Class of 2009 IU offer Jordan Prosser talks about college basketball future
The recruiting chase for 6’8”, 220-lb power forward Jordan Prosser is heating up, and it sounds like Indiana and head coach Tom Crean have some work to do if they want to land a commitment from the talented junior. IUplanet caught up with him tonight for an interview about his college basketball future.
Crean will need to spark Prosser's interest after Sampson saga
Prosser, who plays for Eureka High School (Ill.) and the Indiana Elite One AAU team, has been attracting the attention of scouts ever since he received a scholarship offer from Bradley during his freshman year.This year he averaged 20 points and 12 rebounds in a starring role for Eureka. He was also voted All-State second team as a sophomore, and is currently rated as a four-star prospect by Rivals.com.
Prosser has already developed great skills on both ends of the floor, exhibiting good scoring ability and athleticism on offense as well as excellent rebounding skills and a knack for blocking shots on the defensive side.
Needless to say, he’s the exact type of frontcourt presence that Indiana lacks, and he did not go unnoticed by former coach Kelvin Sampson and his staff. Before his resignation, Sampson recruited Prosser and extended a scholarship offer, but the turmoil caused by the recruiting scandal and the subsequent coaching change muddied the waters for the recruit.
At the same time, many other schools were added into the mix. “I think I have around six choices right now, but I’m still not totally for sure, “Prosser told IUplanet in an interview. “I’ve got Wisconsin, Iowa, Indiana, Texas A&M, Baylor, Bradley, Kentucky, those are my main ones.”
Unfortunately, new IU coach Tom Crean hasn’t had the chance to state his own case for Prosser. “I know that Coach Crean is a really good coach and a really good guy,” Prosser said. “But I haven’t really approached him, and I haven’t met him in person yet, so I can’t really make a judgment right now [about IU's program].”
Crean already earned a verbal commitment from another class of 2009 power forward in Bobby Capobianco, but Indiana’s need for skilled forwards is still far from satisfied. Hopefully Crean has made contacting players like Prosser and his AAU teammate, fellow 6’9” 225 lb power forward Stephan Van Treese of Lawrence North High School (IN), a top priority during his 10-day recruiting trip, which was granted last week. Even if it’s just to gauge interest and form relationships, both players would be excellent additions to IU’s squad in 2009.
“We don’t really talk much about where we’ll end up [in college], said Prosser about he and Van Treese’s relationship. “I think [Stephan] will try to stay in the Big Ten…a lot of our teammates are already committed to the Big Ten, but that’s just my opinion.”
If Crean wants to avoid the displeasure of trying to match up with one or both of these prospects in Big Ten conference games multiple times a season, he should start working soon to compete for their commitments.
When asked about what factors are influencing his decision, Prosser stated that staying close to home wasn’t extremely important, saying that “how I fit in with the coaches, how I fit in as a player and how I can come in as a role player,” are all major points.
He also added that the number of players the team already has at his position is something that he considers. If he wants a place with a need for strong post players, IU could be a perfect fit for him.
It appears right now that Indiana might be a little behind in the battle for Prosser, but the door still hasn’t been shut on Crean and his staff.
“I‘ll probably make a decision halfway through the summer, and even that’s probably pretty early. If anything else I’ll do it right before my senior season,” said Prosser about his plans for a commitment.”
If he still wants to make a serious push for Prosser, Crean still has perhaps a month or two to make his move. Let’s hope that he can use this opportunity to brighten the Hoosiers’ future even more.
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