Indiana basketball looked as program set to ‘make noise’ on 2024 recruiting trail

Indiana basketball is looking to make a huge splash when it comes to the 2024 recruiting class.

While the Hoosiers may not have anyone signed currently from the 2024 class, with the players they are recruiting, a top five ranking could be within reach.

As it stands right now, Indiana basketball is on a ‘top’ or ‘final’ list for nearly 10 different prospects, all of which come from some of the top players nationally in the 2024 class. The Hoosiers have also hosted a numerous amount of top-50 prospects over the course of this past summer.

In the latest addition of Rivals National Recruiting Director Rob Cassidy’s “I’ve Got Five On It” series, Indiana was listed as one of the programs that looks set to make noise on the 2024 recruiting trail.

“Nobody has more irons in the fire with top prospects than the Hoosiers, who are seen as serious players for five-stars Liam McNeeley, Boogie Fland, Asa Newell and Derik Queen in addition to four-stars Jaeden Mustaf, Austin Swartz and Tyler Betsey among others,” said Rob Cassidy. “What Mike Woodson must do in the next few months is turn being “in the hunt” into tangible commitments.

“Indiana obviously won’t land all of the players listed above, but snatching up two or three would be seen as a success,” Cassidy added. “Of the group, McNeeley and Mustaf seem like the most likely to land in Bloomington, but neither feels like a stone cold lock. Whatever happens, the Hoosiers will be a major player when it comes to shaping the next few months on the trail. It’s just unclear if the last year or so of tireless work will end in a stacked 2024 class or a series of narrow misses.

With the 2024 class, Woodson and Indiana have some important decision as well as visit dates in near future.

Four-star guard Jaeden Mustaf, who was one of the players that visited officially over the summer, has a decision date set for September 14th. He had the Hoosiers listed in his final six which also included Georgia Tech, NC State, Maryland, Florida State and Arkansas.

When it comes to visits, Indiana has both five-star forwards Liam McNeeley and Derik Queen set to make their second official visit to Bloomington together on September 8-10. Both players attended Montverde Academy (FL) and each seen as ‘key’ targets for Mike Woodson and the Hoosiers.

“Indiana is obviously a historic basketball state, and the fans in Indiana almost worship basketball,” Liam McNeeley previously told HoosierIllustrated.com. “Love from the fans make me feel wanted.”

The Hoosiers will also be hosting top-50 guard Austin Swartz for an official visit on August 18-20. Mike Woodson is also expected to visit 2024 5-star guard Boogie Fland, who is also seen as a ‘key’ 2024 target, next month.

As it has been since the start of the summer, Indiana basketball recruiting has looked to be clicking on all cylinders.

“When I took the job, I made it clear to my coaches that we deserved to sit at the table with the best players,” Woodson told reporters this summer. “We kind of squabbled a little bit early on because they didn’t think we were in that position to be able to do that.

“I thought we were based on Indiana basketball and the history of it. So, I didn’t accept no for an answer and I told ’em (my staff) that I wanted to be able to sit at the table with the best players and compete with the Kentucky’s, the Kansas’, the Duke’s, teams like that.”

SEE ALSO: Key 2024 Indiana basketball target named ‘most entertaining’ player in class

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