and taxes. Morgan and Blackmon we know are in the late stages of rehab/recovery and of course, Colin's injury. McSwain and surgery is an unexpected and unpleasant turn of events. Certainly hope it was a very minor procedure and nothing to be concerned about for the long haul. Let's hope that McRoberts can prove to be another Max B.

Piggyback to CCG above. Cameron Drummond - Indiana Daily Student: There are certain games in a team’s season that serve as season-defining moments. These matches are looked back upon as either positive turning points where a team began to hit its stride or negative moments when a team failed to rise to the occasion. Friday night’s Big Ten match at Nebraska has the potential to be one of those pivotal moments this season for the IU women’s soccer team and IU Coach Amy Berbary. “Our goal all along has been to make the Big Ten tournament,” Berbary said. “You have to try to get some points every weekend to make the final eight.” IU, 5-6-1 overall with a 2-2 mark in conference play, only has one conference match this weekend to try to pick up points. The Hoosiers have a bye Sunday after playing the Cornhuskers on Friday. This makes getting a result on the road against Nebraska all the more important for IU. Nebraska boasts an 8-4 overall record after 12 games this season but finds itself tied with IU in the Big Ten standings. The Cornhuskers and Hoosiers are currently tied for fourth place in the Big Ten standings, although each team has taken a different route to earning six points through four Big Ten games. Victories against Michigan State and Ohio State by a combined 5-0 scoring margin demonstrated Nebraska’s offensive power. Of the 20 Cornhusker goals scored this season, eight have come from senior forward Jaycie Johnson. Additionally, junior midfielder Haley Hanson has scored five times. “Nebraska is a very, very good team, and they play an interesting style,” Berbary said. “We need to keep possession because they are a very direct team. We’ll just need to keep the ball in front of them and not give it away in the middle of the field.” In stark contrast to the way Nebraska has produced the majority of its goals this season, IU has received offensive production from a variety of sources. Nine different Hoosiers have scored this season, the most since 11 different players scored in 2013, the latest season in which the team qualified for the NCAA Tournament. Three different goal scorers played a part in last Sunday’s 3-2 home win against Wisconsin, which Berbary has stressed as a key element of the team’s improvement this season. “We were very good and threatening in the final third against Wisconsin,” Berbary said. “It’s not just the goals. We kept fighting. That’s the type of stuff we have to have.” A battle of freshman goalkeepers will also take place Friday evening at Barbara Hibner Soccer Stadium in Lincoln. IU freshman goalkeeper Sarah L’Hommedieu has impressed since taking control of the starting job in late August. Her 53 saves this season are the second-most of any goalkeeper in the Big Ten. However, Nebraska freshman goalkeeper Aubrei Corder has also performed well. Corder has held opponents to only 1.14 goals per game this season as a result of her 43 saves in net. While Nebraska and IU have contrasting styles of play, Berbary said she plans to alter very little ahead of the game. “I don’t think we are going to change much. We are just going to keep doing what we’re doing,” Berbary said.

From Brian Snow at SI.com Indiana adds momentum heading into key weekend When Al Durham committed to the Indiana Hoosiers in Oct. 2015, the expectation was he’d be the first of what was going to be a very big class. However, for a long while the Georgia native was the lone member of Tom Crean’s 2017 haul. As is the case at a place like Indiana where the fans are as passionate and educated as any in the nation, there was consternation about the direction the class was going. That was exacerbated when in-state five-star prospects Malik Williams and Jaren Jackson chose Louisville and Michigan State, respectively, over the Hoosiers. However on Monday night the Hoosiers got some much needed good news. Four-star prospect Justin Smith from suburban Chicago picked the Hoosiers over reigning national champion Villanova. Smith, who is one of the better athletes in the class, gives Indiana some recruiting momentum heading into one of the more important recruiting weekends Crean has had in a few years. Visiting Bloomington this weekend is Indianapolis native and five-star prospect Kris Wilkes. Wilkes has had an offer from Indiana since eighth grade, and he has long been considered the top priority for the Hoosiers in the class. Adding to the importance is the fact that Wilkes has been the one in-state elite prospect in this recruiting cycle that Crean and his staff have seemed to have all the momentum. For his part, Wilkes is looking forward to the visit. “I am just looking forward to getting down there and seeing all the facilities more and getting to know the coaches,” said Wilkes. “I want to meet the players and see how comfortable I am with them and just have a good time.” This is not Wilkes’s first visit to Indiana. He has been down there numerous times in an unofficial capacity, but the official visit could be the difference-maker for the Hoosiers. With schools such as UCLA, Illinois, Xavier and Connecticut all firmly in the mix, Indiana is looking to blow Wilkes away. There is no doubt the pressure is on Crean to land an elite talent from a traditionally pro-Indiana high school (former Hoosiers such as Eric Gordon and A.J. Ratliff won Mr. Basketball at the school). Due to all of those factors, a ton of attention will be on Wilkes and his trip this weekend, and no doubt Crean is happy to have recruiting momentum thanks to the commitment of a respected prospect like Smith.

I had totally forgotten about this kid. And as a side note, this is the same high school that '17 IUWBB commit Alexis Johnson attends. From ny2lasports.com One of the most sought after prospects in the class of 2018, Houston (Texas.) Kinkaid 2018 small forward Jaedon Ledee has offers from coast-to-coast. A high flyer with an even higher upside, Ledee has 15 scholarship offers on the table from some of the nation’s top basketball programs. While it’s still early, Ledee says six of the schools who have jumped in with an offer are currently giving the hardest chase for his services. Baylor: “Coach Scott Drew hits up my phone like every day. Really good guy, good program. They produce pros. They’re in the Big 12 as well, so that’s big time.” Houston: “They’re remodeling the program. They’ve been doing really good. It’s hometown team.” TCU: “Coach David Patrick came over from LSU. He texts me every day. He’s a really good guy. He likes the way I play.” Texas: “It’s a new program under Shaka Smart. He’s a really energetic player’s coach. He’s a really good guy, down to Earth. He’s a really great coach.” Texas A&M: “Coach (Billy) Kennedy and the whole staff in general stick out to me. They’re real personal. It’s’ a good family environment down there. I like College Station as a whole.” UCLA: “It’s a great program. Los Angeles, Pac 12. One of my dad’s former teammates in high school is coach (Duane) Broussard, so we have that family connection. The way they play in the Pac-12 really fits my style.” Ledee has other offers from Kentucky, Kansas, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Tennessee, Indiana, LSU, Arizona, Tennessee, Wake Forest, Texas Tech, Vanderbilt, Kansas State, etc. to name a few. The 6-foot-8, 215-pound wing is drawing interest from Marquette, Notre Dame, Louisville, and Arkansas. The Cardinals are also one of the programs in contact most, according to Ledee. “Rick Pitino came by the school and showed really high interest in me,” Ledee said. “He said he can’t wait to see more. He said he really liked me.” Ledee has visited Texas, Texas A&M, and TCU this fall. He’s also slated to visit UCLA on Oct. 22. With no leaders in his recruitment, Ledee plans to make a commitment following the July evaluation period. “I want to commit after next summer,” he said. “I know this summer is going to be a big one and more programs are going to try and jump in so I want to make sure I take my time and make the right decision. Ledee plays with RL9 during the travel season.

Jon Blau ‏@Jon_Blau 17m17 minutes ago Hearing Indiana will have Jaelynn Penn (Louisville, Ky) for an official visit this weekend. More info on her: April 2016 USA Toda TheHoosier.com - Sam Beishuizen One of the nation's top high school basketball stars in the class of 2017 will be in Bloomington for an official this weekend. TheHoosier.com has learned ESPN 5-star guard Jaelynn Penn will check out Indiana this just two weeks after she decommitted from Dayton. South Carolina has also been in the mix for the Louisville native who told USA Today she likely won't play in her home state of Kentucky. Penn pledged to Dayton as a sophomore last September but reopened her commitment after head coach Jim Jabir resigned earlier this month, citing health concerns. Jabir left the Flyers as the program's all-time wins leader. Penn averaged 14.2 points and 5.9 rebounds as a junior to lead Butler Traditional High School to its second consecutive state championship, its fifth all time. She's ranked the No. 39 overall prospect in the nation by ESPN. The 5-foot-9 guard's ESPN scouting profile has rave reviews, describing her as an all-around threat capable of scoring from just about anywhere. Indiana head coach Teri Moren already has three commitments in the class of 2017 in Alexis Johnson, Linsey Marchese and recent commit Keyanna Warthen. The Hoosiers have room for six signees but likely won't fill every slot to maintain balance in the 2018 class after signing four newcomers last year.

From Scout.com Hamidou Diallo is eligible for the NBA Draft, will consider all options 2017 wing Hamidou Diallo is eligible for the 2017 NBA Draft. The five-star recruit told Scout he'll look into the process, while also going through his college recruitment. Last year Thon Maker opted to skip college and head to the NBA Draft, where he was selected No. 10 overall. Diallo, a 6-foot-5 electric athlete, told Scout on Thursday that he graduated from high school last year at Putnam (Conn.) Science Academy. Diallo is now doing a post-graduate season at PSA, which means by the time the NBA Draft rolls around next June he will be a full year removed from his high school graduating class, making him eligible. "It’s definitely something that I’m going to look into," Diallo said when asked about the draft. "It’s my ultimate goal and I don’t feel like it would hurt me looking into. But as of now I want to go to college." For a player of Diallo's caliber, testing the waters appears to be a good idea. Once the necessary steps are taken, NBA scouts will show up in droves to watch Diallo at Putnam (Conn.) Science Academy this season. Diallo, who ranks as the No. 1 shooting guard and No. 10 overall prospect in the class, had a dominating spring and summer playing for the NY Rens on the Nike EYBL circuit, where he averaged 19.1 points and 5.8 rebounds a game. "Hami is a guy anyone would want to coach and you would hate to play against," one high major assistant coach told Scout. "His competitive spirt is off the charts and you win with guys like him" If Diallo does opt for the college route, he doesn't lack any options. On September 9th, college coaches could begin traveling to high schools to watch prospects workout and conduct in-home visits. Since then, Diallo has met with Sean Miller, John Calipari, Jim Boeheim, Tom Crean, Bill Self, Kevin Ollie and Marvin Menzie. "I’m still working on the process of setting up visits and cutting down my list," Diallo said. "A couple of schools have been in and I know more are coming in." With a NBA decision and college decision looming, Diallo said he'll bypass their early signing period. 017 five-star wing Hamidou Diallo is eligible to do the same, and he's giving it some thought.

Breaking news from Chicago on the signing of 3 new free agents that are expected to make an immediate impact on the field.

WOW! What a game. Hopefully, we can make tonight's offensive effort a norm instead of an exception.

Correct you are.

Green's bicep is obscene for just a freshman

Jeremy Price ‏@JPPrice 13m13 minutes ago For what it's worth, the #iums defense hasn't allowed a goal since late in regulation vs. Maryland, a span of 468 minutes and 2 seconds. About that long since we scored a goal isn't it?? Good thing we can play defense because we sure ain't got no offense this year.