Indiana basketball recruiting: 2024 5-star schedules visit to Bloomington

Asa Newell, a 2024 5-star forward that will be attending Montverde Academy for his next two seasons, scheduled his official visit to Mike Woodson and the Indiana basketball program in October. The relationship and trust built from Montverde Academy with the Hoosiers should be a big advantage as they have two alumni freshman, Jalen Hood-Schifino and Malik Reneau, that will be helping the recruiting staff bring in a talent like Newell

Visiting Bloomington in October is the best time to see the campus and the weather is typically perfect. Adding in that the Hoosiers will be gearing up for the 2022-23 season and hoping to impress Newell, who could be a future star in Assembly Hall in the near future.

The 6-foot-9 forward currently ranks as the 13th best recruit in the talented 2024 class and the number one overall best power forward in the country. Newell holds offers from 12 schools, all from power conferences, including Illinois, Texas, Arkansas, and Florida.

Looking ahead to 2024, Indiana basketball will be without Trayce Jackson-Davis and Race Thompson, and potentially without forwards Malik Reneau and Kaleb Banks. As of right now, Woodson and the Indiana basketball recruiting staff do not have any commitments from any forward in the 2023 class. The Hoosiers have offers out to four 5-star forwards in the 2024 class, which is clearly a big priority for the future.

Analyzing Newell’s highlights (below), he has a great frame, length, and athleticism. With talent on both sides of the ball, he will be a great fit in the Big Ten if he can add some muscle and weight to him to hang with the big boys. Adding to that, Newell’s ability to shoot the ball and score from all three levels is something you’re starting to see more from these highly ranked recruits. It’s a big standout and something that Indiana basketball hasn’t really been able to experience first-hand.

“Ace”‘s game reminds me a lot of Jabari Smith Jr., the number 3 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets and Auburn superstar, along with Myles Turner of the Indiana Pacers, who developed into an even better shooter once he left Texas.