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Indiana Basketball: Run N Slam – Live Blog

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Run N Slam - 5/6 - Fort Wayne, IN - Kyler Staley

The AAU season is in full swing and although this weekend is not an official live period, the 2023 Bill Hensley Memorial Run N Slam in one of the top AAU events of the season in the state.

Some of the top local teams from EYBL, 3SSB, UAA, and many more will all be participating which will make for matchups we don’t normally see throughout the spring/summer.

HoosierIllustrated.com’s Kyler Staley will be in Fort Wayne, IN checking out the Indiana targets all day Saturday.

Some key EYBL prospects include: 2024s Flory Bidunga (Indiana Elite), Travis Perry (Indiana Elite), Jonathan Powell (Midwest Basketball Club), and 2025s Jalen Haralson (Indy Heat) and  Trent Sisley (Indy Heat).

Games for Run N Slam began last night and will go through Sunday.

Below are live updates of some of the key games and notable Indiana basketball targets.

Saturday

8:00 am – Indiana Elite 2024 (Flory Bidunga, Travis Perry) vs MTXE Premier 

Starting off the day watching Indiana targets Flory Bidunga and Travis Perry. This duo is easily one of the best 1-2 punch duos I have seen this year.

Both playing extremely hard to start off with. Bidunga’s motor is super high already this morning and he is trying to block nearly every shot. Perry is working hard on the defensive end.

MTXE playing somewhat close with Indiana Elite. Indiana Elite leads 37-28 at the half.

Bidunga starts off the half with a mean one-handed slam. A few plays later, Perry knocks down an open corner three. Both guys are in rhythm.

Indiana Elite starting to stretch the lead out. Up 53-39 with 10:21 left.

9:15 am – 17u Indy Heat (Trent Sisley, Jalen Haralson) vs Wildcat Select 2024 

Jalen Haralson is not here today due to his brother’s graduation.

Sisley is coming off a 19 point game last night. Easily one of his better performances this AAU season.

Sisley busted his elbow early on but came back in the game. He had a really good first half after that. Was running the floor extremely well and his first few points came off of dunks. He also nailed a three as well.

At the half, Indy Heat leads 43-36.

Sisley opened the half with a bucket around the rim and three-pointer. Also hit a smooth turnaround jumper.

This is easily the best Sisley has looked this spring.

Indy Heat leads 71-63 with 4:40 left.

Wildcat Select made a major comeback and now leads 77-75 with 30.9 sec left. Indy Heat ball.

We have overtime! Tied at 77!

Indy Heat would onto win 83-80. Trent Sisley finished with 16 points.

11:45 am – Midwest Basketball Club 2024 (Jonathan Powell) vs Kyle Guy Elite 17U 

Powell comes off the bench for Midwest Basketball Club but was the first one off.

Little quiet to start off this half but has hit a smooth corner three and had a one-handed slam. Not a player that is going to rush his shit much and elects to play within himself.

Midwest leads 35-27 at the half.

Powell checked in at 10:00 mark in the second half. Drained a three and cleaned up a missed layup since he came back in.

Midwest would go onto win by 20 points this forcing the game to end at the 2 min mark.

Powell had an unofficial 15 points.

SEE ALSO: 2024 four-star guard Jonathan Powell includes Indiana in top 6 schools

8:00 am – Indiana Elite 2024 (Flory Bidunga, Travis Perry) vs Midwest Renegade

Pretty standard stuff from Bidunga and Perry here. Shot making is good by both guys.

Bidunga did have an incredible blocked shot that brought everyone to their feet. Perry has been really good shooting off the ball.

Indiana Elite won 80-52. Bidunga finished with 21 points while Perry added 13 points.

2:15 pm – 17u Indy Heat (Trent Sisley, Jalen Haralson) vs NOVA Village 

Trent Sisley playing really well in this game. Hit a three and has been real aggressive attacking the basket. Didn’t play a ton in the first half due to Indy Heat dominating.

Indy Heat is up 43-24 at the half.

Second half is as pretty much the same dominance from Trent Sisley and Indy Heat. Watching Sisley this week, it looked like he was able to open up his game a little bit more than what he has been able to the last couple of weeks.

Sisley ended with 13 points in Indy Heat’s win.

4:45 pm – Midwest Basketball Club 2024 (Jonathan Powell) vs Kyle Guy Elite 17U

Last game of the day for me. Powell once again is coming off the bench. He does well in that role.

Pretty much the exact same first half as the last game for Powell. 5 points and has a dunk and a three.

Midwest is up 48-38 at the half.

Powell would go onto finish with 10 points.

Make sure to follow Hoosier Illustrated on Twitter @Indiana_FRN and YouTube to stay up to date on all of the news, updates and coverage of Indiana University athletics. 

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2024 top-25 wing Tyler Betsey sets Indiana basketball visit

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2024 top-25 wing Tyler Betsey has set an official visit date with the Indiana basketball program. (@EliteHSscouting / Twitter)

Top-25 wing in the 2024 class Tyler Betsey of St. Thomas More (CT) has set an official visit with the Indiana basketball program.

Betsey will be on campus from June 14-16, he confirms with HoosierIllustrated.com. 247Sports had the initial report. Betsey will be on campus alongside 2024 five-star guard Boogie Fland, who has officially set his Indiana basketball visit for June 13-15.

Betsey is a 6-foot-8 wing who is ranked No. 22 in the 247Sports composite rankings for the 2024 class. He is rated as the No. 8 small forward.

At 6-foot-8, Betsey is a versatile wing who is known as a shooter. He is a high-volume shooter who is very good off of the catch. He’s improving off of the dribble as well and has shown more of an ability to create plays for himself.

Playing for NY Rens on the Nike EYBL circuit and is averaging 11.6 points this summer in 16 games. He’s shooting 35.1 percent from three on 2.5 made 3s per game. He’s 40-of-114 this summer from three. He’s had four games with at least four made 3s. Betsey plays alongside current Indiana basketball target and five-star guard Dylan Harper on NY Rens as well. Harper visited Indiana in the fall.

247Sports National Recruiting Director Eric Bossi broke down Betsey’s game from earlier this summer.

“At nearly 6-foot-8 with smooth athleticism and a good-looking jumper, it was pretty clear that he has all of the tools to make a move towards the top of the class and he’s one of those kids who seems like he could end up ranked as high as he decides he wants to be.”

Currently, Betsey has offers from Indiana, Duke, Alabama, Kansas, UConn, Cincinnati, Auburn, Rutgers, Michigan State, Providence and others.

SEE ALSO: Indiana basketball recruiting beginning to click on all cylinders: ‘I wanted to be able to sit at the table with the best players’

Make sure to follow Hoosier Illustrated on Twitter @Indiana_FRN and YouTube to stay up to date on all of the news, updates and coverage of Indiana University athletics. 

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Indiana basketball extends offer to 2025 top-30 prospect Jasper Johnson

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National top-30 2025 guard Jasper Johnson received a scholarship offer from the Indiana basketball program. (Jasper Johnson - @BruhJasperJ / Twitter)

The Indiana basketball program has extended a scholarship offer to 2025 top-30 guard Jasper Johnson of Woodford County (Ky).

Johnson is ranked No. 23 in the 247Sports composite rankings for the class of 2025. He is also the No. 3 combo guard in the class.

Part of Team Thad on the Nike EYBL circuit, Johnson is playing two divisions up in the 17U division. Through 16 games this spring and summer, Johnson is averaging 12.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. He is shooting 51 percent from the floor and 40.3 percent from three (27-of-67).

Johnson had his best game of the summer last weekend in Memphis — scoring 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting and 5-of-6 from three. He was 12-of-21 from three in four games last weekend.

Travis Branham of 247Sports broke down Johnson’s performance.

“In a three-minute span, Johnson scored a dozen points including three triples and a dunk in transition that took a three-or-four point lead and stretching it to double figures.,” Branham wrote. “Johnson has continued to grow as a player this spring. His confidence and aggressiveness are continuing to elevate along with his improving handle and jumper to create offense for himself and others.”

Johnson and the Indiana basketball program had a relationship prior to this offer. Johnson has mentioned to HoosierIllustrated.com that the NBA pedigree of head coach Mike Woodson is appealing.

He visited Indiana twice during this past season. He was in Bloomington when Trayce Jackson-Davis had a triple-double. Johnson has also visited Kentucky, Louisville, Cincinnati, Ohio State, Tennessee and Xavier in addition to others.

The 6-foot-2 guard has offers from Kentucky, Arizona State, Cal, Cincinnati, West Virginia, Louisville, Ohio State, Memphis, Xavier and others.

SEE ALSO: 2024 five-star point guard Boogie Fland eyeing Indiana basketball visit

Make sure to follow Hoosier Illustrated on Twitter @Indiana_FRN and YouTube to stay up to date on all of the news, updates and coverage of Indiana University athletics. 

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IU basketball recruiting beginning to click on all cylinders: ‘I wanted to be able to sit at the table with the best players’

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Mike Woodson won't 'accept no for an answer' when it comes to recruiting and building his IU basketball roster. (Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times-USA TODAY NETWORK)

When Mike Woodson took the job as the head coach of the IU basketball program two years ago — his message was clear. He wanted to get Indiana back into the national conversation by competing for Big Ten and National Championships.

The only way to do that was to bring in high-level talent. Not just local, but from around the country.

The message has always been that Indiana has the best talent in the country — but recently, that hasn’t been the case. The previous staff did a good job of recruiting the state but failed to land top talent from outside of Indiana — or even the midwest — on a regular basis. That resulted in IU basketball failing to make an NCAA Tournament for six years.

So, when Woodson stepped back on campus on day one, it was about getting the best talent in the country — no matter where — to come to Bloomington.

“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 on Wednesday. “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.

“Well, back in the day, it was always that way.”

Last year saw four scholarship players from Indiana. The year before was five.

Next season will be quite different. There will only be two players from the state of Indiana on scholarship.

A main reason for that is because of what Woodson stressed — and knowing what he wanted for his roster.

“I thought we were based on Indiana basketball and the history of it,” Woodson said. “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.”

While Woodson just wanted a seat at the table, he’s done more than just sit there.

In the last two years, Woodson has landed four five-star prospects either from high school or through the transfer portal. It resulted in having two McDonald’s All-American’s on the roster this upcoming season for the first time since 2016.

In addition to the two five-star commitments in the past two months, the IU basketball program has also seen a one-and-done five-star prospect move his way into a projected lottery-pick in the upcoming NBA Draft in Jalen Hood-Schifino. That is notable to recruits — and Woodson knows it.

“It’s done a lot, you know,” Woodson said on Hood-Schifino’s development. ” … Not to say he was a one-and-done, but he put himself in that position and was able to do a lot of nice things for our ball club and you know, our program benefited from it.”

A large reason for the (recent) uptick in the national relevancy for IU basketball in the recruiting world is because of Woodson and his NBA pedigree — yes. But, it’s the entire staff that he’s put together that has built their reputations on relationships and honesty — something hard to come by in today’s recruiting world.

“I got a wonderful staff and, you know, we are beating the phones down and when guys come available, we are trying to get in front of their parents and whoever’s their representative and we are doing all the necessary things to get ’em to campus and close the deal,” Woodson said. “And this has been a great, great summer for us in terms of recruiting and, again, I give a lot of credit to my staff and them getting me in front of the people that we’re trying to recruit, the player and we’re starting to pay off. It’s starting to pay off for us.”

And in recruiting, in order to get a yes, you’re going to get a lot of no’s. But, that’s okay and what’s needed in order to reach the next level as a program.

“All they (recruits) can do is tell us no, but we gotta get there and we’ve been able to get there some, so it’s kind of nice.”

SEE ALSO: IU basketball senior guard Xavier Johnson gives update on his health: ‘I’m 100 (percent)’

ake sure to follow Hoosier Illustrated on Twitter @Indiana_FRN and YouTube to stay up to date on all of the news, updates and coverage of Indiana University athletics. 

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