Toms Crean’s much-lauded arrival at Indiana University wasn’t enough to convince top-100 prospect Terrell Holloway to re-commit to IU. The 6-0 175lb point guard had committed to former coach Kelvin Sampson but re-opened his recruitment when Sampson was forced out of the job.
Holloway will go to Xavier next year
Although he listed both Indiana and Marquette (Crean’s former school) on his list of top schools, he announced today that he is committed to Xavier. The Musketeers made a deep run into the NCAA tournament this year before falling to UCLA in the West Regional Final. Holloway is a top candidate for the opportunity to succeed star point guard Drew Lavender, the under-sized but high-achieving senior point guard that led the team all year, averaging 15.3 points and six assist per game.
Holloway cited the smaller campus, good graduation rate, and preparation for the pros as factors in his decision in an interview with Peegs.com.
The four-star recruit’s decision should not come as a surprise. By going to Xavier he jumps right into a huge void at point guard on a team that is ready to contend immediately with the addition of his skills. While he would also probably get a lot of time on the court here at IU following the loss of former starting point guard Armon Bassett, it is unlikely that the Hoosiers will be competitive in the next couple of seasons.
Five-star recruit is also likely to choose another school
Indiana is also in imminent danger of officially losing its other top recruit, five-star small forward Devin Ebanks, who is planning on taking official visits to Memphis, Rutgers, Texas, and West Virginia. Indiana has all but dropped out of his consideration.
Indiana does still hold commitments from a pair of three-star recruits, center Tom Pritchard and shooting guard Matt Roth, but Crean has some serious decisions to make as next season approaches. With Armon Bassett and Jamarcus Ellis still off the roster, and other players reportedly struggling academically, it’s unclear how extensive the roster overhaul may be.
With only a limited number of scholarships and lackluster interest in the struggling program (at least for the time being), Crean needs to decide if he will commit scholarships to less talented prospects for next year or save them for top-notch recruits down the road. At this point the best solution seems to be recruiting upper classmen from junior colleges and other schools, who won’t take up scholarships for four years.
Fortunately there is some hope for the Hoosier faithful. Crean’s hiring has created an immediate buzz among high school prospects, many of whom were looking at Marquette before Crean’s departure. Indiana has jumped into many of their interests, and if former Marquette assistant Tim Buckley joins Crean's staff, IU will become even more attractive.
IU is now high on Van Treese's list of possible schools
Three of these prospects include three-star power forward Bobby Capobianco (6-8, 220), four-star power forward Jordan Prosser (6-8, 210), and four-star power forward Stephan Van Treese (6-9, 225), all members of the class of 2009. Hopefully the interest of these recruits is a sign of great things to come for Crean’s staff and Indiana basketball.
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