The Floor General

Kyrie Irving is your everyday high school kid.

“I live a normal life,” Irving said. “I’m a normal kid, just playing basketball.”

However, “just playing basketball” has put Irving in a place most normal kids dream of.

A five-star recruit ranked 21st in the nation, Irving has placed the Hoosiers among the top schools he is considering attending in the fall of 2010.

A student at St. Patrick High School in New Jersey, Irving said he likes to have fun and keep the attitude light on and off the court.

“I like to get loose and joke around with the guys,” he said. “I like to have fun.”
Irving is interested in IU’s journalism program, which is one of the top programs in the country. He said he loves to write, but is unsure of what type of journalism he would focus on.

Irving played in front of nearly 2,000 people at Assembly Hall on Saturday in a matchup against IU commit for the class of 2011 Matt Carlino during the adidas May Classic. He said he enjoyed the Classic thoroughly and the atmosphere was astounding.

“The fan support is great,” he said. “The gym is just tremendous. ... I love every moment of it.”

Another reason Irving is considering IU is the personality of IU coach Tom Crean.

“He’s so energetic and so uplifting,” Irving said. “He just makes me feel good every time I talk to him on the phone and is always doing something productive for his team or for his family. I just love him as a coach.”

Irving said his ability to “make everybody better” is his best on-the-court quality, and it showed in his game against Carlino. The recruit’s passing and his ability to lead his teammates to victory despite trailing early in that game showed the young man’s poise and strength as a floor general.

Irving knows he has room to improve. He said his strength and midrange game are the areas he is looking to get better in during the upcoming season.

Irving attributes his success in his sport to his father’s guidance.

“Since I was in third grade, just working with him every day,” Irving said. “The reason why I am the way I am today and the type of man I am today is because of my father.”

Irving has many fond memories, including playing one-on-one with his father, whom he couldn’t beat in a game until the 10th grade.

“We used to have battles,” Irving said. “He used to beat me a lot, but it just made me stronger as a person and as a basketball player.”

Irving said he would see himself as a point guard and “impact player” if he came to IU.
He said he would do his best to “take the ball to the hoop” and use his poise and leadership ability to “bring IU back to the top.”