The Indiana basketball program is looking to kick of its 2021 recruiting class with a bang, but it could be left up to just one top in-state prospect.
While the final month of the regular season will determine the postseason play for Indiana basketball, Archie Miller is still finding time to lay the groundwork, as well as build stronger relationships with some of the in-state talent in 2021.
It is well-known how deep and talented the 2021 in-state class is, and though Archie Miller has been open about adding more to the 2020 class, great importance lies with the top trio in 2021.
Khristian Lander, Trey Kaufman and Caleb Furst have all visited Indiana, some more than others, and are all on the top of Indiana’s recruiting board as currently constructed. While they will all be impact players as soon as they step on campus, Lander is the one that most fans have their sights set on.
Recently, the possibility of Lander reclassifying to 2020 has picked up steam, and though there is no definite answer on that, it would drastically change the outlook of Indiana’s season next year, as well as the 2021 class.
Rivals recruiting analyst Corey Evans touched on the possibility that Indiana has to land the top trio in 2021, but also noted the possibility of striking out.
"“I probably like Indiana’s chances more with Khristian Lander, but the Hoosiers are definitely potential suitors for Trey Kaufman and Caleb Furst. Indiana’s biggest competitor for Kaufman is probably Purdue. For Furst, Michigan State has garnered most of the talk surrounding his recruitment, though Iowa, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Purdue and Virginia are also under consideration.”"
If indeed Lander goes the 2020 route, Indiana could very well be the landing spot due to lack of point guard depth and overall guard talent that the Hoosiers have. For the other two targets, however, the Hoosiers competition has been more focused around those two than other programs around Lander.
Despite multiple visits for the IU staff to see Kaufman play, and his handful of visits to Bloomington over the past few months, Purdue still seems to have a leg up in his recruitment. As for Furst, the Hoosiers have never put on a full court press for the talented forward, and because of that Michigan State, Virginia and Purdue all seem to be sitting in a tier of their own.
Indiana has still done a good job with names like Blake Wesley, Aminu Mohammed and Logan Duncomb, but in terms of the top in-state talent that Archie has been pursuing, it could all come down to Lander.