Hoopraker spotted a Devin Ebanks look-alike sitting solemnly in Conseco section 15, the seats reserved for families and guests of IU, for Friday’s fateful game with Minnesota. As reported by zagsblog, the lanky Ebanks was in Indy to visit IU AD Rick Greenspan and formally ask for a release from his National Letter of Intent, which IU will grant.
Ebanks’ Next Step
According to his prep school coach at St. Thomas More, Jere Quinn, has asked for and will recieve his release. Ebanks is again considering the finalist in his first round of recruitment, Rutgers, as well as two recent entrants with much more national glamor, Memphis and Texas.
On the surface, Rutgers (11-20) seems an odd fit for the No. 9 recruit in the class of 2008 not to mention a long shot with John Calipari and Rick Barnes in the mix. However, the Scarlet Knights recruited Ebanks extremely hard for a long time and its boosts the intangibles of being within driving distance for Ebanks’ family as well as having one of Ebanks’ father’s close friends as an assistant, Craig Carter. Ebanks went for national prestige in selecting IU in November and it’s possible he’ll do so again.
IU’s Next Step
With Ebanks and (as reported by Inside the Hall) point guard recruit Terrell Holloway (Harmony Community School, Cincinnati, OH) receiving releases from their LOI, Indiana’s 2008 recruiting class, as expected, has unraveled. With interim head coach Dan Dakich patrolling the sidelines on borrowed time as IU has assembled a coaching search committee, IU lacks stability at the top of its basketball program. With Big Ten Player of the Year D.J. White graduating and Eric Gordon likely leaving Bloomington after a short stint on campus, IU has gaping holes in its team headed into next season. With sanctions anticipated for NCAA violations incurred during Sampson’s tumultuous reign, IU nevertheless choose keep its team in this year’s team Tournament and deal with the ramifications at a later time and with players who had no relationship to Sampson.
In the meantime, to the chagrin of Hoosiers fans, Purdue’s Matt Painter among other coaches of national prominence (Thad Matta and Todd Lickliter e.g.) are well-positioned to exploit the uncertainty in Bloomington. Having garnered the first of what will become many Coach of the Year awards, Painter has established Purdue, with its 90% graduation rates, numerous all-academic players, and 25 wins this season as the in-state counterweight to the IU basketball program left hanging in the wind by Sampson.
Make this One Count
Still, IU can atone for the sins of Sampson and actually put its program in a much more enviable long term position by making its next hire count. Hopefully, IU has learned the lessons of its last two hires and finds the best fit for what is one of the best coaching jobs in the country.
