Men's basketball recruits headline adidas May Classic

The future of IU men’s basketball will be here this weekend — in a way.

Members of the Hoosiers’ 2012, 2013 and 2014 recruiting classes will participate Friday through Sunday in the adidas May Classic AAU tournament at IU.

IU commitments and several of the program’s other targets will take the floor at Assembly and Cook Halls first in round-robin play beginning Friday and then in tournament play starting later Saturday.

Headlining the participating clubs, at least for Hoosier fans, is the 17-and-under Indiana Elite Team Indiana, which features the five members of IU’s 2012 class in five-star recruits Hanner Perea and Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell, four-star commitments Jeremy Hollowell and Ron Patterson and three-star center Peter Jurkin.

Team Indiana, who last week fell 66-63 to Iowa All-Attack in the semifinals of the Spiece Run ‘n Slam Classic in Ft. Wayne, Ind., opens round-robin play at 11:45 a.m. Saturday against Dorian’s Pride of Michigan and plays again that day at 2:15 p.m. against the Gateway club of St. Louis.

The Hoosier-heavy outfit might be missing an IU recruit or two as it did last week in Ft. Wayne.

Hollowell, who sat the Run ‘n Slam Classic out with a wrist injury, said he is ready to return to the court this weekend in Bloomington.

Jurkin, who was not with the team last week, was instead in North Carolina nursing an injury he suffered during his high-school season.

Fellow 2012 prospect Gary Harris, who has an offer from IU, is set to appear with his 17-and-under D3 Pride squad. Harris sprained his ankle during the Run ‘n Slam Classic but said on his Twitter page that he would be getting treatment to be “100% for this weekend.”

IU’s pipeline also has tracked to the Eric Gordon All-Stars organization of former IU and current Los Angeles Clippers guard Eric Gordon.

Devin Davis Jr. and Collin Hartman, both solid verbal commitments to the Hoosiers for the 2013 class, will take the floor for the 16-and-under Eric Gordon All-Stars at 9:45 a.m. Saturday against Martin’s Wolves and then again at 11:45 a.m. against
Gateway.

Also on the schedule is the 16-and-under Spiece Indy Heat team that enlists 2014 IU recruits, guard James Blackmon and forward Trey Lyles. Spiece tips off at 11:45 a.m.

Saturday against the Southwestern Illinois Jets and then again at 4:45 p.m. against Indiana Elite South.

Another 2014 IU target presumed to be in Bloomington this weekend is Jaquan Lyle, whose 15-and-under Eric Gordon All-Stars team will play at 6 p.m. Friday and then at 2:15 p.m. Saturday.

– Drew Allen