Isn’t nice to know, as the world is set to end –- okay, sort of end with the coming of the Rapture according to some California fringe group that has already gotten it wrong once -- that Indiana basketball will go out with the No. 1 recruiting group for the Class of 2012.
Yes, it’s still early, and might forever stay early in the End of Days arrives, but the group of Hanner Perea, Yogi Ferrell, Jeremy Hollowell, Ron Patterson and Peter Jurkin tops Rivals.com’s list.
Coach Tom Crean mined the rich mother lode of in-state talent to land a group that covers every position. Assuming veterans such as Cody Zeller, Christian Watford, Jordan Hulls and Maurice Creek are still around, and there is a strong likelihood they will be, it should be a whole lotta fun to bleed Cream ‘n Crimson in the near future.
Sure, there will be pressure, but there’s pressure in everything. The key for this group is to display the maturity, toughness and resolve necessary to handle adversity when it comes.
For a variety of reasons, they haven’t shown that during the travel team season so far, but it will come. Figure Crean will see to that.
Villanova comes in at No. 2 nationally with a three-man class all ranked in the top 62 and led by stud center Daniel Ochefu.
Michigan State is third with another three-man class that features Matt Costello, Kenny Kaminski and Denzel Valentine. All are rated in Rivals’ top 85.
Two other Big Ten schools are in the top 10 with Michigan at No. 8 and Purdue at No. 9. The Wolverines have a pair of impressive commits in Glenn Robinson III (yes, he’s the son of the former Purdue standout) and Nick Stauskas. The Boilers have four commits, three in the top 120 nationally.
That’s an impressive Big Ten showing, but the real measure will come a couple of years from now, when today’s potential becomes tomorrow’s reality.
Assuming there is a tomorrow.
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So who do you think is the better player among IU’s Class of 2013 commitments –- Collin Hartman or Devin Davis?
Rivals.com takes the guessing out of it by ranking both among its top 100 Class of 2013 players. Davis is at No. 55. Hartman is at No. 82.
Neither, by the way, was ranked by Scout.com, another national Internet recruiting service.
IU is also recruiting such 2013 studs as BeeJay Anya (ranked No. 16), V.J. Beachem (No. 42), Josh Newkirk (No. 54), Bo Ziegler (No. 60), Mark Williams (No. 67), Demetrius Jackson (No. 71), Jalen James (No. 78) and Zak Irvin (No. 97).
Crean obviously doesn’t have that many scholarships to give. Some how it will all work out because IU has to keep stocking up its talent pool to regain its championship-winning ways.
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Good news if you’re an Indiana football fan and can’t make the Hoosiers’ first home game next season, which also will be new coach Kevin Wilson’s Memorial Stadium debut. The Big Ten Network is set to televise the Sept. 10 game against Virginia.
In case you’ve forgotten, Virginia hammered IU 47-7 two years ago in Virginia. But that was a different team directed by different coaches. We’ll see if the new guys and their new approach can produce new and improved results.
Yes, the pressure is on TC to see if he can coach talent. Hopefully, he will not have Zeller setting picks beyond the three-point line like Pritchard, and hopefully, we will have a new offense that is more than dribble, dribble, dribble, until the shot clock winds down and we launch a wing and a prayer with two seconds remaining.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone have any info on why Ron Patterson is whiching back to his old AAU team instead of staying with the other 2012 recruits?
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