Indiana Basketball Recruiting: 2020 Names to Know — AJ Hoggard

As we documented yesterday, Indiana is intent on landing a point guard in its 2020 recruiting class.

Enter a new name into the mix.

Recruiting service 247Sports is reporting ($) that IU is in contact with 4-star prospect AJ Hoggard. According to the report, Indiana coaches plan to watch him on Thursday in connection with this week’s NBA Top 100 Camp.

With a roster that has been largely void of verbal leadership, the Indiana coaches have likely noticed attributes similar to what recruiting service Rivals described today after watching him at the camp in Charlottesville, Virginia yesterday —

“The four-star guard was a non-stop communicator throughout his showing on Wednesday. While acclimating oneself to a freshly put together team in camp setting can be difficult, Hoggard had no problem taking the initiative.”

The Wayne, Pennsylvania native played his first two years of high school basketball at Archbishop Carroll in the the Philadelphia area. Like most players from that area, his recruitment appears to be led by IU assistant coach Bruiser Flint according to the 247Sports report.

Hoggard transferred to Huntington Prep for the 2018-19 season. He is teammates there with fellow IU 2020 target Zach Loveday. Huntington Prep also produced recent Hoosiers Thomas Bryant and Curtis Jones.

For AAU, Hoggard plays for the PSA Cardinals on the Nike EYBL circuit. He is teammates there with fellow IU 2020 point guard target Hassan Diarra as well as center Josh Gray. The Hoggard / Diarra pair split the point guard duties for one of the best teams on the EYBL and play together at times.

Hoggard has seen his profile take a significant rise after his play this spring. He is averaging 16.2 points per game on 52.1% shooting overall and 31% from long range. He is adding 5.1 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 27.2 minutes per contest.

In addition to his verbal leadership skills, the 6-foot-3 Hoggard has a stout frame and seeks and plays off of contact well. Although he has transitioned into the point guard role, he is a strong facilitator at the position. While he isn’t an elite athlete or shooter, he is capable at a Big Ten level and improving in both regards.

He moved up from No. 91 to No. 77 in the latest 247Sports national class of 2020 rankings, and from No. 95 to No. 75 in the latest Rivals rankings.

Other top programs have noticed the growth in Hoggard’s game, with school like Michigan State, Maryland and Louisville recently offering a scholarship.

The next steps to watch for with Indiana will be whether they extend an offer this week, and if so, whether they are able to get Hoggard in Bloomington for a visit.