7. Bobby Capobianco- 6'8" Forward from Loveland, OH
Bobby Capobianco has a Big Ten ready body. Tom Crean says he is built like a tight end and he
brings a toughness to the Hoosiers. He is more ready to play than the player I have at sixth but his ceiling is not incredibly high. Capobianco is going to be a solid four-year player that will provide size and strength of the bench. I don't know if he will ever start but he should always have a place on the squad because of his 6'8" physical frame and his desire to rebound. This year, he should be able to spell Tom Pritchard and Derek Elston when foul trouble or fatigue creep up. The best case scenario for Capobianco is that he develops into Joe Krabbenhoft (former Wisconsin Badger). A bruiser that you love to have on your team and hate to play against. 6. Bawa Muniru- 7'0" Center from Ghana
Bawa Muniru was the last player from this class to commit to the Hoosiers. He has not been officially cleared to play but he is practicing with his teammates. Muniru comes to the Hoosiers as a raw but extremely well-built and athletic big man. He spent three years at Madison Academy in Alabama and one year at Mt. Zion Academy. I have heard some comparisons to current Hoosier Tijan Jobe. In my opinion, Muniru is way more talented and polished than Jobe but the build is very similar. Bawa has a 7'3" wingspan and he is very strong so his potential value on defense is obvious. Don't expect much from him this season. We might see a couple of very nice performances but there won't be any consistency. The hope is that he can develop into a defensive and offensive presence that very few teams have.5. Derek Elston- 6'8" Forward from Tipton, IN
I really like Derek Elston. He slipped in the recruiting rankings due to a knee injury that kept
him out of AAU ball for the summer between his junior and senior rankings. However, his senior season showed that he was fully recovered from the knee injury and he led Tipton to a very solid season. Elston dominated Purdue recruit Patrick Bade in a matchup at a tournament in New Castle and outplayed Ohio State recruit, and this season's favorite for Mr.Basketball, Deshaun Thomas in their matchup. Elston is a very hard worker who could be a real matchup problem for the opposition. He committed to the Kelvin Sampson and stuck with his commitment because it was his dream to play for IU. I can't tell you how great it is to have guys who understand what IU basketball means. He is either a power forward or a small forward who moves well, rebounds well and finishes around the basket. If Elston can consistently knock down shots from 15-20 feet, he will be extremely tough to defend. One of the things I noticed while he was in high school was how good of a free throw shooter he was. If he got fouled, he made sure he made it count. Some optimistic fans have been comparing him to Robbie Hummel. I think it's a little ridiculous to compare him to one of the best players in the country but I see some similarities in their game. Until we see more, I will call him a poor man's Robbie Hummel, maybe a hard-working Jeff Newton (remember him?). Elston will be in a rotation with Watford, Pritchard, Capobianco and Muniru and I think he will wind up starting for the Hoosiers this season.4. Christian Watford- 6'8" from Alabama
It has been a longtime since IU has had a player with Watford's size and versatility. Watford was
a consensus top 50 recruit who I saw ranked in top twenty by some websites. He handles the ball very well for his size, moves with surprising quickness and gets to the rim at will against smaller competition. On film, I noticed that he finishes around the rim even when there's contact. Watford needs to bulk up to have an effective post game in the Big Ten and to be able to defend some of the bigger forwards he might have to face. His shot looks mechanically sound and he has a surprisingly effective outside jumper. Tom Crean has been working Watford with both the guards and the big men which tells me that he thinks Christian can be a versatile guy capable of playing multiple positions. I think we could see a lineup of Watford, Elston, Pritchard and two guards or see Pritchard, Watford and three smaller guards. Crean loves versatility and Watford fits the bill. My prediction, he will make the All Freshman team in the Big Ten and make an All Conference team at least once in his IU career. 3. Jordan Hulls- 5'11" guard from Bloomington South, IN
The reigning Mr.Basketball decided to stay home and play for the Hoosiers. Jordan Hulls was considered a mid-major prospect until the summer before his senior season when he began to
shock the AAU circuit. He supposedly went toe-to-toe with superstar prospect John Wall and outplayed a few other highly-touted players as Indiana Elite excelled. Coaches and analysts were extremely impressed and they put him in the Top 100. Jordan Hulls then led Bloomington South to an undefeated season and a state title and captured Mr.Basketball. I'll be honest, I don't care about the rankings here. I saw Hulls play several times and I know what he can bring to the Hoosiers as soon as he steps foot in the gymnasium. Hulls has a passion for IU basketball, he is a leader on and off the court and he knows how to win. IU was ranked 342 out of 344 in turnover percentage last season and point guard was the biggest area of concern every game. Verdell Jones showed great improvement as a player but he is not a point guard. Jordan Hulls is deadly in pick and roll situations, a great passer, good ball handler and decent outside shot. Hulls may have problems with really quick guards but defense is about effort and Hulls will bring it. This is the kind of four-year player that can restore this program and he will be a valuable asset to IU from day one. 2. Maurice Creek- 6'5" guard from Hargrave Military (originally from Maryland)
Maurice Creek is another Top 50 recruit the Hoosiers coaching staff was able to land. He is an
explosive scorer that I think will make the All Freshman team and be IU's leading scorer. Creek has a lethal jump shot with a quick release. He can attack the rim and is capable of finishing in traffic. Analysts say his on ball defense is one of his strongest attributes and that he takes pride in shutting down his opposing guard. I think Creek will average about 15 points a game this season and he has the potential to win Big Ten Freshman of the Year (Royce White from Minnesota is the favorite). Creek might start over Devan Dumes right now. If not, he will by Big Ten season. 1. Jeremiah Rivers- 6'5" guard (redshirt junior) from Georgetown University
If Rivers were factored into the class rankings, IU would have had a top three class. He has two years of eligibility left after sitting out last season's debacle. Rivers played on a Georgetown team that went to a Final Four before transferring to IU. His stats weren't strong with the Hoyas but
he was asked to be a defensive stopper and he was the best perimeter defender they had. The players and coaches say he was the best player in practice last season and he has improved his offensive game a lot. The job for him is very straightforward: Minimize the turnovers and direct the offense. That is not nearly as simple as it sounds but it is crucial to the Hoosiers success. If Rivers and Hulls can be steady at point guard, everyone else will see the benefit. The scoring guards (Verdell Jones, Devan Dumes, Maurice Creek, Matt Roth) can focus on scoring and the big men will get quality looks in the post. We know Rivers will be an upgrade on defense, if he can be a big improvement on offense, IU will surprise a lot of people this season. This is a down week in college football but watch for these three games.
3. Iowa at Michigan State
The Hawkeyes always have a difficult time in East Lansing and Michigan State is playing well. A win for Iowa keeps their title hopes alive.
2. Penn State at Michigan
Penn State has not impressed so far this season. I think this game will be fairly high scoring and the Nittany Lions need a win to keep any hopes of a Rose Bowl alive.
1. TCU at BYU
The battle for the Mountain West title heats up. TCU is always good on defense under Gary Patterson. The surprise has been their very effective offense. I think they win in Provo to stay unbeaten.
I will preview the IU at Northwestern game tomorrow. Until then, stay vigilant and God Bless America.
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