Stromboli

"We want to get all this out of the way," said Tim Langford, as they pushed the commitment date back another month... I kid. For everyone trying to make predictions, Mr. Langford said they may decide to announce at the school or community. This is definitely a departure from announcing at the McDonalds game with Darius. I'd have to say it's a good sign.

I gotta tell you, dudes. I'm a big fan of TJD. The kid can really play basketball. You know how we all say McSwain is a great athlete, but not a basketball player (yes retracted after he was effective this season)? TJD is a great athlete, and 100% basketball player. His moves get him to the hoop happen without hesitation. He's dunking before his defender can even muster a foul. He seems to know his place on the court, and welcomes contact. He plays a full court game, seems to look to pass and create space. He can even put the ball on the deck and go coast to coast with it, which is very impressive for a guy his size. He's got strength in the trunk (the "center of power"), and is just a junior in high school. USPS has seen him more than any of us, and so I know there are a few knocks on his game. It seems he can disappear from time to time, and maybe some attitude stuff. You all probably saw during the NA game, when he was playing with 2 founds and 1:30 left in the first half, his coach subbed him out and he kinda argued a bit. Meh. I think he mostly wants to win. I also don't think he has much talent around him, and maybe at times gets frustrated by feeling that. ITH posted a highlight vid from the New Albany game. Trayce is good, man. Watch how fast he executes his moves. Spins, euro steps, one dribbles, straight in. I'm pretty sure I saw an interview where he said he plans on committing "around this time next year." Let's hope not, for our own sanity. Would love for him to be a Hoosier.

Indiana. Just in case self fulfilling prophecies are a thing.

This feels blasphemous. My source: https://imgur.com/a/LAUpM Enjoy, everybody. This came from a reddit user in the College Basketball subreddit. He was taking requests.

Looking good, Steve-O!!

Or this?

As you wish. Franimal with Tom Crean's hairline.

Yep. That was Mo Bamba to Wilkes, and I thought of the same thing. I agree that this quote from Grimes isn't anything at all. The only thing significant, to me, is that Romeo is acting like he may be getting closer. On Hoosier Guy... I guess we all have different perceptions. For Hoosier Guy I can pretty easily see his posts and just see him as an optimistic guy. His posting style is what it is, and I've mostly enjoyed it. I think the thing that begins to rub people the wrong way is when one poster gets extraordinarily repetitive. Otherwise, people seem to be pretty patient.

This should be good for another 10 pages of speculation... Edit: For the record I don't like this stuff. Kris Wilkes would post things like this, apparently even after he was a heavy UCLA lean. Things like "Can I get a shout out from the Hoosiers??" or something like that. Second note. A recent video interview of Romeo after the McDonalds thing, Romeo said very clearly that he views Quentin Grimes as his best friend, and then threw out Darius as an "oh yeah, him too." I do not think the Darius thing is strong. I think Kansas is the bigger threat here. I hope it's the Hoosiers. Refuse to invest my achy breaky heart into this, though. Second Edit: Here's the video link about his best friends. We don't know what question was asked, so hard to know context.

Yogi's sources are feeling:

Totes magotes, ElectricBoogaloo. I think videos don't do him justice. Everyone that sees him play in person comes away convinced he's ready. I saw him at Forum Tipoff, and compared to the other players, he does really stand out. Much larger overall, built for this. Kind of thicker, more durable looking. And yes, it's weird to talk like this. I know it's not cool to direct traffic to a competing site, but the video ITH just posted of RP against Zionsville is pretty good. The production quality of the game is better than most high school game, some great slow-mo replays of Phinisee driving.

For those of us that didn't get to be there. This video does a pretty good job of sharing the experience! What an atmosphere for a Sectionals game.

Wow. 4-8 in the Big Ten, depending on how our 2 best freshmen work out. Way to stick your neck out. Maybe better than this year, maybe worse! How much great judging, objective assessing, and putting a lot of detective work into your reasoning did that take. Such an obviously safe prediction, like "predicting" cheating by major programs months after it's been a national story with promises for more, and then saying "I told you so" every time it comes up.

DG was 35/50 of his team's points. RP was 33/50 for his team on the same night. Very likely Zionsville is better than the team Brentwood Academy beat. Also, their State Tournament was in a college gym that seats just over 5,000, and it was half full. Our Sectionals are in sold out high school gyms that dwarf that hold thousands more. Hard to believe Romeo wants to take a step back. We'll see. Justin, Race, and De'Ron are awesome. They're going to be incredible upperclassmen. Man I want this team to find success.

LOL.

Barf. My brother-in-law goes to OSU. Calls it "THE" OSU every time. I call him on it. He even gave my kid an OSU shirt, as if it was some great honor to know an actual student of THE OSU. I told him "yeah there's 0% chance he'll be wearing that." Like dude, get your own kid to brainwash. This one is mine.

It reminds me of people who get engaged after dating for 8 years. The magic is over. When you compare that to the day Race, Damezi, and Jerome all committed, this doesn't really leave the fan base feeling wanted the same way. We've cheered his name at HH, Northwestern game, and at high school gyms all over the state. So far, no reciprocation. To continue the analogy, we've been friend-zoned. Of course we're losing interest. No hate towards Romeo. He's a stud. He's earned his way to having options.

Hoosiers! Let's show our guy some love here!! https://www.prephoops.com/2018/02/prep-hoops-ohio-player-year-fan-vote/

RP doing work, too!

Eyes emoji!!!! Looks like he's got family that wants him at IU. We only started recruiting Trayce when the new staff got in. Only 10 months so far, well behind Painter, Holtmann, Iowa, even Xavier. Glad we got in before he shot up the rankings. Edit: I'm not sure who the guy is. Instagram tag says Coach Byl Bill, attached to TeamTeague. Also followed by JBJ and Jalen Blackmon. Sounds like a good guy to be pushing Indiana.

He'd probably answer with a fast deflection.

This guy has a knack for insulting the person he's interviewing. Seems TJD was ready for this interview to be over. Also I don't think we should feel that we have any kind of lead here (I'm not the first to note this).

Exactly. They might not like their son spending the night in Nashville with Darius. Known troublemaker of dubious character. At least tangential involvement in a pretty disturbing locker room incident. Suspended this year under unknown circumstances. Maybe various and sundry tomfoolery whilst overseas last summer. I could understand a parent wanting to be present for the Nashville trip.

Sounds like something Btown would say

What a video. Great kid. I hope the fanbases can show 1/10th the maturity he shows when his college decision comes. Don't read into the Vandy thing. Tim said in an interview that Romeo is great about giving into the fans' goofy signature/picture requests. I can barely handle my little life as a middle aged nobody. Incredible behavior for a teenager under pressure.