Midweek Tidbit: Sept. 15

Recruiting Updates

Recruiting in college athletics is a 24 hour, seven day a week, grueling job. Make sure to remind Kelvin Sampson that there are restrictions, though.

It has been said most coaches spend twice as much time recruiting than they do working with their own team. And there is good reason for that: if a coach recruits well, his job becomes easier on the field with the talent he has brought to campus. 

We talk about recruiting a lot on this site because it's important in college sports. And if you're like me, you find it interesting.

I enjoy mostly the adventure a recruit takes during his evaluating process. What schools does he like? Where is he going to visit? Why is he going to visit a certain school? And lastly, what school fits him the best?

Let's discuss a few recruiting stories that made news last week. 

Notre Dame Football

Two days after visiting South Bend for the Nevada game, Cameron Roberson, a 6-1, 215 pound running back out of Newbury Park, California, ended his recruitment last Sunday evening, and committed to the Irish. He chose Notre Dame over offers from BYU, Northwestern, Utah, Washington, and Arizona.

Rivals.com gives the new Irish commit a four-star rating, while Scout.com offers a three-star mark.  Rivals.com also ranks Roberson as the 19th best running back in the country, and the 220th top overall prospect. The Newbury product will convert to fullback next season at Notre Dame.



Purdue Basketball

Despite the lack of scholarships the next two seasons, head coach Matt Painter is still a busy man on the recruiting front. The Boilermaker head coach recently offered a prospect many recruiting gurus may have known at one time, but have forgotten over the years.

Indianapolis Park Tutor point guard Kevin Ferrell, also nicknamed 'Yogi,' now a junior, recently picked up an offer from Purdue, after showcasing his talents at the Boilermaker Elite Camp held in West Lafeyette. He also holds offers from Ohio State and Butler. As a sophomore, Ferrell averaged 12.3 points, 5.1 assists and two steals. He also shot 36 percent from three-point range.

Ferrell is no stranger the big stage, as he was once dubbed as the 'Top Fourth Grader' in the country by recruiting analysts years ago. He will visit Purdue sometime this summer.


Indiana Basketball 

Duke and Kentucky had their chances, now it's Indiana's turn.

Tom Crean and staff spent Sunday evening in Elizabeth, New Jersey, making an in-home visit with prize recruit Kyrie Irving. The meeting, as told by Irving, was an "overall good visit."  In the past few weeks, the talk surrounding Indiana's number one target has not been good news to Hoosier fans. It has been reported that Duke is now the solid leader, although Irving has said on many occasions that all the teams involved in his recruitment are "balanced." As more time passes, it appears the Blue Devils may land this talented floor leader.



Fun Fact of the Day: New York Yankees slugger and possible future Hall of Famer, Alex Rodriguez, has hit many home runs in his professional career. Where did he hit his first dinger as a pro? The answer, against the Fort Wayne Wizards back in 1994 at the now crumbled Memorial Stadium.