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UNC basketball won a national championship shortly after multiple athletes from multiple sports were caught red-handed with transcripts (in their red hands) listing nonexistent courses. Maybe I just don’t understand the whole APR thing either, bigrod?

I should have read this thread first today.

I, too, see so much potential (and possible value) in Smith...which is largely why I become so frustrated with him at times. He has areas he needs to improve on, none more so than giving full effort at all times and championing a better attitude, but he has a knack for rebounding and can be a great defender when willing.

Thanks. This helps answer questions I made in my previous post.

I agree to an extent, but I also realize the team has not been healthy all year (Davis was cleared to play only recently and is fighting back into the rotation, but I would absolutely like to see him used more). Langford is being "forced" to do things he's not comfortable or effective at because of the defensive schemes presented to him by opposing teams (and at times he likes to stand around), but I would like to see less of Romeo creating for himself and more team offensive plans to free him to drive into the lane (which is hard to do when the lane is clogged and the outside shooting is below par). Romeo is also quite good at coughing up the ball, which is something many don't nag on him about. Morgan plays wherever and however he's needed, (usually) quite effectively, although I wish like hell they would feed him in the paint WAY more than they do (he's a lethal weapon under the basket, but he's too often hanging around the top of the key or starving for the ball underneath with no feeding). What puzzles me is if Smith and Green are as cancerous as everyone claims, then why are they still playing a large percentage of minutes? And, to take it a step farther, if they are that cancerous then why are they even on the team? Yes, injuries have made it almost a necessity to keep them (and the bench doesn't have much experienced talent to back them up), but still...it puzzles me a bit. When someone is diagnosed with cancer, the first step is to try to kill the cancerous cells off.

I agree. I would say Brown’s range is as deep if not deeper and he is quite the passer. Ive not seen much of McNeil’s passing game to compare. And, you’re right...Brown cannot dunk. Ha! McNeil would be here next year though, whereas Brown is a sophomore in high school and cannot make any impact for IU over the next two seasons. IU needs a shooter today, or ASAP. McNeil, from the little I read, seems to be a physically tough kid who has good size and who can shoot. I wonder what the coaching staff thinks of him. As for the JUCO route (IU Hoosiers 41), I read he wasn’t confident he was ready for college. When he left Bellarmine (which he now regrets) classes were in session. Then, I believe he sat out one year. I would guess this would leave him with fewer choices than your typical high school senior or transfer player. I’m not sure though. He said he felt out of place at Bellarmine and it didn’t seem like a good fit at the time, but upon arriving at Sinclair he felt the opposite (maybe because he was a year older and more mentally mature or maybe he felt the academics and/or competition level was more comfortable?) I too wonder where the lack of confidence stemmed from to leave school in the first place, but I also wonder if it was just a gut feeling that where he was just wasn’t right. He would have been 18, so who knows?

You're welcome. I should have more specifically stated my question. He received a scholarship from Bellarmine and enrolled in classes, but left before the season started. Does the fact he accepted the scholarship (even though he didn't play) change his eligibility? It shouldn't, I don't believe, if he never played a game. I may be wrong though. Those saying we got in late are right, and there are a lot of schools expressing interest (West Virginia, Virginia, Dayton, and others), but most (if not all) have just recently began to show interest. I don't think anyone is much later than any others.

He did, but he never played a game. So, does the fact he was on the roster of Bellarmine (before season started) effect his eligibility?

Chris007, would he only be eligible for two years? He is technically only a freshman on basketball eligibility.

Agreed. Sorry to ask about him in the Keion thread (someone had mentioned him on that thread so I brought up questions). Thanks for starting this.

Morgan scores 9 points and grabs 11 rebounds. He passes Tom Coverdale and Steve Downing to move into 35th all time with 1,222 points. Haarms went over Juwan’s back for the game winner and no foul called.

It’s been a trying year for your dog, then. Poor thing.

Sean McNeil... Does anyone know what level of interest Indiana has in him? Tough kid who can score at will and bury threes all game long. He grew up in Union, Kentucky which is outside Cincinnati. I know West Virginia is hot on his trail and Huggins coached at UC. He’s also getting interest from Louisville (which is the same town where his first school, Bellarmine, is) and Dayton (where his current school, Sinclair, is). Even UK has been in contact with him, as has a ton of other schools. Does a JUCO player have to sit out a year if they leave after one year, or is he immediately available? Indiana could sure use a pure shooter, and this kid certainly fits that role well. I’m over the whole KBJ recruitment. On to something perhaps more probable, I guess. Anyone know anything more about the basketball future of Jerome Hunter? That could help ease the sting of this, I believe.

Wise words from you, good man. Fortunately, your wise words are only needed to protect me from my own words and the words of others. All we have here are words. No one knows.

I’m going out on a limb here (a relatively sturdy limb, mind you) with absolutely no sources and saying Brooks will be at Indiana. I will claim to know (yet, only wishfully believe) he has taken a trip to Lexington to see a fantastic matchup and watch (as a sea of blue “watches him”) Kentucky knock off the number one team in the country. The knowledge that he’s perhaps the top dog (only now after a few strikes on other recruits Wildcat fans preferred) on Kentucky’s watchlist to become a cat, he sees a perfect opportunity to buid his brand on ESPN (let’s not pretend the Romeo saga wasn’t in part because it helped bring his name up again and again and flash a spotlight on him). So, KBJ’s there, knowing it’s the one and done capital of the world, yet he’s also very much aware that TJD and Franklin have all the love waiting on him. TJD, as it turns out, was the first to know after KBJ and has played along pretending to be persuading him. Or, he goes to Kentucky. Unless it’s true and he has agreed to play at Depauw on an intramural team. That, too, is a possibility...although, I might willingly go farther out on a more fragile limb to say he won’t be attending Depauw.

Actually, he was quoted many times hinting that it would be soon. As I mentioned earlier, though, close and soon are relative terms.

Good for him!!! Greencastle is where it’s at! Or is it Greensburg? Or is Greenstown? Or is Greenwood? Or is it Greenville? Or is it Greenfield? Hell, I have no idea. It’s not as well known as Bloomington but it’s a great education, at least from what I’ve heard.

I believe you’re right. Best friends with very different paths. Different paths to announcement mania, I mean.

Well, Lamar...the term close is subjective, you see?

Watched this one late and wish I had not watched it at all. Morgan scored 14 points and passed Jeffrey Newton. He now has 1,213 career points, leaving him 4 points shy of Tom Coverdale and 8 points away from passing Steve Downing and moving into the top 35 all-time scorers at Indiana.

This still blows my mind. I guess it helped they came into a program with nothing left of its roster, other than a walk on and a couple baseball players. They became so experienced and gelled from receiving starter minutes from day one. And, the comment about a chip on their shoulders is exactly right. The fierce competitive attitude of Sheehey and Hulls, especially...and the nonstop work ethic of Oladipo (and pretty much everyone else) made it so inspiring to watch them climb out of the basement of college basketball. I’m not sure how much of this constant, additional work is being put in by players on this year’s roster. Maybe more of it is happening than I’m aware of, but it seems that drive is missing. It makes me all the more interested in watching Forrester evolve after watching him stay on the court to workout after the game the other night.

Thanks again, mdn82. I agree that there are no absolutes. And it's nice to know you have a couple close connections. I admittedly have none.

I'm not sure if your info is correct...just as I don't know if the posters who said he already signed with Indiana are correct. I would guess those two schools are on Keion's mind and likely at the top, but no one has told me there's a tie and a third place on some sort of list. I wasn't doubting that someone told you there was a tie. I was merely stating how silly that sounds. Someone is the front runner at all times, even if the college in the front changes consistently. And, more than anything, I was pointing out that I doubt anyone really KNOWS (with the exception of maybe Keion, and if that's the case, then there isn't a tie game at this point). Until he signs, even a coaching staff cannot be completely certain. You and I seem to exchange a few inadvertent blows (they are at least inadvertent from my end). Anyways, please know that my comment wasn't directed at you anymore than the whole evolving saga that this recruitment (and others in the past) has become.

What within my post is not a surprise? The fact that there is someone who knows which college leads at any point in time and can call it a tie because this person can tell when Keion's "feels" are perfectly equal for two schools? That would be a surprise to me. I doubt his family even knows what his final decision will be, as they seem to be tugging in two directions...and, it's quite possible Keion doesn't even know yet, as it's a major decision for an 18 year old kid to make. Or, do you mean it's no surprise that people claimed he already signed with Indiana? I would agree with this being no surprise. I'm guessing you mean it's no surprise it's down to those two schools, which was not the question I was asking...although, I do appreciate your input. It's his dad wanting him to enroll at UK and his mom wanting him to enroll at IU, correct? Do you know the family, or have you just heard the rumors? There are plenty of them flying around, which was my point in the previous post. Again, many thanks!

I would love an explanation as to how two colleges become tied in a high school athlete's recruitment? Is there some sort of scorekeeper? If so, did this scorekeeper tell anyone whether Indiana had the lead and UK went on a rally to catch up or did it happen the other way around? And I remember a couple months back there were several posters claiming with certainty he had already signed alongside TJD. Was there some sort of trickery or wizardry? Perhaps the use of invisible ink? No one has a clue except Keion...and maybe his family and tight circle.