T.J. Bell, a 6'7 2012 forward from Charleston High School in Charleston, IL has verbally committed to Indiana State University. Bell ended up choosing the Sycamores over offers from Cleveland State and Georgia State.
There is no question that Bell is a most significant get in the 2012 class for Sycamores head coach Greg Lansing. That is because at one time Bell was considered to be the #1 ranked 2012 prospect in Illinois. At that time he had schools such as Oregon, Oregon State, Indiana and Virginia all in pursuit. However, he has not progressed as rapidly as many people thought he would by now. We think that can be attributed mostly to instability, both with respect to his high school status and the traveling team scene.
After his freshman season at Charleston, Bell transferred to Bloomington South High School in Bloomington, IN but was plagued with issues surrounding his eligibility. He would ultimately end up moving back to Charleston after his sophomore year. In addition, Bell has also had trouble settling in with a traveling team on a regular basis. He started out the spring playing for Mean Streets but wound up switching to D3 Dorian's Pride over the summer.
Despite all of this, Bell has a skill set which is very well-suited for the Missouri Valley. He is highly athletic and is active on the glass. Bell is especially effective on the break and in the open court and has solid mid-range scoring ability. He now must work on expanding his perimeter skills (shooting range) and upping his level of intensity.
Bell's family has strong roots in the state of Indiana, as his mother played college basketball at Indiana University before going on to play four seasons in the WNBA. This was a factor that Lansing and his staff were definitely able to use to their advantage when it came to their recruitment of Bell.
http://ilprepbullseye.com/Bell_Indiana_State.html
There is no question that Bell is a most significant get in the 2012 class for Sycamores head coach Greg Lansing. That is because at one time Bell was considered to be the #1 ranked 2012 prospect in Illinois. At that time he had schools such as Oregon, Oregon State, Indiana and Virginia all in pursuit. However, he has not progressed as rapidly as many people thought he would by now. We think that can be attributed mostly to instability, both with respect to his high school status and the traveling team scene.
After his freshman season at Charleston, Bell transferred to Bloomington South High School in Bloomington, IN but was plagued with issues surrounding his eligibility. He would ultimately end up moving back to Charleston after his sophomore year. In addition, Bell has also had trouble settling in with a traveling team on a regular basis. He started out the spring playing for Mean Streets but wound up switching to D3 Dorian's Pride over the summer.
Despite all of this, Bell has a skill set which is very well-suited for the Missouri Valley. He is highly athletic and is active on the glass. Bell is especially effective on the break and in the open court and has solid mid-range scoring ability. He now must work on expanding his perimeter skills (shooting range) and upping his level of intensity.
Bell's family has strong roots in the state of Indiana, as his mother played college basketball at Indiana University before going on to play four seasons in the WNBA. This was a factor that Lansing and his staff were definitely able to use to their advantage when it came to their recruitment of Bell.
http://ilprepbullseye.com/Bell_Indiana_State.html
