Yes, we are already talking about official visits and the class of 2020. With the recent NCAA rule changes, class of 2020 prospects are now allowed to take official visits during their junior years and again during their senior years.
First up at Indiana from the class of 2020 — none other than the first player the Hoosiers offered in the class — Ethan Morton. Below is a story we wrote on Morton back in April when Indiana offered him.
The key updates on the Pennsylvania native since we wrote that article are:
- This past AAU season, he played a year up on the New York Renaissance 17U team on the Nike EYBL circuit. He averaged 4.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists during the spring and summer. Most notably, his statistics improved over the course of the circuit. He performed better across the board during the Peach Jam, perhaps indicating a higher degree of comfort with playing up a year. You can see his summer highlights here:
- The offers continue to roll in since the IU offer, including Butler, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, Oregon, Marquette and Creighton.
In addition to a number of unofficial visits, Morton is taking several additional official visits this fall including Purdue last week, and Stanford next month.
Published April 26, 2018
Indiana University head basketball coach Archie Miller has said that it is a program imperative to recruit and secure the top talent in the state of Indiana. While he had some familiarity with the Hoosier state prior to becoming the IU head coach, he has relied in part on others, including assistant coach Ed Schilling to make inroads.
One place where Miller needs no introduction is western Pennsylvania. The Hoosier head coach was born and raised in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, just northwest of Pittsburgh. While commonly thought of as a football mecca, when it comes to basketball, the Miller family is well-known to say the least.
Archie and his brother Sean both played for their father John at Blackhawk High School. The elder Miller is a Pennsylvania state legend. He complied a 657–280 record in a 35-year coaching career before he retired in 2005, and he won four Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association titles.
So it should come as no surprise that Archie Miller is leveraging his name and relationships in western Pennsylvania. Between him and assistant coach and Philadelphia native Bruiser Flint, the Hoosiers should be in the conversation with just about any recruiting target in the Keystone State.
Enter class of 2020 point guard Ethan Morton, who hails from Butler, Pennsylvania. Butler is northeast of Pittsburgh and about 30 miles from Beaver Falls. Morton announced that Indiana extended an offer to the 6-foot-5 rising star yesterday.
https://twitter.com/EthanMorton_24/status/989261310553714688
While Morton is Indiana’s first offer in the 2020 class, it is not the first for Morton. According to Rivals he has already received 10 offers, including from fellow Big Ten schools Iowa, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin. Morton visited Indiana and attended a game last season, and he has noted the impression that was left by the raucous Assembly Hall atmosphere.
Morton is ranked in the top 60 in his class and he is considered a 4-star prospect at this time. He is the number one ranked player in the state of Pennsylvania. He is currently taking advantage of the somewhat unique opportunity to run with the 17U EYBL circuit despite the majority of the players in that league being part of the 2019 class.
If you are wondering whether Morton is a clutch performer, take a look at this shot from his recently completed high school season.
While he can hit the big shot, Morton has pointed out in an interview with Rivals that his passing ability is his best attribute, along with making his teammates better as a point guard. Like Archie Miller, the kid can score too. “But I can also slide off the ball and make shots,” he said in that same interview.
In another interview Morton noted his familiarity with Archie Miller being a former high level point guard, and the appeal of playing for a coach with that background.
Morton averaged 24 points per game as a sophomore at Butler, and perhaps more impressive, he maintains a GPA north of 4.0.
You can follow this link to a more comprehensive video of his 2017-18 high school season.
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