Prep school standout changes commitment

Armon Bassett is no longer another Indiana high school basketball standout who slipped through IU's fingers.\nAfter losing recruiting battles for in-state stars Greg Oden, Josh McRoberts and Luke Zeller, IU coach Mike Davis nearly lost Bassett to Missouri in August. The former Terre Haute South High School standout had verbally committed to the Tigers but changed his mind after attending Hoosier Hysteria earlier this month.\n"I think IU is always the dream school for a kid from Indiana," South coach Mike Saylor said. "IU was always very high on Armon's list."\nBassett, the No. 21-ranked point guard by www.rivals.com, becomes the second member of the 2006 recruiting class, joining Indianapolis native Deonta Vaughn. The two freshman guards will add some much-needed depth at point guard in 2006, as IU will lose seniors Marshall Strickland and Lewis Monroe after this season, returning only junior Earl Calloway. \n"(Bassett) is a great athlete -- very explosive," Saylor said. "He has great quickness with his feet and has excellent ball handling ability. He developed last year into an excellent 3-point shooter."\nBassett led Terre Haute South to a 22-6 finish last year, averaging 22 points and 6.1 assists per game and shooting an excellent percentage from the 3-point line, Saylor said. Before being designated as an Indiana All-Star, Bassett was named Vigo County's Most Valuable Player and Wabash Valley's Player of the Year.\nHe currently ranks as the No. 103 player in the nation, according to rivals.com. \nStruggles with the SAT test kept Bassett from attending college this year, Saylor said, but he is doing extremely well in his classes at a Virginia prep school this year.\nHis commitment to IU is still nonrestricting and will remain that way until Nov. 9 when the early signing period starts.\n"I think (Bassett) will be a great player," Saylor said. "They've really got a good one in him"