Indiana Basketball: Is Archie Miller the Big Ten’s best recruiter?

Who is the best recruiter in the Big Ten?

Let’s spitball some of the candidates for this lofty title, in no particular order.

Chris Holtmann

Holtmann is similar to Miller in that he doesn’t aim for the most elite recruits year in and year out. He has one #1 Big Ten recruiting class under his belt in 2019, but also had the 11th worst class in the conference just this year.

Mark Turgeon

Turgeon has snagged great recruits like Bruno Fernando and Jalen Smith, but he has also had several disappointing classes. His formerly excellent team is bereft of any young talent, as they had the worst recruiting class in the entire conference this season. Turgeon did, however, bring in two solid transfers.

Juwan Howard

Howard is new to the Big Ten but already arguably its best recruiter. His recruiting class for 2020 was absolutely monstrous, boasting four top-100 recruits, including top-ten recruit Isaiah Todd. I say “was” because Howard lost Todd to the G League, but he still has the second-best class in the conference.

Tom Izzo

Izzo is a recruiting volcano that lays dormant for about five years and then he just erupts. Although he always brings in a solid class, Izzo is capable of having impeccable recruiting classes every now and then. In 2016, Izzo pulled in Miles Bridges and Joshua Langford, two McDonalds All-Americans, Cassius Winston (#31), and Nick Ward (#42). Just this summer, Izzo had arguably the greatest recruiting streak ever, wooing super-phenom Emoni Bates, top-15 2020 player Max Christie, and the number four center for the class of 2022, Enoch Boakye.

Where does Miller Belong?

Archie Miller belongs below Izzo on this list and is in the conversation for second with Howard. Howard’s strategy will likely always be to bring top-tier talent to Ann Arbor, which draws the eye a little more than what Miller tries to achieve. However, when you look at sheer effectiveness in executing a recruiting plan, the coach of the Hoosiers is nearly flawless.

Dawson Garcia and Keion Brooks Jr are the two pockmarks on an otherwise perfect three completed years of recruiting, and Miller’s class of 2021 is gearing up to be maybe his biggest yet. He doesn’t belong ahead of Izzo, but he is more proven than Howard and has the state of Indiana nearly on lock. Give him five more years, and he could be in the conversation for the best recruiter in the conference, but for now, we’ll safely have him at number two.