Class of '66 Old Fart

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.

Figured that ship had sailed long ago. Good ballplayer; would have been a nice recruit to have plus maybe re-establish a connection to the LaLumiere 'factory'.

Video clip of Cole Anthony '19 PG - http://www.d1circuit.com/news_article/show/703175?referrer_id=

From the BigLead: Blake Barnett opened the 2016 season as Alabama’s starting quarterback. Now the California native intends to transfer. During Alabama’s opening week win over USC, Barnett lost his job to freshman Jalen Hurts. Hurts has since run away with the gig and made it his own, while Barnett and junior Cooper Bateman have been relegated to backup status. It makes sense that Barnett would bolt now and look for an opportunity to start elsewhere. He’s just a redshirt freshman, so he has plenty of time left to make his mark on college football. He was the No. 2 pro-style quarterback in the 247Sports rankings in 2015 and the No. 21 player overall. There will be schools clamoring for his commitment. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Barnett head back out West to be closer to home. Though he’ll have to sit out next season per NCAA transfer rules, several schools could use another quarterback, including USC and UCLA. Barnett made headlines earlier this year off the field as well thanks to his engagement to professional surfer Maddie Peterson.

Zags updated the above article today: Billy Preston, the 6-foot-10 Class of 2017 forward from Oak Hill Academy (VA), has opted to open up his recruitment. Preston had been focusing on Kansas, USC and Maryland, and he's slated to take an official visit to Kansas this weekend for "Late Night in the Phog." "After talking with my family and starting my senior year at Oak Hill Academy, I have decided to open my recruitment up and explore what schools would best fit for me as a student-athlete," Preston said. "I am looking forward to taking official visits and have no time table for making my final decision." Indiana head coach Tom Crean was in recently to see Preston, as was Kentucky assistant Kenny Payne. Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim is expected on Monday. Preston took unofficial visits to Maryland twice and plans to eventually take his official. "Coach [Mark] Turgeon is a great coach, and he's definitely a player's coach," he said recently. "He told me since I'm a versatile player, I could play anywhere on the court that he sees is best for me." A Los Angeles native, Preston said he's already familiar with USC's campus. He said he visits it frequently when he is home. The senior has above average ball handing skills for his size and is a good rim protector. "He's a great player," Marvin Bagley III , the No. 1 player in the Class of 2018, said of Preston this spring. "He does a lot of things well. He drives the ball. He scores the ball, rebounds extremely well, so it was a good experience to go up against guys like that."

Several names from Indiana high schools we'll probably start hearing more of in another year. This past weekend, the Prep Hoops Indiana Top 250 Expo took place up in Westfield, Indiana at the Jonathan Byrd’s Fieldhouse. Now, we are trying to break down what we saw. The following is a look at some of the best posts we saw in the morning session of 2019 and 2020 prospects. Tyler Stead (6’5 – 2019 – Martinsville). In the last year, you can see Stead’s body grow up a bit and that showed this weekend as he moved a lot more fluidly. Stead is doing more away from the three-point line as well which was nice to see. Terry Hicks (6’4 – 2019 – Fishers). Hicks is a name that has come up in the last couple of weeks. He’s not the biggest guy, height wise, yet but he plays tall and strong and he’s a good enough athlete to make him difficult to stop in the paint. Chaz Hinds (6’6 – 2019 – Southport). Hinds did well this weekend for stretches. Really like how well he moves his feet. Gets into position well and has enough strength that he can compete with other forwards. Best in the low block right now. Matt Dove (6’8 – 2019 – Princeton). Dove is a very interesting player. Really long and lanky but he needs to bulk up his lower half to take hits easier. Showed some of his shot blocking ability and finishing with his length near the rim. Logan Carter (6’9 – 2019 – Evansville Mater Dei). Carter is a guy who really surprised some people with how well he moved for his size. Logan is a big boy but has good touch within 5’ and you aren’t moving him off the block if he wants to be there. Michael Scott (6’5 – 2020 – Bishop Luers). Scott is a guy to add to the watch list in 2020. Good size, some strength, and a frame to hold it all. Really mobile guy. Had some stretches but really it was a ton of potential. Nolan Smith (6’5 – 2019 – Franklin Community). Nolan is a big, strong, undersized bit but has the hands and arms you want out of a bit. Footwork will be key but he’s probably got a little more height in him. Had good energy for a big body post. Alex Stauffer (6’5 – 2020 – Northridge). Stauffer is a forward with some projection still left to figure out. He moves well and has some skill. More comfortable faced up with good touch in the mid-range. Once he adds muscle, game should play up. WINGS Joe Andershock (6’6 – 2019 – Marquette Catholic). Andershock looked really solid during games as he was all over the floor. Loved how he played inside and out and has enough length to cause problems on the boards. Bradley Nalley (6’3 – 2019 – Corydon Central). Nalley was one of the more surprising players. A name I had heard but never seen. Great size and aggressiveness. Frame allows him to attack really well off the bounce. Corey Landers (6’2 – 2019 – Bishop Noll). Landers came into the games with a bang. He had a couple great plays in transition and a dunk or two. Big, strong kid with some bounce and length. Good defender as well. Demarcus Vaughn (6’3 – 2020 – South Bend Washington). Vaughn really impressed with his rebounding and tougness around the rim as well as his ability to score the ball. Coaches were impressed all day. Hayden Smithey (6’5 – 2019 – Bishop Dwenger). Smithey just continues to impress this summer and fall. He handles the ball really well for his size and has the confidence going too. Really putting things together a lot earlier than I thought. Cobie Barnes (6’6 – 2019 – Floyd Central). Barnes was just ridiculous all day long. Nobody could even slow him down. He scored at will near the rim and made some triples for good measure. Just a force whenever he touched the ball. Amari Sherrod (6’4 – 2019 – Bowman Academy). Thought Sherrod did a good job at being an all-around wing this weekend. Scored on drives and jumpers in mid-range. The athleticsim and frame make him very intriguing. Walter Hankins (6’4 – 2019 – Lawrence North). Hankins is a bully of a guard. The guy played as strong as anyone else on the floor and overpowered guys on plays, whether it was getting loose balls or rebounds. Harrison Eckel (6’3 – 2020 – Heritage Christian). This is the second time in two weeks we have seen Eckel and he’s grown on me. Decent wing player who looks to grow and handles the ball with confidence. Doesn’t shy from contact. GUARDS Christian Jones (6’0 – 2019 – Pendleton Heights). Jones was pretty solid all during the morning session. The skills portion was just a setup for his play during the games. He did a great job attacking off the bounce and getting into the lane. Brennan Neal (6’3 – 2019 – Whiteland). Neal has continued his solid play into our fall camp. Was good scoring the ball and shows promise with a big frame that isn’t filled out yet. Proved why he was one of the more underrated scorers in the state. Anthony Leal (6’3 – 2020 – Bloomington South). Leal has now put back-to-back performances together at our camps. Quite possibly the best shooter in the class and definitely the shooter with the most upside. Tall frame gives him lots of possibilities. Luke Heady (6’0 – 2019 – Carmel). Luke looks and plays like a coaches son. Not only that, he’s about as steady as they come. Never looked rattled and hit a couple nice jumpers and got into it on defense. Love his game for his age. Edreece Redmond III (5’10 – 2020 – Bishop Chatard). Redmond continues to be a guy that just knows how to play the point. Has great speed with the ball and while on the shorter side, he’s got some athleticism and length. One of the best guards in the class. Calvin Larkin (6’1 – 2019 – Winamac) Larkin is a two-guard in the making. Really good off the bounce and finishes at a high rate near the rim. Really liked his aggressiveness on counter attacks. Cameron Leichty (5’11 – 2020 – Bethesda Christian). Cameron is a guy that showed he can make a shot this weekend. Still on the smaller side right now but looks like he is going to grow a bit. Loved his confidence. Ethan Brittain–Watts (6’2 – 2019 – Culver Acadamies). Ethan is probably overlooked but for his age, he’s one of the more rounded guards you are going to come by. Long, tough, and smooth in the lane, Watts showed all of it this weekend.

From IUHoosiers.com: Bailey Named a William V. Campbell Trophy Semifinalist BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana fifth-year senior offensive lineman Jacob Bailey was named one of the 156 semifinalists for the 2016 William V. Campbell Trophy, presented by Fidelity Investments, the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame announced on Wednesday. The award recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation and is prominently displayed inside its official home at the New York Athletic Club. Bailey has appeared in all three games for the Hoosiers in 2016 and started at right guard against Wake Forest on Sept. 24. He has appeared in 22 career games at IU, making 13 starts. Bailey, who started the final seven games at left guard in 2015, is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, having earned it in 2013, 2014 and 2015. The NFF will announce 12-14 finalists on Nov. 1, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class, presented by Fidelity Investments. The finalists will travel to New York City for the 59th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 6, where their accomplishments will be highlighted in front of one of the most powerful audiences in all of sports. At the event, one member of the class will be declared the winner of the 27thWilliam V. Campbell Trophy and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000. "These 156 impressive candidates truly represent the scholar-athlete ideal," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning whose sons Peyton (Campbell Trophy winner) and Eli were named NFF National Scholar-Athletes in 1997 and 2003, respectively. "It is important for us to showcase their success on the football field, in the classroom and in the community. This year's semifinalists further illustrate the power of our great sport in developing the next generation of influential leaders." Named in honor of the late Bill Campbell, former chairman of Intuit, former player and head coach at Columbia University and the 2004 recipient of the NFF's Gold Medal, the Campbell Trophy is a 25-pound bronze trophy and increases the amount of the recipient's grant by $7,000 for a total postgraduate scholarship of $25,000. This year's postgraduate scholarships will push the program's all-time distribution to more than $11.1 million. "The NFF would like to personally congratulate each of the nominees as well as their schools and coaches on their tremendous accomplishments," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "We are extremely proud to highlight each semifinalist's achievements, showcasing their ability to balance academics and athletics at the highest level. The NFF Awards Committee will have an incredibly difficult task in selecting the finalists from this outstanding group of candidates." Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, candidates for the awards must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility, have a GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first team player or significant contributor and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship. The class is selected each year by the NFF Awards Committee, which is comprised of a nationally recognized group of media, College Football Hall of Famers and athletics administrators. The past recipients of the William V. Campbell Trophy include: Air Force's Chris Howard (1990); Florida's Brad Culpepper(1991); Colorado's Jim Hansen (1992); Virginia's Thomas Burns (1993); Nebraska's Rob Zatechka (1994); Ohio State's Bobby Hoying (1995); Florida's Danny Wuerffel (1996); Tennessee's Peyton Manning (1997); Georgia's Matt Stinchcomb (1998); Marshall's Chad Pennington (1999); Nebraska's Kyle Vanden Bosch (2000); Miami (Fla.)'s Joaquin Gonzalez (2001); Washington University in St. Louis (Mo.)'s Brandon Roberts (2002); Ohio State's Craig Krenzel (2003); Tennessee's Michael Munoz (2004); LSU's Rudy Niswanger (2005); Rutgers' Brian Leonard (2006); Texas' Dallas Griffin (2007); California's Alex Mack (2008); Florida's Tim Tebow (2009); Texas' Sam Acho (2010); Army West Point's Andrew Rodriguez (2011); Alabama'sBarrett Jones (2012); Penn State's John Urschel (2013); Duke's David Helton (2014); and Oklahoma's Ty Darlington (2015).

From NBCSports: College Basketball’s Impact Transfers 8. Josh Newkirk, Indiana (via Pittsburgh): With the loss of point guard Yogi Ferrell, Newkirk gives Indiana an experienced guard who can really push the pace in Tom Crean’s uptempo system. Full List

Little brother with some off-field issues: Purdue player arrested in battery of ex-teammate http://www.jconline.com/story/sports/college/purdue/football/2016/09/28/purdue-lineman-martesse-patterson-arrested/91214656/?hootPostID=723082ece2c2c2c92e8359c82c752f97

A little like Mo Creek isn't it?

He can always have an "M" put on each side!!

You don't have the proper security clearance! LOL

Northwestern has announced it's playing 2017-18 basketball games at Allstate Arena in Rosemont. Welsh-Ryan undergoing "complete renovation."

ZagsBlog: Billy Preston, the 6-foot-10 Class of 2017 forward from Oak Hill Academy (VA), has opted to open up his recruitment. Presently, Indiana, Syracuse, Maryland, Kansas and USC are actively recruiting him, and he's slated to take any official visit to Kansas this weekend for "Late Night in the Phog." "After talking with my family and starting my senior year at Oak Hill Academy, I have decided to open my recruitment up and explore what schools would best fit for me as a student-athlete," Preston said. "I am looking forward to taking official visits and have no time table for making my final decision." Preston took unofficial visits to Maryland twice and plans to eventually take his official. "Coach [Mark] Turgeon is a great coach, and he's definitely a player's coach," he said recently. "He told me since I'm a versatile player, I could play anywhere on the court that he sees is best for me." A Los Angeles native, Preston said he's already familiar with USC's campus. He said he visits it frequently when he is home. The senior has above average ball handing skills for his size and is a good rim protector. "He's a great player," Marvin Bagley III , the No. 1 player in the Class of 2018, said of Preston this spring. "He does a lot of things well. He drives the ball. He scores the ball, rebounds extremely well, so it was a good experience to go up against guys like that."

Nice piece in the Indiana Daily Student on Meghan Scott. IDS - Meghan Scott Article