IU recruits take center stage, get mixed results at adidas May Classic

Not all IU recruits were smiling in Bloomington this weekend.

In fact, the headlining act of the adidas May Classic AAU basketball tournament left extremely disappointed.

Indiana Elite Team Indiana, the 17-and-under squad that includes 2012 IU recruits Hanner Perea, Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell, Jeremy Hollowell, Ron Patterson and Peter Jurkin, lost its first game of tournament play Sunday, bowing out 78-64 to Baylor LNO in the second round of the 17-and-under bracket.

The loss sent Team Indiana home without a championship in each of its five AAU tournaments this spring.

Patterson, who was missing for Saturday’s round-robin games because of his high-school prom, left immediately after the final buzzer and later wrote “I need a new aau team asap...” on his Twitter account.

Some Hoosier commitments went home happier, however. Eric Gordon All-Stars’ 16-and-under team, which featured 2013 commitments Devin Davis and Collin Hartman, won their division title Sunday. 2014 recruits James Blackmon Jr. and Trey Lyles took the floor for Spiece Indy Heat’s 15-and-under squad.

Other prospects in attendance who have communicated with IU included 2012 four-star guard Gary Harris of Dorian’s Pride and 2012 four-star forward Mitch McGary, who played with the SYF Players outfit.

HOLLOWELL FEELING RUSTY BUT GOOD

After sitting out the early spring schedule with a wrist injury, Jeremy Hollowell got back on the court this weekend with his new AAU squad.

Hollowell, who joined Indiana Elite to play with his fellow members of the Hoosiers’ 2012 recruiting class, initially struggled with his timing on the court but still managed to score 11 points Saturday in Team Indiana’s first game.

“A little sore, a little rusty, but it doesn’t hurt too bad,” Hollowell said. “I’m good to play, but just rusty. I’ve got to get a feel, got to get going, got to get a feel back.”

Hollowell, who also was dealing with knee issues, said both he and the team were coming along smoothly in terms of chemistry.

“Real good getting the feel for each other, how we play,” he said. “Kind of had a problem with injuries and stuff, a lot of people not being there every weekend, but once we get everybody together, I think we’ll have a real good team.”


HARRIS NOT RUSHING TO MAKE DECISION

Gary Harris said the same things Saturday as he has been saying all throughout his recruitment process.

The four-star 2012 guard and IU target said after his Dorian’s Pride team’s first round-robin game that he currently has no preference for any schools above others and has no timetable for a decision.

“I haven’t narrowed anything down yet,” Harris said. “I’m not sure yet. I’m just going to talk to my parents about it.

“There’s no certain time limit. I’m just trying to take this tournament and each tournament at a time. When we have some free time, we’ll think about what’s best
for me.”

Harris sprained his ankle a week ago at the Spiece Run ‘n Slam Classic in Fort Wayne, but he said he felt good getting back at it in Bloomington.

“I felt good when I was out there playing,” he said. “I’m a little sore right now, but
I’m fine.”

BLACKMON, LYLES ENJOY TOURNEY’S IU FEEL

The two members of IU’s 2014 recruiting class got their first taste of the future this weekend.

Guard James Blackmon Jr. and forward Trey Lyles both expressed excitement to be playing at IU in front of IU fans.

“Real fun to play in front of all these IU people with all the IU shirts and stuff,” Blackmon said Saturday after Spiece’s overtime win in its first game. “That’s just more exciting for me to come play here.”

Lyles felt the same way.

“It’s motivation to come out here and play for your future team’s fans to show them what you have and what you’re going to be bringing to the table,” Lyles said.

Lyles also said it was that type of motivating atmosphere with the coaching staff and players that led him to commit to IU so early in his high school career.

“Just going to the games and watching how they reacted with the players, what they did wrong or what they did right, it was a good motivational thing,” he said. “They’re always motivated, they’re always coaching, and it’s just a good atmosphere to be around. It’s a very positive atmosphere.”

Blackmon said he feels the two 2014 recruits have a great opportunity to develop chemistry with one another well in advance of coming to IU.

“We’re real good friends now,” Blackmon said. “Just getting to know each other from the first year (of playing together), now it’s the second year, and we’re just going to keep going until we get to college.”

MCGARY ADJUSTING WELL TO NEW SCHOOL, SITUATION

Four-star 2012 forward Mitch McGary feels he has improved in multiple areas over the last year.

The Indiana native transferred last year to Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, N.H., and has blossomed onto the national scene in the past year, drawing interest from several top college basketball programs nationally in addition to IU.

“Moving out to Brewster has been the best for me, and it’s got my level of game up even more than it was in my old public school,” McGary said Friday after his SYF Players team’s first game. “It was good for me, both on and off the court. It made me more responsible. It was pretty much a year of college a year early.”

McGary said he had not spoken with IU recently but that he still will keep the Hoosiers as an option.

“I haven’t talked to Tom Crean in a while, but they still have shown interest, so I’m still going to keep them on the list,” he said.