Class of '66 Old Fart

Sure, it's only an exhibition game but stil..... .@VicOladipo had 34 points in an exhibition game for @okcthunder vs @RMBaloncesto today. #iubb

From the Indiana Daily Student Hartman's injury raises leadership question for IU IU Coach Tom Crean was visually upset when talking about senior leader Collin Hartman. The ninth-year head coach got emotionally choked up when giving details about the injury his senior had sustained. The 6-foot-7 forward went down more than a week ago in practice after suffering a left knee injury that required surgery in a non-contact drill. There’s no timetable set for Hartman’s return, so Crean now has to explore alternate leadership options for his 
inexperienced team. “With Collin going down, it’s hard,” Crean said. “I just love that kid. That young guy was putting so much into getting ready to be our senior leader, and we’re going to need that right now. The level of toughness that he has is just incredible.” With IU losing point guard Yogi Ferrell and four other seniors because of graduation and Troy Williams foregoing his senior year to enter the NBA draft, Hartman was the guy to turn to for the 2016-2017 IU men’s basketball team. Hartman’s career statistics may not particularly blow anyone away. He averaged just five points a game last season, but he leads by his actions and toughness on the court. The Carmel, Indiana, native played the final three games of the season in the NCAA tournament with a broken right wrist and was one of the Hoosiers’ most fundamentally sound players on the court. “The only time he used his right hand before the North Carolina game was when they put the shot in him,” Crean said. “He does so many things for us with moving without the ball and making plays. We put together offensive and defensive concept tapes, not highlight tapes, and he’s probably 70 percent of the clips.” Without Hartman, the junior guard combo of Robert Johnson and James Blackmon Jr. realistically makes the most sense for the Hoosiers to tap as on-court leaders. Although Blackmon missed all of conference play last season due to knee surgery, he and Johnson are the only two upperclassmen, aside from Hartman, to see playing time in every game they were healthy for last year. The two of them also spent the last two seasons learning leadership skills from Ferrell. They will look to lead this club, which has four transfers and four 
freshmen. With IU starting official practice last Friday, Crean said he is excited to move forward with his young group of guys to build off of what the veterans like Ferrell, Williams, Max Bielfeldt and Nick Zeisloft did last year. Crean said the only thing the team can do to get better, is by working with one another to have good team defense, move the ball quickly and the have the ability to move without the ball. “The exciting part is that we get to keep building on that as we go,” Crean said. “I have no idea how many steps it’s going to take for us to get there and be good, but they’re there.” As for Hartman, Crean and the Hoosiers will be there to support him in his recovery process to make sure he remains a leader and key part of the team, especially when he returns to the court. “No matter what happens with this right now, I hope that he just continues to build that leadership and mindset that he can overcome anything and can bring a lot of value,” Crean said. “And at the same time we’re going to bring a lot of value to him in the sense of helping him through tough days.”

We're not alone in battling pre-season injuries. Michigan State’s front court depth took a hit over the weekend. Ben Carter, a UNLV transfer that the Spartans are counting on to be a low-post scoring presence, suffered a knee injury that will require surgery and sideline him indefinitely. The injury occurred when he landed awkwardly trying to block a shot. Carter tore his ACL in January, an injury that ended his final season with the Rebels. “I feel awful for Ben,” head coach Tom Izzo said in a statement released by the program. “He had worked extremely hard on his rehab and to suffer another knee injury on a fluke play is incredibly cruel.” With Carter out, senior Gavin Schilling, redshirt sophomore Kenny Goins and freshman Nick Ward will be asked to anchor the front line. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Duke freshman forward Harry Giles underwent a left knee arthroscopy (second time he's had surgery on his left knee) on Monday and is expected to be out six weeks, the team announced. "We're very pleased with the outcome of today's procedure," head coach Mike Krzyzewski said in a statement. "This is the right step for Harry at the moment as it will help him be 100 percent going forward. Harry has done a tremendous job in rehabilitation over the last year and I'm sure he'll continue to do the same after this procedure." The 6-foot-11 Giles is part of Duke's heralded freshmen class that also includes fellow forwards Jayson Tatum and Marques Bolden. Giles is projected as the No 3 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by DraftExpress.com. He tore the ACL, MCL and meniscus in his left knee in 2013 and missed his sophomore season at Wesleyan (N.C.) Christian. He also tore his right ACL and was forced to miss his senior season at Oak Hill Academy (VA.). The projected No. 1 team in the nation, Duke will open the season on Nov. 11 against Marist. The Blue Devils are also slated to face Josh Jackson and Kansas in the Champions Classic On Nov. 15 at Madison Square garden.

U.S. Supreme Court denies petitions in O’Bannon v. NCAA Statement from Donald Remy, NCAA chief legal officer October 3, 2016 10:30am “The U.S. Supreme Court denied both the plaintiffs’ and NCAA’s request to clarify key issues of law affecting the NCAA and other similar organizations. In asking for the review, we hoped the court would take the opportunity to affirm its own 30-year precedent in the Board of Regents antitrust decision and support the appellate court’s now final endorsement of amateur college sports. While we are disappointed with this decision not to review this case, we remain pleased that the Ninth Circuit agreed with us that amateurism is an essential component of college sports and that NCAA members should not be forced by the courts to provide benefits untethered to education, including providing any payments beyond the full cost of attendance. We continue to believe, and many other appellate courts have agreed, that the NCAA membership agreements to advance college sports are not violations of the antitrust laws. We will continue to strongly advance that legal position in other litigation. Further, the Court's determination to not hear the case will not deter our members from continuing to provide students with academic opportunities, safeguarding their health and well-being and creating fair policies centered on the student-athlete experience.”

More narrative on Moore: https://indiana.rivals.com/news/bossi-indiana-adds-intriguing-commitment-in-clifton-moore

I don't care how good your QB is, he ain't gonna overcome that kind of number very often. Scott Kacsmar ‏@FO_ScottKacsmar Colts have allowed 34.5 PPG in the 26 losses of Andrew Luck's career. That's a big number.

Falcons beat the Panthers 48-33. Coleman with 19 yds. on 8 carries (Freeman with 57 yds. on 13 carries). Coleman with 3 receptions for 14 yds. (Freeman with 2 receptions for 7 yds.) Matt Ryan was the star for the Falcons with 4 TD's on 28 of 37 passes although he did have 1 int., and was sacked 3 times.

Bears HC John Fox on rookie RB Jordan Howard: "He's outstanding, and we'll ride him pretty good moving forward." Based on that comment, I'd say the job is Howard's to lose.

Not too shabby!

Which is Wilkes' clearly stated (maybe even adamant) desire correct?

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

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.

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.

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.

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