benfaunce

CBS is reporting that MSU is the leader to land Miles Bridges

I'm getting on a plane in an hour, gonna miss the last three quarters :'(

Peyton Ramsey connected on 12-of-14 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns, leading Elder (Cincinnati, Ohio) to a 35-17 win. Ramsey also tacked on 70 rushing yards on eight carries. After a third big game in a row, Ramsey’s total yardage adds up to 825 on the season. Ramsey’s touchdowns came on deep routes that went for 26 and 18 yards. The quarterback also came up just short of a rushing touchdown, but if you look at the video it is clear that Ramsey actually crossed the goal line as he dove for the pylon. Ramsey’s dive for the end zone, as well as his 26-yard touchdown strike, can be seen at the following Fox10 link: http://www.fox10tv.com/clip/11839254/elder-takes-down-scott-co-35-17 Phil Benker launched Sandalwood (Jacksonville, Fla.) to a 34-3 victory last Friday, grabbing six passes for 122 yards and a touchdown. The touchdown came off a deep post, where Benker split the defensive backs, caught the pass in complete stride and showed off his speed by outrunning the defense for 50 yards. Cole Gest did all he could to help St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio) get past St Joseph, but even his 133 rushing yards on 22 carries wasn’t enough to earn the win. St. Edward fell 22-20, but Gest kept the game alive with a pair fourth quarter touchdowns. Gest’s first touchdown came on a 16-yard score, and the second was punched in from the one-yard line. After a tough opener, Gest has back-to-back solid performances. In the his last two contests, Gest is averaging 172 yards per game and has found the end zone five times. A’shon Riggins caught four passes for 124 yards and two touchdowns, while also finding the end zone a third time on a 12-yard rush. However, Hamilton (Ohio) fell to Kings 42-34. Riggins’ showed off his big play ability for the third straight week, scoring on receptions of 89 and 32 yards. It isn’t all good news for Hoosier fans though. According to Today’s U, Riggins received an offer from Wisconsin this week. “I have already been locked in with Indiana as my commitment,” Riggins told Today’s U. “But just to have that honor from (Wisconsin’s) program… they have a good program. I don’t know what’s going to happen at Indiana. If their staff gets fired, that would be the only reason that I would decommit, but right now I’m pretty locked in.” Jayme Thompson has missed the last two weeks with a groin injury. Chris Henderson had three tackles, including a sack, in a Lovejoy (Geo.) loss, 17-16. Henderson displayed good vision and the ability to stay true to his assignment on the option. A game highlight tape can be seen here: http://www.maxpreps.com/high-schools/lovejoy-wildcats-(lovejoy,ga)/football/videos.htm?videoid=841c0998-6cf4-416f-9105-f815ac10a884

Stevens is headed to Penn State

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

Peyton Ramsey showed off his versatility for the second week in a row. The quarterback went 12-for-17 through the air, going for 152 yards and a touchdown. Ramsey also added 165 yards on the ground, to help lead Elder (Cincinnati, Ohio) to a 34-17 win. In his first two games of the season, Ramsey has totaled 554 yards and four touchdowns to lead Elder to a 2-0 start. Cole Gest exploded for 211 yards on only nine carries – an average of 23.4 yards per carry - in a 52-20 St. Edward (Cincinnati, Ohio) victory. Touchdown runs of 8, 70 and 76 yards highlighted Gest’s huge performance. The big game from Gest is encouraging to see after he faltered in the season opener with only 56 yards. Gest now has a total of 267 yards and four touchdowns on just 20 carries in two games. Here’s a look at Gest’s 70-yard touchdown run, where Gest shows off his tremendous speed and vision: Phil Benker gained a mere 39 receiving yards on Friday, but that was likely due to a lack of necessity, as Sandalwood (Jacksonville, Fla.) led early in route to a 42-8 victory. A’Shon Riggins showed off his big play ability with an 80-yard touchdown on a reverse. Riggins added 65 receiving yards on eight catches, but Hamilton (Cincinnati, Ohio) dropped the game 37-27. Chris Henderson had the lone noteworthy defensive performance among IU commits. Henderson earned himself 1.5 sacks, and added another tackle for a loss. Lovejoy (Geo.) dropped the game 20-12. Below is a link to a MaxPreps highlight film of Henderson’s performance. You'll notice Henderson shows off his rip skills to get off blocks. http://www.maxpreps.com/video/watch.aspx?videoid=7767053f-cfa0-4d68-b7b6-c3cb0b5ae84e

  Booth hasn't performed well enough to even be slotted on the depth chart

  Not having Latham or Scales really hurt. What was going on in the front 7 is fixable and I still have faith they can be a solid bunch. The secondary may not be fixable though. They look lazy, they are slow, they can't tackle, they don't know how to play man-to-man. 

We do not deserve this victory. Worst secondary performance I have ever seen.

PI was called because Cook didn't turn his head. They'll call that every time.

DO NOT let this be Bowling Green all over again, IU.

WE HAVE A DEEP THREAT!

Oh come on!

....right?

IU only goes as far as Sudfeld does. Sudfeld only goes as far as his receivers will let him. Big plays by Jones and Westbrook this drive to keep it going. IU will demand consistency on the outside to reach a bowl game.

  Coleman was that good, but no RB can get 2,000 yards without a great line in front of him. It goes both ways.

That’s the TD drive I love to see. Tire SIU down, run some clock, keep the IU defense off the field and rested

WR blocking is low key the biggest weakness on the team

Howard is a freaking stud

So if IU drops this game, Wilson has one of the hottest seats in college football, right?

  Welcome to IU Football, Freshmen!

  Couldn't really tell from the replay. Got caught under a group tackle.

Obviously Marcus Oliver being down is not a good sign. He's already in for the suspended Scales, and the LB depth is pretty shallow.

  Of course right as I say that, the next play is a two TE set. Still, a rare site.

It drives me crazy that Wilson never changes up the offensive package. Every play is 3 WRs, 1 RB, 1 TE