(2020) PF Matt Cross to Miami

[ccgeneral]

@MikeYagmin: After showcasing his versatile skillset  for @thebabc in EYBL’s Atlanta session —highlighted by a 29-Pt, 8-Reb, 6-Ast, 3-Stl performance— 6’7” wing Matt Cross (@matthewcross35) has been offered by Indiana. The @IndianaMBB staff has been regular attendees for Cross since January.

Beverly, MA (Woodstock Academy)
6'6"/205

247

Rivals

[Crimson and Cream]

8 minutes ago, ccgeneral said:

@MikeYagmin: After showcasing his versatile skillset  for @thebabc in EYBL’s Atlanta session —highlighted by a 29-Pt, 8-Reb, 6-Ast, 3-Stl performance— 6’7” wing Matt Cross (@matthewcross35) has been offered by Indiana. The @IndianaMBB staff has been regular attendees for Cross since January.

Beverly, MA (Woodstock Academy)
6'6"/205

247

Rivals

Looked up a video, kid can shoot

[Crimson and Cream]

4 minutes ago, Crimson and Cream said:

Looked up a video, kid can shoot

Or rather I should say, he's got a good looking shot and can hit from 3. i didn't look up his stats.

[ccgeneral]

7 minutes ago, Crimson and Cream said:

Or rather I should say, he's got a good looking shot and can hit from 3. i didn't look up his stats.

Somebody wake up OF. We need some stats. lol. 

[ccgeneral]

Solid first EYBL session.

Stats

04/27/2019   L   55-103   Indy Heat (IN)  - 24 pts, 5 rebs, 2 asts
04/27/2019   L   75-83   at Alabama Fusion (AL)  - 20 pts , 6 rebs, 3 asts
04/28/2019   L   72-75   Georgia Stars (GA) - 29 pts, 8 rebs, 6 asts
04/28/2019   L   67-96   at Team WhyNot (CA) - 15 pts, 7 rebs, 3 asts

[Class of '66 Old Fart]

10 hours ago, ccgeneral said:

Somebody wake up OF. We need some stats. lol. 

You watch your tongue you young whippersnapper.  Didn't you have no fetchin' up 'bout respectin' your elders?  lol

Matt Cross '20 (PF) - BABC											Has IU Offer
Date	W/L	Pts.	FGM	FGA	FTM	FTA	3PM	3PA	Reb	Assts.	TO's	Stls.	Blks.
4/27	L	24	9	20	4	6	2	5	5	2	4	2	0
4/27	L	20	9	21	0	0	2	6	6	3	3	2	1
4/28	L	29	10	21	5	5	4	9	8	6	6	2	0
4/28	L	15	4	16	6	8	1	10	7	3	3	1	0
Avg		22.0	41%		79%		30%		7	4	4	2	0
# Gms	4
# Gms MP	N/A

[ElectricBoogaloo]

So how does this guy get an offer before the in-state kids we're looking at? Anyone seen him play? He put up a lot of points but on volume shooting. 41% FG and 30% 3PT aren't great in AAU. 

[cthomas]

I'd like to say that I don't know, but I guess the obvious answer is that the staff thinks he is better.

[Old Friend]

4 hours ago, Class of '66 Old Fart said:

You watch your tongue you young whippersnapper.  Didn't you have no fetchin' up 'bout respectin' your elders?  lol

Matt Cross '20 (PF) - BABC											Has IU Offer
Date	W/L	Pts.	FGM	FGA	FTM	FTA	3PM	3PA	Reb	Assts.	TO's	Stls.	Blks.
4/27	L	24	9	20	4	6	2	5	5	2	4	2	0
4/27	L	20	9	21	0	0	2	6	6	3	3	2	1
4/28	L	29	10	21	5	5	4	9	8	6	6	2	0
4/28	L	15	4	16	6	8	1	10	7	3	3	1	0
Avg		22.0	41%		79%		30%		7	4	4	2	0
# Gms	4
# Gms MP	N/A

Sh!t...I thought he was talking about (OF) me!!   =)

Thanks!!!

[Class of '66 Old Fart]

Found AAU stats for last year.  He played up and only played 99 minutes in 10 games.   Nothing to get excited about in his stat line but he did play limited minutes.

https://basketball.realgm.com/player/Matthew-Cross/Summary/131889

 

In 12 games this past winter on the Prep Circuit for Woodstock Academy he averaged 16.2 ppg shooting 54% from the field and 75% on FT.  He only shot 30% on 3's but also only attempted 10 total.

 

[Capt. Crimson]

14 minutes ago, cthomas said:

I'd like to say that I don't know, but I guess the obvious answer is that the staff thinks he is better.

But there's no way that a kid not born in Indiana could ever be a better basketball player??? 

[Class of '66 Old Fart]

From the article below, we've been watching Cross for quite some time.

https://www.insidethehall.com/2019/04/29/2020-forward-matt-cross-on-iu-offer-its-a-great-feeling/?fbclid=IwAR3dvL3GrFZ4OVT4FLbsX7qJV2iTp6OjddBWbVGe1j_hrwNt98lBRd4Fu6U

[Crimson and Cream]

4 hours ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

So how does this guy get an offer before the in-state kids we're looking at? Anyone seen him play? He put up a lot of points but on volume shooting. 41% FG and 30% 3PT aren't great in AAU. 

That last game was a really bad one, but the first three he had much better %'s. 45 FG and 40 from 3.

[Crimson and Cream]

1 minute ago, MoyeNeeded said:

Maybe because he is better?

Quoted the wrong comment I think

[Class of '66 Old Fart]

Alex B. - Indiana will conduct an in-home visit on Wednesday with class of 2020 forward Matt Cross @matthewcross35, he tells Inside the Hall. Cross recently added a scholarship offer from the Hoosiers.

[Uspshoosier]

He had 30 and 11 tonight


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[MoyeNeeded]

This kids likes to shoot way out!

[tortex28]

He's coming to Indiana for an official visit I saw rabjohns put on Twitter

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[Uspshoosier]

He's coming to Indiana for an official visit I saw rabjohns put on Twitter

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end of May


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[Stromboli]

Good morning, dudes

 

So I got to Grand Park for EYBL yesterday.  I only spent a couple hours there, and missed a few of our targets like Nimari Burnett and RJ Davis.  My biggest takeaway is that star-power was largely absent from the event this year.  That's half because the coaches weren't allowed to be there, which makes the entire thing seem less like a show and more like watching scrimmages.  And half because the players just aren't as exciting this year.  There were no must-see players like there have been in the past.  Even the pockets of NBA guys just standing around yucking it up were gone.  (For all I know Friday/Saturday were better)

 

I made sure I checked out the IU targets I knew about.  By far Matt Cross was the most noteworthy.  

 

First the bad.  The only thing I came away with was that he's in that tweener size like Justin Smith.  He's a 6'7" "Power Forward" that doesn't really play from the perimeter or play back-to-the-basket.  He cannot play 5 and shouldn't play 3, but doesn't have the length for a B1G 4.  Afterwards I saw--as WayneFleek pointed out--his efficiency is pretty awful.  Not a great look to take that many shots, with that many misses, and have a losing team.

 

Otherwise, he was easily the best player on the floor.  He plays heads-up ball, so he's affecting the game on every possession on both ends of the floor.  Willingly fights in the lane.  Definitely athletic; more of a smooth athleticism than plain explosive, but he moves like a basketball player.  

 

So in my view, the reason he was getting so many shots (and points) is because he was working for them.  Every possession down, he'd fight his man and give the PG an easy pass to get it to him, and then he'd try to make a shot.  The others 3 weren't moving much.  It really seemed that he was trying to help his PG make a safe pass.  Now, should he have tried to distribute more?  I don't know, maybe.  Or maybe the coach wanted him shooting.  Anyway, he was the best player on the floor.

 

As for the other guys I watched, nothing popped off the page.  Jaden Ivey was probably my favorite other player to watch, unfortunately.  I wasn't there long enough to come away with opinions I'd trust.  It is fun to go to these things, though.  You see a real slice of life, with these kids fighting to make the dream come true, as some pretty deranged parents/handlers scream from the sideline.  But then between games, you see the kids shuffle along in slides and hoodies and realize just how young they are.  Nothing like the braggadocio you'll see on social media or how some fans want to view them.  They're just sleepy, insecure kids.