IU-South Bend Pulls In Two Commitments After Big Weekend
Recruiting at the NAIA level is filled with positives and negatives, much like any other level. However, one area of the process that is tough is getting early commitments. Some kids want to play it out and see what they…
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Continue ReadingRecruiting at the NAIA level is filled with positives and negatives, much like any other level. However, one area of the process that is tough is getting early commitments. Some kids want to play it out and see what they get in the fall and that can elongate the process. With that said, one of the teams the last few years that has done very well at pulling in early commitments has been IU-South Bend.
Head coach Scott Cooper has been one of the best in terms of locking in on his guys and getting them to commit early in the fall. This past weekend is a perfect example of his success. Between Friday and Sunday, he gained two commitments from the state of Indiana.
On Friday, Lewis Cass senior Evan Ohman announced that he would be attending IU-South Bend next fall. He skipped out on this summer of AAU for baseball and was a little under-the-radar but is still considered a good recruit at that level. He was joined on Sunday by Lake Central wing Norell Smith. Both Smith and Ohman are 6’4 wing players but with much different styles of play. Ohman will bring quite a bit more perimeter shooting with Smith bringing athleticism and scoring off the bounce. These two will be the start of a solid class for Coach Cooper.
“I really like it down there and I feel like it’s a great school for academics and I feel like I’m a great fit,” Smith said of his commitment to IU-South Bend. “I’m a all around player and I can guard a lot of people.”
Smith visited a few weeks back but his recruitment had been solid up until his commitment. A number of Crossroads League schools had shown interest and Purdue Northwest, Goshen, and IU-South Bend were his standing offers. For Cooper, this was a great pull and a great way to end the weekend.