Wright, Pegram give written commitment

Mike Davis' first recruiting class at IU settled in Wednesday on the first day recruits can sign national letters of intent. \nThe Hoosiers received commitments from two top-100 recruits, and are expected to get a commitment from a third today. All three recruits had previously verbally committed to IU. Bracey Wright and Daryl Pegram signed letters of intent Wednesday to lead what is expected to be one of the better recruiting classes in the nation, despite Bloomington High School North Sean May's decision to attend North Carolina. Marshall Strickland is expected to sign Thursday morning. \nWright, a 6-foot-3 shooting guard, averaged 21.6 points and 6.1 rebounds per game last season at The Colony (Texas) High School.\n"To get Bracey Wright today is big for us. I think he's the best guard in the country," Davis said after IU's 98-76 victory over Nike Elite Wednesday. "He'll be able to help us right away."\nTommy Thomas, the Cougars' head coach, backed up Davis' complements and said he expects Wright, rated by many recruiting experts as one of the nation's top shooting guards, to make an immediate impact for the Hoosiers. \n"I can't imagine him not," Thomas said. "He's the best shooting guard in the country. I don't know of anyone who has more range or a better stroke."\nTwo of Wright's teammates, Deron Williams and Bam Fieldharmon, also signed letters of intent Wednesday and were honored after an intra-squad scrimmage. Williams will play at Illinois and Fieldharmon at Rhode Island.\nPegram also has talented company and was one of six Worcester (Mass.) Academy players to sign national letters of intent Wednesday to play Division-I basketball. \nPegram, a native of San Bernadino, Calif., averaged 13 points and seven rebounds for Worcester last season. Pegram visited IU for the Athletes in Action game Nov. 4 and said he plans to book another trip if he can find time this season. In the meantime, he keeps himself up-to-date on the state of the IU program.\n"I check the Web site every morning and have talked to coach (Jim) Thomas and coach (Dan) Block," the 6-foot-8 Pegram said. "They keep me informed. I can't wait. You could just feel the excitement. You have all that history and tradition."\nPegram said he plans to enroll in summer school at IU while improving his strength and ball-handling skills.\nStrickland, a 6-foot-1 point guard, is likely the best ball-handler of the trio. \nStricklandwas the first of Davis' recruits to verbally commit in July. He averaged 30.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.2 assists for South Carroll High School (Mt. Airy, Md.) last season. Strickland, listed by many publications as a top-five point guard, joined Wright on a visit to IU for Midnight Madness Oct. 13. \nMay joined Wright and Strickland to that practice, but decided two weeks later to play at North Carolina, ruling out Louisville and IU. \nTommy Thomas said Wright "never wavered" after May's decision and remained committed to Davis and IU.\nAll three recruits had to deal with the May saga before, but May's departure didn't affect the status of Davis' first recruiting trio.\n"I want to win championships, and signing a kid like Bracey Wright is a step that direction," Davis said. "We have the personnel now"