With one more scholarship available after
Malik Story’s commitment, IU is now looking to fill out its roster with one more talented prospect. One of the players who will surely get plenty of attention from Coach Crean and his coaching staff is
Roger Franklin, a versatile small forward/shooting guard out of Duncanville High School in Duncanville, Texas.
IUplanet caught up today with Franklin’s coach at Duncanville,
Coach Phil McNeely, who gave us some insight on his star player.
Franklin grew tall quickly, playing in the post for much of his early career, but at 6’5” now he is more suited to playing outside, and has been working to convert himself into a small forward or shooting guard while still retaining the skills to make a living inside. “He was big early, so he played inside, but now he’s learned to play outside,” said McNeely. Franklin averaged around 13.5 points and eight rebounds per game last year.
“He plays inside and out. He’s a great 3-point shooter. He works at it, he just plays hard all the time… He’s a great rebounder, he just goes and just works at it and works at it and works at it,” McNeely said about Franklin’s game, emphasizing his tremendous work ethic.
Roger Franklin
Position: Small forward/shooting guard
Height: 6’5”
Weight: 210 lbs
Hometown: Duncanville, Texas
Interested Schools: Indiana, Arizona, Baylor, Michigan, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, USC, Texas A&M, Utah, Virginia Tech, Kansas, Memphis
He said that Franklin has been making great progress in his effort to become a more versatile prospect, which was a needed adjustment because Duncanville now has a 6’11” player in the post. “Now [his inside game and outside game are] about equal,” McNeely said. “[His skills] are not point guard, but they’re good enough to be a two-guard. [His outside shot and ability to drive] have really improved over the past couple of years.”
Franklin’s versatility is also evident on the defensive end, according to McNeely. “We play man-to-man all the time, he can guard inside and he can outside, it just depends on what matchup we need. He’s strong enough to push kids off the block, and he’s good enough to guard people outside.”
Intangibles are a strength for Franklin as well. As a soon-to-be four year starter, McNeely says that he is undoubtedly the leader of the team. “That’s probably his best asset,” said the coach about Franklin’s leadership and his intangibles. “It’s stuff you can’t nail down, it’s the kind of stuff you want. I just expect for him to be a leader and for us to have a great year.”
McNeely hasn’t had much contact with his player for the past couple of weeks because Franklin is attending the NBA Players Association Top 100 Camp, but he said he believes that Franklin has been talking lately with Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Michigan, Utah, and IU. He noted that Crean had been down to see him. McNeely listed style of play, playing time, and coaching staff as probable determining factors in Franklin’s decision.
Franklin’s style of play should match up well with what Crean is trying to do with the Hoosiers. “We run a passing game, we don’t run many sets, and we get up and down the floor,” described McNeely about the Duncanville offense. Crean likes this same type of up-tempo, run the floor style, and Franklin would fit extremely well in his system.
Also, Crean could be integral in Franklin’s development as a guard, and that could be a huge advantage for IU if he is looking to develop himself for college and the NBA.
Thanks to Coach McNeely for this interview!
IUplanet hopes to have more information from Franklin himself in the future.
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