Supposing that the NCAA doesn’t revoke additional scholarships for the 2009 season, Coach
Tom Crean and the Hoosiers have two scholarships to give to supplement a class that already includes
Bobby Capobianco,
Jordan Hulls,
Derek Elston,
Maurice Creek, and
Jeremiah Rivers.
Watford is a do-it-all prospect and a top priority for IU
The Hoosiers’ most dire need at this point is in the frontcourt. The small forward position is a complete void at this point, besides perhaps walk-on Broderick Lewis, and will likely be filled in by a third guard for much of this year. Logically, this means of course that the two players that IU is after the hardest at this point,
Roger Franklin and
Christian Watford, are both most natural at that 3 position. Here’s a look at the two IU targets:
Roger Franklin
Height: 6’6”
Weight: 217 lbs
Hometown: Duncanville, Texas
Rivals.com Rankings: 4 stars, 90th nationally.
Interested Schools: Indiana, Marquette, Oklahoma State, Teas A&M, Baylor, Texas, Kansas State, Utah, Oklahoma
Roger Franklin was first recruited by Coach Crean when he was still coaching at Marquette, and was among the first players offered a scholarship when he made the move to Bloomington.
For several years, Franklin was known mainly as a highly talented big man, a post player with a variety of moves and the strength and energy to dominate people inside. As a junior at Duncanville High School he averaged 13.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.
More recently however, he has been striving to develop his skills away from the basket in an effort to become more versatile as a small forward or even a shooting guard, as his size is less than ideal to continue playing at the power forward spot in college. He wants to be able to develop into a versatile threat who can play either on the perimeter or in the post. Coincidentally, this mindset is nearly identical to Watford's.
Franklin would be ideal in Crean’s system, particularly if he can develop his guard skills, because he has the athleticism to run the floor and would have the ability to score from anywhere on the court, as well as the strength and size to be a great rebounder and presence in the paint when needed. Crean wants good character guys who play with a lot of energy and heart, and Franklin would fit the bill perfectly.
Christian Watford
Height: 6’7”
Weight: 215
Hometown: Birmingham, Alabama
Rivals.com Rankings: 4 stars, 47th nationally
Interested Schools: Indiana, Alabama, Louisville, Memphis, Missouri, Kentucky, Auburn, UAB, Oklahoma, Ole Miss
Christian Watford is another player that Crean has been after for some now. He had a chance to meet with the IU coach back in May when he was in town for the Adidas May Classic, and had good things to say about the coaching staff and the program.
Watford’s strength lies in his versatility, the same versatility that Franklin wants to emphasize. He has good ball-handling skills, a pretty shot with outside range, a great set of post moves, good passing ability, and the athleticism to create shots for himself. He’s also strong on the defensive end.
In other words, he can do everything well, and at 6’7” he poses quite a matchup dilemma for other coaches. At the AMC he compiled 20 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks for his M33M Ballers in a loss to the Michigan Mustangs, who played in the championship game.
While Franklin is probably a more formidable presence on the boards, Watford is still no slouch close to the basket, and he already possesses the guard skills that Franklin is working to develop. His refined scoring ability is what sets him apart from his counterpart, and will make him the more difficult recruit to snag.
If he does come to IU, Crean will have a great do-everything player to add some much-needed offensive punch and help open things up elsewhere on the floor. Decisions are probably still a number of months away (perhaps even next year), though, as both recruits are still completely up in the air in their college searches. Franklin is still in the process of setting up visits to schools.
IU faces an uphill battle with the NCAA’s decision pending and a complete rebuilding project on their hands, but some of the bigger questions will be answered by the time Franklin and Watford make their decisions, and Crean will have a strong argument that IU will have the opportunity to skyrocket back into NCAA competition with their commitments. There’s no question that either player (or both, but probably not) would be tremendous assets for IU’s comeback campaign.
Keep an eye out for more updates on these two hot prospects.
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