Two 2015 commits sign to IU men's basketball
By Alden Woods
aldwoods@indiana.edu | @acw9293
While recruiting the Class of 2014, IU Coach Tom Crean recognized his team’s largest weakness – 3-point shooting. He fixed that almost immediately, choosing to focus on recruits who excelled at shooting the ball.
His pursuit of the Class of 2015 had the same goal – bulk up IU’s deficiencies – but had a very different type of player in mind.
“I think we always want to have the defensive potential,” Crean said. “Last year, certainly, there was such a need for the shooting, right? We knew going into this class getting length was going to be really, really important for us.”
A pair of Missouri forwards – Juwan Morgan and Ogugua ‘O.G.’ Anunoby – signed their National Letters of Intent last week, formalizing their commitments to IU.
Morgan, who announced his commitment in September, is a four-star forward from Waynesville (Mo.) High School. He is ranked as the No. 106 player in the country by Rivals.com.
Crean said the 6-foot-8 Morgan should be able to have an immediate effect on the defensive end of the floor.
“I think he’s going to be very versatile in the way that he can defend different people,” Crean said. “I think he’s going to be able to get out and guard on the perimeter. He’s a very good post defender, very good at defending ball screens, and I think he’s got that leadership ability that you want defensively to help hold his teammates accountable.”
Morgan averaged 19 points and 10 rebounds per game in his junior season to earn 2014 Ozark Conference Player of the Year honors. He is the 14th four or five-star recruit to commit to IU during Crean’s tenure.
Anunoby is a three-star forward from Jefferson City (Mo.) High School. Similar to Morgan, the 6-foot-7 Anunoby has been praised for his defense and rebounding ability. His AAU coach has compared him to former Hoosier standout Victor Oladipo.
“He can cover ground on the glass,” Crean said. “He can cover ground defensively.”
The two forwards will bring size and an interior defensive presence to an IU team that has struggled in both areas this season. Junior forward Hanner Mosquera-Perea is the only Hoosier taller than 6-foot-8 to receive significant minutes this season, with freshmen Emmitt Holt and Jeremiah April deemed too raw to make an impact.
The lack of size has allowed Hoosier opponents to get to the basket almost at will and limited rebounding opportunities. Crean said while his new recruits will help fix that, he’s excited about their potential in all facets of the game.
“We’re excited about these two because they really epitomize the versatility, the multidimensionability, the two-way player mindset that you want to have, and they bring size,” he said. “They bring length. They bring a tenaciousness.”
The signings leave IU overcommitted by two scholarships for the 2015-16 season.
Per NCAA rules, a Division I men’s basketball program is allocated 13 scholarships per season. Each of IU’s 13 slots is filled, and with no seniors on the 2014-15 roster, no opening appears assured for next season.
To make the numbers work, at least two current scholarship members will need to leave the program after this season.
“There’s always a lot of moving parts,” Crean said. “There’s always going to be that, and there’s always going to be different situations that play out. If you look at the history of it, they seem to play out.”
Should the scholarship issue work itself out, both Morgan and Anunoby will be given the opportunity to earn playing time next season.
“I would anticipate both of them coming in here when that time comes and challenging to play,” Crean said. “No question about it.”
