Multiple outlets have reported that another in-state Indiana basketball class of 2019 recruiting target is visiting the Hoosiers today. The last time this happened, Indianapolis native Armaan Franklin left Bloomington with an offer.
New Castle, Indiana’s Mason Gillis is a 6-foot-7, 220 pound small forward. He is a top 150 player nationally according to the 24/7 Sports composite, good for 4-star status.
He has offers from several good programs, including Purdue, Butler, and Xavier. Many believe that Gillis is likely to end up at Purdue, but he is continuing to keep his recruitment open, as indicated by a recent unofficial visit to Ohio State and today’s unofficial visit to IU.
While you could nearly fit his entire hometown into a seat in Simon Skojdt Assembly Hall, Gillis is no stranger to playing in a big, legendary arena. Playing for New Castle, his high school home gym is the largest in the country, with a capacity north of 9,000.
The multi-sport athlete averaged 21.6 points, 12.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists for New Castle, as he helped lead the Trojans to the Class 3A final four. In addition to his ability to score, he is known for having a high motor on the boards and on defense.
Below is video of Gillis as New Castle competed in the Class 3A semi-state in March against Culver Academy. This video includes the added bonus of watching another IU target, class of 2020 Trey Galloway for Culver. Both players are #32 on their respective teams.
Gillis was supposed to play on the Adidas Gauntlet circuit this spring and summer, but he has been dealing with an injury and he has missed most competitive activities. He had surgery in April to repair a small meniscus tear in his right knee. He was able to recover quickly enough to play with the Indiana Junior All-Stars a couple weeks ago. He scored 8 points in that game as he continues to get back to 100 percent.
If Indiana offers Gillis, they will be getting into the game a little late, but there has been ongoing dialogue for some time now. He has been down to Indiana previously to attend games and he has been in communication with the IU coaching staff.
Another thing to watch for as it relates to IU is the draw of their baseball program. Gillis has reportedly not ruled out playing baseball in college, and the the opportunity to join what is arguably the Big Ten’s premier program could be an added incentive.
Gillis’ attraction to baseball is understandable. He is a top 25 player in the state of Indiana, and he has had some memorable moments with the game, even before he hit his teen years.
Ultimately, it may not be feasible to play both sports for a player of his potential and with the respective seasons overlapping to a significant extent.
Gillis has said that he plans on narrowing his college list to three schools by the end of the summer and he plans on making a decision early in his senior year.
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