Hoosiers try to round out recruiting class

There's a chance Jared Jeffries won't be in Bloomington next winter. \nIt's certain two of the nation's premier prospects will. IU is trying to add another to that list, and Coach Mike Davis is trying to fill his first recruiting class since taking over the program last season. \nGuards Bracey Wright and Marshall Strickland and forward Daryl Pegram have committed to the Hoosiers. \nAnother guard, 6-foot-4 Roderick Wilmont, should be in Bloomington for tonight's matchup with Big Ten rival Purdue. \nWilmont, a shooting guard at Miramar (Fla.) High School, is averaging more than 30 points per game and scored 58 in a game this season, but surfaced well after most top-notch players were signed. \nIU inked Wright, Strickland and Pegram in November and courted them most of the summer. With the chance that Jeffries, who Davis is touting as the Big Ten's best player, might forgo his junior and senior seasons and enter the NBA draft, IU spent much of its recruiting focus on big men, Rivalshoops.com Recruiting Analyst Russ Blake said. \nThe Hoosiers chased 6-9 Iowa Western Community College forward Jeff Graves, but he decided on Kansas. Fellow prize recruit Sean May chose North Carolina, leaving IU in search of talent rather than size. \n"He's put up big scoring numbers," Blake said of Wilmont. "It is a little surprising (IU isn't going after a big guy). I haven't heard any names on the radar screen for them. But there's not a lot of big guys out there, and most of the better ones signed early."\nIU did just that with Pegram, a 6-9, 185-pound forward at Worcester (Mass.) Academy. Pegram said Monday he's averaging 15 points and seven rebounds per game, but his minutes are sometimes limited by a team that boasts six players who have signed to play basketball for NCAA Division I schools next season. \nPegram, who sees himself playing a style similar to that of current Hoosiers Jeffries and Jeff Newton, leads his team in three pointers and has played primarily small forward. \n"It depends on how hard I work this summer," said Pegram, who plans to arrive on campus in June. "I need to put on 15 or 20 pounds. But I was happy to see IU put up 17 threes (against Illinois Saturday)."\nPegram said he's surprised the Hoosiers are after Wilmont and said he knew of a couple players IU assistant coach Jim Thomas recruited while on a trip to see Pegram play. Despite the exit of senior forward Jarrad Odle and possibly Jeffries, Blake doesn't expect Pegram to make immediate contributions at IU. \n"He's a lanky, tall guy with skills, and you can't have enough of them," Blake said. "In time, he'll be a Big Ten-level player. People shouldn't have any illusions that he will come in and be a dominant player from the get-go."\nThat is a possibility for Wright and Strickland, both of whom are rated among the nation's top 25 recruits by several publications, including Blake's. \nWright said he's brushing up his rebounding skills and is excited about the potential of IU using an up-and-down tempo next season. IU will have the option to play both full-court and half-court styles with Wright and Strickland playing in the same backcourt as current Hoosiers Tom Coverdale, Kyle Hornsby, A.J. Moye and Donald Perry. \nWright has the same can't-wait approach as Pegram when discussing next season. \n"It can't come soon enough," Wright said. "I've wanted it since I was young -- that college scene and the college atmosphere."\nWright's potential backcourt mate hasn't enjoyed the same success this season. He hasn't had one, thanks to a ruling from the Maryland state superintendent of schools. It was ruled that Strickland used his four years of eligibility prior to this season. Strickland did play in two games before handed the ruling, and he averaged 34 points per game for South Carroll (Md.) High. \nStrickland could not be reached for comment, but his sister confirmed he is still practicing with the team. \nDespite Strickland's potential rust and whether IU adds another guard to the mix or not, Blake is impressed with the class Davis has assembled. \n"Bracey (Wright) has the tools and shooting ability to step right in and be an impact player," Blake said. "(Strickland is a) pretty complete player. IU's done well by getting Wright and Strickland and (Pegram). Should they get Wilmont, it will only add to the depth"