'11 IN PF Justin Gant (11/12/2010, LOI)

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From that link:

With so much talent on the 16-and-under Indiana Elite One team, it could be easy for Justin Gant to be overshadowed. But the 6-9 forward from Terre Haute North is making an impression, drawing offers from Bradley, Indiana State, Iowa and Rice.

Gant -- who has bulked up to 200 pounds with a four-days-a-week weightlifting regimen -- is in his first year playing with Indiana Elite One. He averaged 16 points and nine rebounds as a sophomore for a Terre Haute North team that struggled to an 8-15 record.

Butler, Illinois, Michigan and Purdue also have shown interest in Gant. He plans to attend the Notre Dame-Michigan football game in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Sept. 12.
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Dude they better start recruiting this kid a little harder before he get's away! McKenna and Co. I hope you all are not going to let this one get away - I will be utterly distraught if we don't get this local kid. Their is really no reason for him to go any place else - Indiana State has everything to offer the kid, he can play in his own back yard, immediate playing time, and he will be playing on a team that made back to back trips to the NCAA Tourney (if I may foreshadow). lol and you all thought I was a realist! Please
 
Problem with Gant is that he does NOT want to be at Indiana State. I have an inside connection with his family and it is well known that he doesn't like that the Sycamores haven't been good for a long while. He wants to "play for a winning team." Yes, i'll agree we need to do everything to get him to stay home, but if a kid doesn't express a disire to stay.....one, why waste your time and two, what happens if you persuade him and then he's here not really wanting to be. Justin will be a great college player, but if he doesn't want to be a Sycamore, then i don't want him either!!.........although secretly i do!!!
 
BlueBleeder said:
Problem with Gant is that he does NOT want to be at Indiana State. I have an inside connection with his family and it is well known that he doesn't like that the Sycamores haven't been good for a long while. He wants to "play for a winning team." Yes, i'll agree we need to do everything to get him to stay home, but if a kid doesn't express a disire to stay.....one, why waste your time and two, what happens if you persuade him and then he's here not really wanting to be. Justin will be a great college player, but if he doesn't want to be a Sycamore, then i don't want him either!!.........although secretly i do!!!
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I think it's a huge step to say he's going to be a great college player. We don't even know if he could help us. We've had 6'8+ players before that barely got off the bench.
 

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sycamorebacker said:
I think it's a huge step to say he's going to be a great college player. We don't even know if he could help us. We've had 6'8+ players before that barely got off the bench.
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Very good point - I think most of us agree however that he certainly have all the tools to be a nice college player. Now I don't know if the kid wants to play at Indiana State or not but that does not mean that we shouldn't be throwing all of are resources at him.

You very well might have an inside connection, but I am surprised to hear this considering the Justin and his dad were at about every home game of the Sycamores last season. I mean if he is going to be "great" as you suggest then he should want to come to Indiana State to turn around a program he grew up watching. I would think that would be incentive for a young/local talent like Gant. Don't you?

I just hope that they are recruiting the kid hard... If they are and they loose him then so be it - that's part of the game. I was a local athlete and can say that their is nothing more satisfying than playing in front of your family and a home crowd! Even if you are a track athlete! lol
 
He may be the guy we need, I don't know, but it sure seems like we are stirring the pot with a lot of prospects. I just hope we get a few on our A list.
 
Morgan said:
You very well might have an inside connection, but I am surprised to hear this considering the Justin and his dad were at about every home game of the Sycamores last season. I mean if he is going to be "great" as you suggest then he should want to come to Indiana State to turn around a program he grew up watching. I would think that would be incentive for a young/local talent like Gant. Don't you?
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Well, i do have an connection that speaks with his family on a very routine basis. For the last several months i have been getting the word, that while he likes Indiana State and has grown up around the university, he doesn't want to participate in a losing program. This was a surprise to me as i am aware that he attends most of ISU's home games. I agree that a local talent should want to help revive his hometown school's program, Lord knows i sure would if i had that kind of talent....however the truth is kids today don't seem to have a strong sense of loyalty.

Don't get me wrong, i really like what Justin brings to the table and want him to be a Sycamore, but at what point is a waste of resources recruiting him if he doesn't want to be here.
 
The kid is like 10-15 minutes from State. It isn't like you're flying across the country. The resources to recruit a kid that is local like that is minimal. If State isn't recruiting him hard, the coaching staff should be fired immediately. If programs like Michigan are pursuing him, he can play in the MoVal no question.
 
Proud To Be A Tree said:
The kid is like 10-15 minutes from State. It isn't like you're flying across the country. The resources to recruit a kid that is local like that is minimal. If State isn't recruiting him hard, the coaching staff should be fired immediately. If programs like Michigan are pursuing him, he can play in the MoVal no question.
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They have cell phones and go to AAU tournaments. Distance is not a factor. they need to spend their time recruiting the best talent that they have a chance to get.
 

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BlueBleeder said:
Well, i do have an connection that speaks with his family on a very routine basis. For the last several months i have been getting the word, that while he likes Indiana State and has grown up around the university, he doesn't want to participate in a losing program. This was a surprise to me as i am aware that he attends most of ISU's home games. I agree that a local talent should want to help revive his hometown school's program, Lord knows i sure would if i had that kind of talent....however the truth is kids today don't seem to have a strong sense of loyalty.

Don't get me wrong, i really like what Justin brings to the table and want him to be a Sycamore, but at what point is a waste of resources recruiting him if he doesn't want to be here.
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Your insider information and comments were appreciated - I did not intend to lessen their effectiveness by most. I can understand that Gant wants to play for a winning program, heck we all do. It is my hope that by mid season he will be able to see a new product on the floor of the Hulman Center, a winning product, one that he and the community can take pride in. We can take pride in knowing we are winning with good, local talent. Hopefully if we win Gant and other recruits will be able to see larger crowd sizes!
 
Morgan said:
Your insider information and comments were appreciated - I did not intend to lessen their effectiveness by most. I can understand that Gant wants to play for a winning program, heck we all do. It is my hope that by mid season he will be able to see a new product on the floor of the Hulman Center, a winning product, one that he and the community can take pride in. We can take pride in knowing we are winning with good, local talent. Hopefully if we win Gant and other recruits will be able to see larger crowd sizes!
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I'm a big fan of this post. I really have no clue how hard the staff is going after Gant but if the kid wants to play for a winning program he may not have to wait too long for it to happen right there in TH. Maybe he should wait until the late signing period...see how this year's team does and go from there?

I like the infusion of local talent...all these guys know each other well...know each other's limitations and can play to their strengths using this knowledge. Adding Gant wouldn't be a bad thing in my opinion...I just don't know what the staff has in mind.

If they aren't going after him hard, maybe they feel this position is set for the next couple years? Maybe the staff is concentrating more on a post presence/big man? Or a slashing scorer like Harry as they'll need to replace his points. Really don't have a clue...

I do trust that the program will be turned around though...
 
I agree with most all of that - I guess my thought is that if for some reason they are not recruiting this kid very hard (do we have reason to believe that they are not?), what are they seeing in the future that I am not? He would give us a very nice 4 that could play the 3 if need be. I don't know that we will need him to play the 3 - but he will have the ability to do so. The kid is obviously working hard to put a little weight on - I am confident that he could be a force for Indiana State. We just don't have a lot of young 4s or true 4s in general outside of CR. I mean by the time Gant get's here CR will be a JR and I believe that CR and Gant would make a nice one - two punch at the 3 or 4, not to mention you once again add a local kid!
 
BlueBleeder said:
Problem with Gant is that he does NOT want to be at Indiana State. I have an inside connection with his family and it is well known that he doesn't like that the Sycamores haven't been good for a long while. He wants to "play for a winning team." Yes, i'll agree we need to do everything to get him to stay home, but if a kid doesn't express a disire to stay.....one, why waste your time and two, what happens if you persuade him and then he's here not really wanting to be. Justin will be a great college player, but if he doesn't want to be a Sycamore, then i don't want him either!!.........although secretly i do!!!
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You may want to check with your sources because this isn't accurate.

Like any kid, I'd imagine Justin doesn't want to sign on to play with a program that has been unsuccessful for a majority of his life. He's 17, so you've got to remember that he was very young when they Sycamores did have success last -- he can't really identify with that. Justin was kind enough to do an interview for us and stated he does have interest in Indiana State.
 
Morgan said:
I agree with most all of that - I guess my thought is that if for some reason they are not recruiting this kid very hard (do we have reason to believe that they are not?), what are they seeing in the future that I am not? He would give us a very nice 4 that could play the 3 if need be. I don't know that we will need him to play the 3 - but he will have the ability to do so. The kid is obviously working hard to put a little weight on - I am confident that he could be a force for Indiana State. We just don't have a lot of young 4s or true 4s in general outside of CR. I mean by the time Gant get's here CR will be a JR and I believe that CR and Gant would make a nice one - two punch at the 3 or 4, not to mention you once again add a local kid!
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Yes, we do. I have been told as much. The Sycamores are giving nowhere near the effort recruiting him that programs like Michigan, Butler and even Rice are giving.
 

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Additionally, Justin is going to be visiting Indiana State sometime in August. If the Sycamores want to get into this race, they need to start recruiting him like it. He also is planning to visit Michigan on September 12th and will take in the Notre Dame-Michigan football game.
 
hey....that information was accurate....if he is having a change of heart THAT IS AWESOME! Hopefully he is hanging onto the idea that we may be good much sooner than later. It's great that he has done an interview with you and told you that he is Interested in Indiana State, but how interested?...can we all see this interview soon?
 
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