5 of 6 Hoosiers send in letters of intent for ’09

Tipton (Ind.) High School star Derek Elston was sold on both coach Kelvin Sampson and IU men’s basketball. He verbally committed to the Hoosiers last September.

But the 6-foot-8 forward officially placed his trust in a new IU coach, Tom Crean, and signed a national letter of intent Wednesday morning.

“I just want to say to the people that I was here from the get-go. I wasn’t going to change my mind, I wasn’t going to go back on my word,” Elston said Wednesday night.

Elston said he wanted to play for the Hoosiers when Sampson recruited him, and although he “kind of strayed away” from IU following the Sampson situation, he is eager to play for Crean and be a part of the IU basketball program.

“I can’t wait to get down there and play,” Elston said.

Wednesday was the first day of a week-long early signing period for high school seniors. Recruits have until Nov. 19 to sign their national letters of intent, but most IU recruits didn’t wait that long.

Bobby Capobianco – also a 6-foot-8 forward – signed and faxed his paper work on Wednesday.

In April, Capobianco became Crean’s first recruit to verbally commit to IU, including all current players. On Wednesday, he became the first Class of 2009 recruit to sign when he sent in his papers just after 7 a.m.

“It feels good. I’m really excited,” he said. “I’m glad that everything’s kind of set in stone now. It’s certainly something I’ve been working toward for a really long time, and it kind of validates all those hours I’ve put in.

“It certainly feels more like I’m a part of something I know, rather just kind of a speculative, ‘I’m going to IU.’”

Jordan Hulls, Capobianco’s friend and AAU teammate, was next to send in his signed papers, though the Bloomington High School South point guard could have just as easily walked them to Assembly Hall.

Highly touted wing Maurice Creek also joined in on the signing party “at about 11 (a.m.),” he said. The Hargrave Military Academy standout signed his letter of intent, along with five Hargrave teammates.

“It feels good man,” Creek said. “I’m just ready to get there now. It feels good to sign a (national) letter of intent.”

When Creek verbally committed May 4, the 6-foot-5 shooting guard had yet to even set foot on campus. A late-September visit to IU confirmed he wanted to take his game to Bloomington.

“I’m really excited because now I see what my home is looking like, and I’m just ready to get in there and do the school work and play basketball there,” he said.

With four letters of intent in, only four-star recruit Christian Watford and three-star center Bawa Muniru were still unsigned.

Just after 7:30 p.m., Watford’s father, Ernest, said he had just sent his son’s signed papers to IU.

“I did about 20 or 30 minutes ago ... 20 minutes ago,” Ernest Watford said. “That’s confirmed.”

A press conference will be held Friday afternoon in Birmingham, Ala., where the younger Watford will officially celebrate his signing.

By press time Wednesday, it was unclear whether Muniru had signed with the Hoosiers, though he is still expected to join IU. If Muniru signs, the center will finish off a consensus top 10 recruiting class that already boasts two guards and three forwards.

“Our class coming next – we’ve got size (and) we’ve got a whole bunch of talent to add on to what Coach Crean has right now,” Elston said. “It shows me that something good’s going to come out of this.”

Capobianco echoed that statement, saying, “I think we’re going to be able to do great things.”

While Ernest Watford won’t be putting on an IU jersey, he is still optimistic about what his son and future teammates can achieve at IU.

“We look forward to coming up there and winning some national championships,” he said.