Is this a turning point in the balance of power in the Big Ten? Maybe. This is what John Beilein told me in January in response to my question on what it takes to turn around a college basketball program the way he did at Michigan after a slow start — “But you also need other teams to go down, you gotta have teams that go through stuff,” Beilein said. “We were fortunate that a few programs went down in that era. It was right after that Indiana had their rebuild.” You can do everything right, but if nobody goes…
Author: Mike Schumann
A weekend outburst at the Nike EYBL in Westfield, Ind. appears to have been the final bit of convincing that Archie Miller needed as IU offered 2020 guard DJ Steward a scholarship on Sunday. The Chicago area native announced the offer via Twitter this evening: https://twitter.com/swipasnipa/status/1127733425593573377 After watching Steward briefly on Friday night we remarked that he appeared to be a highly skilled player that would need to prove that he is elite at something. He did that the remainder of the weekend — and the answer is that Steward is an elite scorer. Steward had 29 and 37 point…
Tayven Jackson is the younger brother of incoming Indiana freshman Trayce Jackson-Davis. Like his brother, Jackson attends Center Grove High School in Greenwood, Ind. He will be a sophomore next year for the Trojans. The 6-foot-4 Jackson is playing guard for the U15 (2022) Indy Heat this spring and summer. Jackson played varsity football and basketball for Center Grove as a freshman. He saw limited action in both sports but did see some meaningful minutes on the court and hit a game winner in December in a high profile game against Cathedral and Armaan Franklin. Jackson is No. 2 in…
I spent Friday evening in Westfield at the Nike EYBL to watch various Indiana basketball recruiting targets. Here are my notes from the session. All players are class of 2020 unless otherwise noted. Caleb Furst (Indy Heat, 2021) is the real deal. The first thing you need to understand when watching Furst is that he is playing up a year. He struggled at times getting his shot off against the nation’s elite incoming seniors, but he clearly belonged on the floor and will be a major factor next year. Furst has the athleticism to play off the block but will…
Only seven players that saw the floor from the 2018-19 Indiana basketball team will be back for the 2019-20 campaign as of this writing. While formal practices have concluded, the work never stops for high major college basketball players. Growth and development happens in the offseason, in individual workouts and permitted organized team activities. If you could talk to each of the seven returning players about their 2018-19 season and what they need to improve going forward, what would you say? We play Archie for a day and give it a shot with “Exit Interviews.” ROB PHINISEE Quick 2018-19 Recap: Rob…
The Indy Heat are one of the two premiere AAU programs in Indiana and typically have many of the most talented high school players from the Hoosier state and surrounding areas. Last year’s team included IU signee and Indiana Mr. Basketball Trayce Jackson-Davis. This year’s teams include 2021 target Caleb Furst as well as several other players that are on the IU radar. You can see the full rosters below. In the Gym Hoops is following the Indy Heat U17 and U16 teams throughout the spring and summer in connection with the Nike EYBL circuit. It is a well done…
Only seven players that saw the floor from the 2018-19 Indiana basketball team will be back for the 2019-20 campaign as of this writing. While formal practices have concluded, the work never stops for high major college basketball players. Growth and development happens in the offseason, in individual workouts and permitted organized team activities. If you could talk to each of the seven returning players about their 2018-19 season and what they need to improve going forward, what would you say? We play Archie for a day and give it a shot with “Exit Interviews.” JUSTIN SMITH Quick 2018-19 Recap: Smith…
The annual Indiana vs. Kentucky All-Star events will be held once again in early June at multiple locations in each state. Indiana University will be well represented with incoming senior signees and junior recruiting targets. Here is a brief overview of who is playing and where the events will be held next month. THE PLAYERS WITH IU CONNECTIONS Senior Boys The following players have signed with the IU men’s basketball program. Armaan Franklin, Cathedral — Franklin averaged 23.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.3 steals per game. The 6-foot-4 Franklin shot 54% overall from the field and 39% from…
Indiana’s two leading scorers from the 2018-19 season are well into their respective processes for preparing to play professionally. For Juwan Morgan, that means working out for teams prior to the June NBA Draft. The 6-foot-8 forward had a workout with the Memphis Grizzlies today. https://twitter.com/929espn/status/1125846000415969281 Via a source, Morgan will also have a workout with the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday. Morgan was not invited to either the NBA Draft Combine or the G-League elite mini-camp. The Missouri native does not appear on NBA Draft projections and appears likely to begin his career in the G-League or overseas after possibly…
Indiana head coach Archie Miller recently made a trip up to Culver, Ind. to visit with class of 2020 guard Trey Galloway and extend a scholarship offer. Although Indiana has been watching Galloway for a couple years, the visit and offer were no doubt influenced by Galloway’s improved level of play thus far during AAU competition. Playing for Indiana Elite (along with fellow IU targets Anthony Leal and Khristian Lander) on the Adidas Gauntlet circuit, the 6-foot-4 Galloway has taken his game to another level, including two weeks ago in Dallas with Miller and other IU coaches in attendance. Through…