(2020) PF Matt Cross to Miami

[Alford Bailey]

1 hour ago, Class of '66 Old Fart said:

Cross no longer with Miami and sounding like it was Jim Larranaga's decision not Cross'.

https://www.thedailyhoosier.com/former-iu-basketball-2020-recruiting-target-matt-cross-leaving-miami/?fbclid=IwAR2YDCb6VPMarSevVMQCiE4JFC1qruFNwVkKbzxciD7a2uXfJo9ac5X2VqE

Already seen a number of tweets that Archie should already have him on a plane to Bloomington.  Could we at least find out WHY he was booted by Larranaga before we put him in an IU uniform?  This kid's timeline below could be an indicator that he's a chronic problem child.

Matt Cross timeline:

• 2017: St Mary's HS
• 2018: Cushing Academy
• 2019: Woodstock Academy
• 2020: Brewster Academy
• 2021: Miami

Just looks like trouble to me

[craigyv88]

46 minutes ago, Stromboli said:

I was just looking him up earlier this week. He was a guy I really liked at EYBL. Cross was pretty good down there for a freshman. Former IU recruit Harlan Beverly is down there too, playing pretty poorly. 
 

Cross was a little polarizing because he’s in that awkward tweener 6’6” to 6’7” size but not really a guard. When I watched him play he was making plays on both ends. Sounds like Miami fans are sad to see him go. 
 

Without knowing the story I won’t comment on whether or not I want him here. Thanks as always, OF. 

I'm in the same boat regarding whether or not IU should reach out.  It all depends on what ultimately prompted the dismissal. From what I recall Archie really liked Cross and I at one point thought he would be a member of our 2020 class before it was clear that Miami and South Carolina were the leaders to get him.

Cross was shooting 40% from 3 on 50 attempts at Miami and got nine starts.  7 PPG and 3.5 RPG. I've seen him listed at 6'8" and if he has truly reached that height it would be hard to not be interested in a kid that size that can shoot and stretch the floor.  But, as OF pointed out switching schools every year is a cause for concern and we don't know what went wrong at Miami.

[yogisballin]

From what I’ve seen. He did not see the floor last night vs FSU and then announced today that he is no longer with the program. Something happened


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[Chris007]

15 hours ago, Stromboli said:

I was just looking him up earlier this week. He was a guy I really liked at EYBL. Cross was pretty good down there for a freshman. Former IU recruit Harlan Beverly is down there too, playing pretty poorly. 
 

Cross was a little polarizing because he’s in that awkward tweener 6’6” to 6’7” size but not really a guard. When I watched him play he was making plays on both ends. Sounds like Miami fans are sad to see him go. 
 

Without knowing the story I won’t comment on whether or not I want him here. Thanks as always, OF. 

But does he warm up hard? Because if he doesn't take warmups seriously we IU fans don't want him. Happy Friday!!

[Chris007]

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

Cross no longer with Miami and sounding like it was Jim Larranaga's decision not Cross'.

https://www.thedailyhoosier.com/former-iu-basketball-2020-recruiting-target-matt-cross-leaving-miami/?fbclid=IwAR2YDCb6VPMarSevVMQCiE4JFC1qruFNwVkKbzxciD7a2uXfJo9ac5X2VqE

Already seen a number of tweets that Archie should already have him on a plane to Bloomington.  Could we at least find out WHY he was booted by Larranaga before we put him in an IU uniform?  This kid's timeline below could be an indicator that he's a chronic problem child.

Matt Cross timeline:

• 2017: St Mary's HS
• 2018: Cushing Academy
• 2019: Woodstock Academy
• 2020: Brewster Academy
• 2021: Miami

Not out of the norm though in the Northeast with all of the prep schools. 4 is a little much but there is a lot of transferring in that area for high school kids. 

[woodenshoemanHoosierfan]

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[Stuhoo]

25 minutes ago, Chris007 said:

Not out of the norm though in the Northeast with all of the prep schools. 4 is a little much but there is a lot of transferring in that area for high school kids. 

 

It's normal for a nationally relevant prospect to move from their hometown school to a prep school. It is also normal to move from a small local prep school to a nationally ranked basketball factory prep school. 

Matt Cross was at three different nationally relevant prep schools. That's not normal.

I'm with OF on this one: big fluttering high-flying red flags with this young man.

 

[Chris007]

1 minute ago, Stuhoo said:

 

It's normal for a nationally relevant prospect to move from their hometown school to a prep school. It is also normal to move from a small local prep school to a nationally ranked basketball factory prep school. 

Matt Cross was at three different nationally relevant prep schools. That's not normal.

I'm with OF on this one: big fluttering high-flying red flags with this young man.

 

I'm guessing we're going to kick the tires regardless of those red flags

[Demo]

41 minutes ago, Stuhoo said:

 

It's normal for a nationally relevant prospect to move from their hometown school to a prep school. It is also normal to move from a small local prep school to a nationally ranked basketball factory prep school. 

Matt Cross was at three different nationally relevant prep schools. That's not normal.

I'm with OF on this one: big fluttering high-flying red flags with this young man.

 

The annual prep school tour is absolutely unsettling. When you then factor in that he chose the school that from all indications pretty brazenly bought Bruce Brown, and, yeah, there would be some very tough vetting to do here.

[Stuhoo]

50 minutes ago, Chris007 said:

I'm guessing we're going to kick the tires regardless of those red flags

 

He's a high-motor combo forward that can shoot. I can see why we'd kick the tires. 

Also hoping we look under the hood, talk with the prior owner, and have a complete mechanic's inspection.

 

[Chris007]

1 minute ago, Stuhoo said:

 

He's a high-motor combo forward that can shoot. I can see why we'd kick the tires. 

Also hoping we look under the hood, talk with the prior owner, and have a complete mechanic's inspection.

 

Good point, we don't want no lemon

[Demo]

11 minutes ago, Stuhoo said:

 

He's a high-motor combo forward that can shoot. I can see why we'd kick the tires. 

Also hoping we look under the hood, talk with the prior owner, and have a complete mechanic's inspection.

 

The 1 thing Miller has unassailably done is bring in good kids. So if he does move on Cross, I wouldn’t lose a bunch of sleep over it. But, yeah, better be every bit that thorough.

[IUc2016]

He knows how to beat Purdue. I don't care what he did or didn't do. BRING HIM IN NOW

[ebridges24]

5 hours ago, Stuhoo said:

 

He's a high-motor combo forward that can shoot. I can see why we'd kick the tires. 

Also hoping we look under the hood, talk with the prior owner, and have a complete mechanic's inspection.

 

Definitely check the carfax

[AKHoosier]

I would like to add him, but I won't be surprised if his list of finalists includes UNLV, Houston, Arizona State, etc.

[JSHoosier]

20 minutes ago, Hardwood83 said:

Assuming he's not thug, I'd be interested if he's 6'7"-6'8" and has some semblance of an inside game and interior defense. In other words a PF in the CWat mold. 

If he's a 6'5" he'd need to be a real knock-down shooter or else it's it's gonna get awfully crowded on the wing.  

247 had him 6'6.  He shot 40% from 3 at Miami and about 87 from the stripe.

[Uspshoosier]

Per Cross family, “Matt will likely enroll at either a Big 10 or SEC institution next semester. He is considering continuing NCAA basketball or restarting football (possibly remaining here at Miami if they have football interest)”

from is AAU team 

[Stromboli]

1 hour ago, Hardwood83 said:

Assuming he's not thug, I'd be interested if he's 6'7"-6'8" and has some semblance of an inside game and interior defense. In other words a PF in the CWat mold. 

If he's a 6'5" he'd need to be a real knock-down shooter or else it's it's gonna get awfully crowded on the wing.  

Yeah so again I benefit from living 8 minutes from Grand Park, where EYBL happens. He’s definitely the combo forward role. Not a power forward, but I’d not classify him as a wing. Frankly I’m a little surprised to see his high usage at 3 pt given the way he plays. High energy. His AAU team was not good, it was mostly him generating plays, and probably sacrificing his efficiency in the process. But he plays big because he’s so active and will gladly challenge a true big for a rebound. He’s not one of those skinny 6’8” kids that wants to be a 3. He’s also not 6’8”. 
 

I haven’t heard anything too bad about him. There was a tweet saying he hadn’t broken a team rule or the law. Sounds like he butted heads with the coach maybe? 
 

I really liked him. I always love the super active players. And his shooting percentages would be welcome. 
 

The likely enrollment at a B1G or SEC school is interesting. 

[Stuhoo]

1 hour ago, Stromboli said:

The likely enrollment at a B1G or SEC school is interesting. 

Interesting; however, I believe that both South Carolina and Texas A&M were serious contenders last time around.