@iunorth I believe the prospect IU wanted to see on that circuit is 2027 elite shooter Chase Branham. He plays on the Under Armour circuit for the same program and coaches that IU assistant Nick Norton plays for and IU is going to make him a priority, I think, once focus entirely shifts to the 2027 class.
@tjinman1987 In the days prior to NIL/revenue sharing, most top 150 kids seemed to sign prior to the end of December. Your 50% guess for the current time might be a good one.
I've seen a few clips of him. Active player always moving and cutting. Works for his shots Seems to need to get a little crisper at ball handling.: the clips I've seen he's mostly working in the paint , would love to see some clips of him working more in the perimeter because I don't see him as a banger on the next level, unless he adds more bulk and or height. Love his energy.
@hoosiers94 I think you are referring to Chase Branham. If so, he's definitely going to be a guard. He's 6'4" now according to observations from this past weekend. He's an elite shooter...quite possibly the best one in the 2027 class. He's a really good prospect and 247Sports' Travis Branham called him his "best overall player" from the UAA event in Atlanta this past weekend.
If you are talking about Latrell Allmond...he's a fascinating player. So versatile. Good length and he's a legitimate 6'8". He's not a center but I do think he could play stretches there for a team with good height elsewhere and he is a good shot-blocker. His ball handling is a major plus for a 6'8" player and I think his best position is forward next to multiple high-level perimeter shooters. If he turns into a consistent three-point shooter, he's a superstar in college.
@tjinman1987 makes sense, he looked good in the game I saw, now that I've dug in and figured out who he was. There were a couple guard/wings for Atlanta Express though, that looked just as good, if not better. So it wasn't obvious who DeVries would have been watching. The talk from Travis Branham on him being "the best" at the entire event... not sure how good of a call that is. There were some DUDES up on 17U teams.
@hoosiers94 Travis Branham of 247 says they are not...heck of a coincidence though!
I'll be updating the 2026 Recruiting Hot Board article after the Peach Jam finals this weekend...probably sometime next week...one thing that I can "preview" on that: center Ethan Taylor is going to be moving down the list. Taylor has terrific measurables and potential and Kansas watched him multiple times this past weekend. He's from Kansas and if Bill Self makes him a priority, he'll be a Jayhawk. I won't be torn up about it at all if that's what happens...the production has just not been there this summer. He's had to split time for MoKan but still, you'd expect some big games here or there but they really have not occurred.
A reminder, coaches can watch prospects for the final time in July starting on Thursday.
Looks like Ethan Taylor is taking a visit.
@d-b-cooper Posted a separate thread on this but yes, Ethan Taylor says he will visit IU in the fall. It appears my skepticism was premature. Taylor played well at the Peach Jam yesterday and his overall skillset (mobility, rim protection, passing) is intriguing and probably a better natural fit than guys like Ponder or Diane...if he can consistently produce. I still think Kansas is going to be really tough to beat if they choose they want to really pursue Ethan Taylor.
A couple of notes from Peach Jam action that could impact who the IU coaches zero in on:
-Aiden Derkack enters this weekend right on the fence in terms of whether or not he'll be a priority recruit. His performance yesterday may turn the dial towards the "yes" category. He was 0-4 from three BUT went off for 37 points on 14-16 shooting from two and 9-12 from the line. He's a high-energy player that offers everything you could possibly want in a big guard/small wing (6'4") EXCEPT for plus perimeter shooting. The poor three-point shooting is not a fluke and he does not currently project as a guy that will develop a bunch in that area. Everything else is really good though and if he's surrounded with other guys that can shoot, I think he could be quite valuable. It will be interesting to see what the IU coaches do with him this weekend because if they push, IU will be a contender for him.
-Junior County is a new name to know. He's a top 30 player in the 2026 class and currently plays for Wasatch Academy in Utah. Another iron in the fire to monitor.
The Peach Jam Finals officially begin today and there should be a lot of high-level games with coaches being able to evaluate again from today through Saturday.
@tjinman1987 Are there any players (past or present) that have a game similar to Derkack's?
@bigmike Excellent question...I admittedly struggle with player comps because I take them too seriously and overthink things. That written, Derkack is a "dog" that impacts winning in a variety of ways. He's 6'4" or 6'5" (depending on where you look), runs the floor really well, is a really good athlete BUT is a below-average perimeter shooter. I think Jamiya Neal from Creighton might be a decent comparison. Similar height, good athlete, subpar three-point shooter that turned into at least a passable perimeter shooter by his senior season in the Creighton system.
As far as IU players go...it's not a great one but the only thing that comes to my head is a shorter version of Will Sheehey.
More aptly, think of Derkack as a very good complimentary player that could be plugged into a lineup with shooters that could have a really good impact on winning. I would not want him as a primary scoring option and I would not rely on him for perimeter shooting but he's a good creator, good interior scorer and slasher, good finisher at the rim and he plays really hard. Overall, I'd like him as part of the 2026 class.
@tjinman1987 YES! He does have some of those Will Sheehey characteristics to him. He's the kind of kid that you love when he's on your team but when he plays on the other side of the court you find him to be a pain in the a**.
Darian DeVries and Kenny Johnson made a point to watch 2026 wing Cole Cloer this afternoon. His recruitment is beginning to take shape and IU is in his final eight. He is from North Carolina but is playing his senior season at IMG Academy. Cloer is a really good shooter and a developing creator as a passer. He's 6'7" and a really interesting player that would seem to fit really well in DeVries' system (length, shooting and passing). We'll see if IU can lock in a visit from Cloer...that is likely their goal in watching him instead of Ethan Taylor's MoKan squad against Derkack's Team Final matchup. MoKan won, Taylor had 6 and 6 and only played 13 minutes (him splitting minutes with another center really throws off his numbers) while Derkack had 20 points but again struggled to hit anything from the outside.
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