This is what happened monday.
Devin Ebanks met for about an hour Monday in Oakdale, Conn., with interim Indiana head coach Dan Dakich, assistant head coach Ray McCallum, Ebanks' mother, Yvonne Jackson, and St. Thomas More coach Jere Quinn.
Out of that meeting came the news that Ebanks will travel to Indianapolis this weekend for the Big Ten Tournament and will meet with officials from the athletic department. At that time, he is expected to ask for permission to visit other schools, likely including Rutgers, Texas, Memphis and possibly one other yet-to-be named school. Indiana is the No. 3 seed in the Big Ten Tournament and will meet the Minnesota-Northwestern winner at 9 o'clock Friday night.
It remains unclear whether the 6-9 Ebanks, a native of Long Island City, N.Y., will honor his commitment to Indiana or choose to go elsewhere.
"I think Dev's struggling because I think he really likes Indiana, but the uncertainty of the whole program and the coaching staff is making it uncomfortable," Quinn, whose team's season ended Tuesday night in the quarterfinals of the National Prep Championship at Fordham University, said Monday evening by phone.
Former IU coach Kelvin Sampson accepted a $750,000 buyout after committing repeated recruiting violations.
Ebanks reportedly has a clause in his Letter of Intent allowing him to escape after a coaching change. Asked if Ebanks was planning to de-commit, Quinn said: "Not now, but while he's in Indiana he'll ask for the papers that will allow him to visit some other schools."
Quinn confirmed that Rutgers, Memphis and Texas were among those other schools and that another one might also be in play. Ebanks chose Indiana last summer over Miami and Texas.
"He seems to be leaning toward taking a few different options," Quinn said.
Quinn said Dakich was "extremely professional" throughout the meeting.
"Coach Dakich was extremeley professional and extremely classy and stated that Indiana will always be a great scshool and a great program," Quinn said. "And he's hoping that he'll be the guy leading it, but he couldn't say with 100 percent certainty."
That, in turn, makes Ebanks uncertain where he'll end up.
"Indiana would really like Dev to come but Dev is really kind of torn," Quinn said. "He doesn't really know what's going to happen to the program and who's going to be there."
Its really hard for me to understand how freaking Sampson can be the appeal to any recruit. Basically he's saying he wants to decommitt because some toad lookalike scumbag isnt employed there anymore. Part of me questions anyone that can be sold by him, but then again these are easily led kids we are dealing with
didn't think this deserved its own thread, but very much related to everything in hoops recruiting now...Kevin Galloway, the juco guard who we were high on, committed to Kentucky. And Wesley Witherspoon took visits to TX and VA. He still says it's up in the air where or if his next visits are. Some have speculated Memphis to be one of those.
We've probably backed off of Witherspoon at this point. Just my guess.
alcalde Wrote:Its really hard for me to understand how freaking Sampson can be the appeal to any recruit. Basically he's saying he wants to decommitt because some toad lookalike scumbag isnt employed there anymore. Part of me questions anyone that can be sold by him, but then again these are easily led kids we are dealing with
Although I don't personally care for the man, Sampson has won everywhere he's been, and by all intents and purposes he's known as a player's coach that can relate to young people. With that said, I'm not defending his actions, but just pointing out he seems to be well liked by players and recruits alike.
I heard that Flordia is now trying to get in on Ebanks. I also heard that we have not backed off at all from Witherspoon.
alcalde Wrote:Its really hard for me to understand how freaking Sampson can be the appeal to any recruit. Basically he's saying he wants to decommitt because some toad lookalike scumbag isnt employed there anymore. Part of me questions anyone that can be sold by him, but then again these are easily led kids we are dealing with
I wonder the same thing about Bruce Pearl every time I see him
go yankees Wrote:I heard that Flordia is now trying to get in on Ebanks. I also heard that we have not backed off at all from Witherspoon.
UCONN is also trying really hard to get in on him too.
Color me wrong on the WW statement if what you said is true.
Quote:Zagoria talks Ebanks, IU recruiting
March 11th, 2008 by Jordan Cohen
I spoke with Adam Zagoria on the phone this morning about the Devin Ebanks situation. Although he revealed all he knows in his blog post Monday, he gave his insight on the situation, both with Ebanks and IU recruitment in general.
After speaking with Ebanks’ prep coach and AAU coach on Monday, Zagoria said he gets the feeling that Ebanks is “just sort of uncertain and ambivalent” about the situation at IU, not knowing who the Hoosiers’ future coach will be. When Ebanks visits Indianapolis this weekend for the Big Ten Tournament, the five-star recruit is expected to ask for permission to open up his options.
“He’s going to ask (IU athletic department officials), it sounds like, to be let out of his letter (of intent), so he can look at other schools,” Zagoria said.
Those schools are likely Texas and Rutgers, both among Ebanks’ finalists last go-around with recruitment, as well as Memphis, a team new to the recruiting picture.
“I think (St. Thomas More coach Jere Quinn) definitely indicated that Ebanks wants to look around and explore his options,” Zagoria said. “He wouldn’t be asking to go visit these other schools if he wasn’t considering them…he wants to see what these other programs have to say.”
Zagoria said he is unsure how many schools Ebanks can visit in the next couple weeks, but he likely will be watching Texas, Memphis and IU when they take the court in the NCAA Tournament. Rutgers, meanwhile, did not even qualify for the Big East Tournament, yet it is closer to Ebanks’ home. If he were to choose the Scarlet Knights, Ebanks would join a recruiting class led by Mike Rosario, a McDonald’s All-American from the legendary Saint Anthony High School in New Jersey.
As a writer based out of New Jersey, Zagoria said he is not an expert on IU basketball, but “as an observer,” he said that it does not help a school’s recruiting when a coach is removed for repeated recruiting violations.
“On the surface, it’s obviously not good,” Zagoria said. “That being said, Indiana is Indiana. I’m sure they’ll persevere in the long-run; the question is how it will hurt them in the short term.”
http://www.idsnews.com/basketblog/?p=396
thanks - great find
Last Wednesday, a day after St. Thomas More’s season had officially ended with a quarter-final loss to Hargrave Military Academy in the first round of the National Prep Championship, Adam Zagoria, a staff writer for the Herald News in West Paterson, NJ, reported that Devin Ebanks was now considering Indiana, Memphis, Texas, and Rutgers with the possibility of one other school being in the mix. While Zagoria, who is one of the best in the business and also a voter on the national prep poll, accurately pointed out that Ebanks wasn’t officially de-committing from Indiana that didn’t stop multiple media outlets from around the country from printing that very falsehood.
So here is where everything REALLY stands as of Tuesday morning. Indiana Interim Head Coach Dan Dakich and Assistant Coach Ray McCallum both flew into Connecticut yesterday to meet with Ebanks, his mother, and STM Head Coach Jere Quinn. It was the second time in as many weeks that Dakich saw Ebanks in person as he was also present at the NESCAC quarter-finals. Dakich and and McCallum are the only remaining members of the coaching staff at the time when Ebanks committed last June. Former Head Coach Kelvin Sampson and former Assistant Coach Rob Senderoff, who was the primary recruiter for Ebanks, have both been forced to resign because of NCAA violations regarding impermissible phone contact.
The plan is now for Ebanks to travel to Indianapolis this weekend to see the Big Ten Tournament and meet with officials from the Hoosiers’ athletic department. Presumably one of the first topics to be discussed will be the future of the program. With several prominent coaches around the country lining up for a shot at the Indiana job as well as the potential for additional NCAA sanctions, there is an air of uncertainty that clouds Ebanks’ decision. Dakich is said to even have conceded so much yesterday, apparently admitting that he does not know if he will be the Head Coach next year or not. And while Ebanks does not plan on officially de-committing this weekend, he does plan on asking permission to visit three-four other schools which are bound to include Memphis, Texas, and Rutgers. So here is a break-down of the final four schools:
Indiana
It is clear that Ebanks still has an affinity for Indiana. He has had several opportunities to simply de-commit and open up his recruitment again. First, when Senderoff resigned, then when Sampson resigned, and most recently when his season at STM officially ended. But Ebanks hasn’t done that. It appears that Indiana’s best chance of keeping Ebanks would be to give Dakick the head coaching job. Ebanks may also be Dakich’s best chance of saving the job as well as well since even a run deep into the post-season is unlikely to get it done if he cannot retain the previously committed recruiting class (Terrell Holloway is also beginning to explore other options).
Memphis
If Ebanks does not end up at Indiana, Memphis may be the leader. With the graduation of Joey Dorsey and Andre Allen, along with the imminent departure of Derrick Rose to the NBA (with the potential for Chris Douglas-Roberts to do the same), Memphis will certainly have plenty of minutes available next year. John Calipari and his staff have apparently targeted Ebanks and Tyreke Evans as a duo capable of keeping them at the top of the national rankings. Consequently, it was no surprise to see Memphis assistant coaches Derek Kellog and Chuck Martin at the quarter-finals of the National Prep Championship last week where Ebanks and Evans were both in action, along with current Memphis signee Matt Simpkins from the Patterson School. But one has to wonder if Memphis’ dribble motion offense is the right system for Ebanks. The offense is based on having interchangeable parts along the perimeter all of whom are capable of breaking their man down off the dribble. While Ebanks is undoubtedly one of the most talented players in the country, his dribble drive game isn’t the most potent part of his arsenal. Instead he is a mismatch problem who can take defenders down to the block or score from the perimeter with a deadly mid-range game and a much improved three-point stroke. Memphis’ offense would have to add some wrinkles to give Ebanks opportunities to do those things and it remains to be seen if they will do that.
Texas
While Texas may not be the favorite to land Ebanks, they certainly have a lot to offer. Rick Barnes’ program has a great deal of experience showcasing long and athletic wings, most notably Kevin Durant. While Ebanks may not be able to match Durant’s production during his single season at Texas, you have to believe he would have success given their similar skill sets. While Texas’ offensive system isn’t based on dribble penetration quite as much as Memphis’, it certainly affords its players plenty of freedom on the offensive end. Ebanks would also be a natural fit on Texas’ current roster. Not only would he have an opportunity to play with one of the best point guards in the country if D.J. Augustin opts to put off the NBA Draft for another year, but he would also have an opportunity to step right in as Texas currently lacks a pure small forward. Instead Rick Barnes and his staff have been utilizing a three-guard line-up with the 6’0” Augustin, 5’11” A.J. Abrams, and 6’2” Justin Mason to start the game. With plenty of big men inside, Texas has also spent a good deal of time with 6’7” Damion James at the 3, although he is much more of a natural face-up four man.
Rutgers
The home town favorites for sure. Perhaps no one would be more excited to have another shot at Ebanks than Fred Hill and his staff. And if Ebanks ultimately decided Rutgers is the place for him he would have an opportunity to turn around New Jersey’s state university all while playing within a short car ride from his Long Island City home. While the challenges at Rutgers may exceed any of his other options so do the potential rewards. Ebanks would become arguably the most talented player on the Scarlet Knights roster almost immediately upon arriving on campus, and if he could lead them to a turn-around of their last place finish in the Big East this year he would reach legendary status in the New York/New Jersey area. He would also be joining an incoming recruiting class featuring a talented trio of local players including Mike Rosario, Patrick Jackson, and former AAU teammate Christian Morris. Adam Zagoria also pointed out a couple of other factors that could work in Rutgers favor including Assistant Coach Craig Carter’s close relationship with the family as well as the fact that Ebank’s AAU Coach’s, Lawrence McGugins, affinity for the program.
So with a visit scheduled to Indiana this weekend and the possibility for other visits to follow shortly, Devin Ebanks recruitment is an ongoing story. While he is far from back on the board, he isn’t exactly off it either.
http://www.idsnews.com/news/story.aspx?i...&comview=1
Quote:Devin Ebanks uncertain of his future at IU
Signee watches Big Ten Tourney, talks to University officials
INDIANAPOLIS – IU signee Devin Ebanks attended Friday night’s game against Minnesota in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament, but he said he’s still unsure of his college basketball future.
Ebanks is one of two IU signees for the class of 2008 who have opt-out clauses in their letters-of-intent because of the departure of former Hoosier coach Kelvin Sampson. With uncertainty surrounding the immediate future of the team, there has been speculation the past few weeks that Ebanks would opt out of his letter-of-intent and pursue other schools.
The Long Island, N.Y., native told the Indiana Daily Student on Friday during halftime of the Hoosier game that he is still undecided.
“I don’t know right now,” Ebanks said.
The purpose of the trip to Indianapolis was to meet with IU officials to talk about the future of the program. IU interim coach Dan Dakich and IU assistant coach Ray McCallum visited Ebanks.
“Right now we have to meet with Rick Greenspan tonight or probably tomorrow, but we haven’t decided yet,” Ebanks said.
Ebanks is ranked as the No. 13 prospect in the nation according to recruiting service http://www.rivals.com. He committed to the Hoosiers during the summer, choosing to play for IU instead of Miami (Fla.) and Rutgers.
Dressed in a gray IU basketball sweatshirt, Ebanks sat next to Ray McCallum Jr., son of the Hoosier assistant, and displayed little emotion during the game.
A decision should come soon from Ebanks’ camp on his future with the Hoosiers.
“I will try to make a decision after the Big Ten Tournament,” Ebanks said.
Well, for IU, the Big Ten Tournament is over:
http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=280740084
We'll know something very soon. There are rumors flying around that Ebanks and Holloway were seen at the IU game with a guy wearing a Memphis sweatsuit. This comes from a guy on Peegs that is similar to Indiana's Keith Easterwood.
Great news! This could be as good a recruiting year as the CDR/Anderson/Shawne Williams/Cooper year.
Probably better!
Thanks B'ham, a lot, for the info you provide!
Does anybody know how Matt Simpkins did in that tourny they were talking about?
Ebanks sounds to me as a point forward lik Dozier only more talented. Wow, what a versatile front court that would be, Dozier and Ebanks. I can dream can't I?
Well, I haven't been able to find anything on that tournament, but he averaged 17 points, 13 rebounds, 6 blocks per game as a soph. Pretty good if you ask me.
Ok, so I found out that Simpkins did very little, didn't look interested and scored 8 points, going 4-6 from the field. Patterson is a highly guard-oriented team at this point. May not fit their style of play that well. We'll see.
Patterson lost on a last second banked three pointer. They only played one game.
k2tigers Wrote:[b]Instead he is a mismatch problem who can take defenders down to the block or score from the perimeter with a deadly mid-range game and a much improved three-point stroke. Memphis’ offense would have to add some wrinkles to give Ebanks opportunities to do those things and it remains to be seen if they will do that.
Yes, because Shawne Williams had such a hard time showcasing his talents in it, I could see where somebody would be concerned.