Hoosiers, Davis get second commitment

For the second time in as many weeks, the IU men's basketball team received a verbal commitment -- this time from an in-state product, multiple reports confirmed Tuesday. \nDeOnta Vaughn, a senior guard at Indianapolis' Arlington High School, has verbally committed to join IU coach Mike Davis' squad. If Vaughn qualifies academically, he could join the Hoosiers for the 2005-06 season.\nArizona backcourt product Joey Shaw was Davis' first verbal commitment just over a week ago.\nVaughn, a 5-foot-11, 190 pound guard, is undersized by Big Ten guard standards, but Rob Harrington from www.prepstars.com said Vaughn is a "power-athlete" that can play both guard spots.\n"I think he's sort of in the combo guard mold," Harrington said. "But I truly think he has the versatility to play either guard spot. He's a strong kid. I think he'll be a good defensive player."\nThe main concern with Vaughn might turn out to be his academics. Harrington said he thinks Vaughn needs to pull up his GPA and SAT or ACT score to qualify academically in order to not have to go to prep school. If he does attend prep school, IU would have one more scholarship available for this signing class.\nAccording to www.insideindiana.com, Vaughn averaged 18 points, four assists and four steals per game during the 2003-04 season. Vaughn has started for Arlington for the past three years.\nDonald Perry is the only senior scholarship guard who will finish his eligibility upon completion of the 2004-05 season. But walk-on guards Mark Johnson and Ryan Tapak will be departing as Bracey Wright's impending decision on whether to enter the NBA Draft looms. \nMarshall Strickland and Lewis Monroe would be available for the 2005-06 season as experienced senior point guards. But the opportunity is there for Vaughn to make an impact at the guard position in the future, Harrington said.\n"I think they have to obviously start thinking ahead about who's going to be doing their background scoring," Harrington said, "and I think that's the role for him."\nWith Vaughn's commitment, Davis continues his success in-state. In his last recruiting class, Davis inked Indianapolis' Robert Vaden and Indiana Mr. Basketball A.J. Ratliff, as well as Fort Wayne's James Hardy, who originally committed to play basketball but then signed a football letter of intent for IU coach Gerry DiNardo. Hardy plans to join the basketball team after the football season is complete.\nHarrington isn't ready to completely sign off on Davis' in-state recruiting prowess.\n"It's always going to be the No. 1 focus of any coach in any state," Harrington said. "I think next year will be key. Even if (Indianapolis prep star) Greg Oden doesn't go to college, (Dayton, Ohio's) Daequan Cook and (Indianapolis') Mike Conley are two guys who are from the area, along with Marques Johnson from Fort Wayne, (who) are the types of players he needs to be able to sign." \nClark Francis from www.hoopscooponline.com said Vaughn will be a nice fit to the Hoosier puzzle once he officially arrives on campus. But that he might not be IU's ideal point guard for the future, Francis said.\n"(IU) doesn't need him as bad next year as they will the year after," Francis said. "He's good enough where he can come in and be a combo guard, but I don't think he scares anybody off. Michael Conley is the guy (IU) really wants at point guard. If they get Michael Conley, they can go to the Final Four and the national championship with Conley as their point guard." \n"(Vaughn's) small, but he can shoot the heck out of it," Francis said.\n-- Contact sports editor John Rodgers at jprdoger@indiana.edu.