Which Indiana State player should Indiana Basketball target in the portal?
By Dante Pryor
Let's not bury the lede here. Robbie "Cream Abdul Jabbar" Avila and Ryan Conwell may follow their coach, Josh Schertz, to Saint Louis. It makes sense, after all. Conwell did not receive a Power Five offer, and the only Power Five offer Avila received was from Big East cellar dweller DePaul.
Urban philosopher Mike Jones said it best, "back then ya'll didn't want me, now I'm hot and ya'll on me." Jim Haynes of Bally Sports asked the now Saint Louis head coach about the possibility of them following him. "We certainly hope so," Schertz told Haynes.
Avila and Conwell aren't the only Sycamores in the portal. The rest of the starting five -- Isaiah Swope, Jayson Kent, and Julian Larry-- also entered the portal. They could stay with the coach who was loyal to them. However, if they decided to test the waters and see what is out there for them, which players would fit best in Bloomington?
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The Hoosiers would get good basketball players
Don't let their mid-major status fool you. Josh Schertz is a tremendous basketball coach, and Indiana State has a good basketball team. If any former Sycamores decided to join coach Woodson and the Hoosiers, Indiana would get fundamentally sound, disciplined basketball players.
Avila would be an interesting fit for the Hoosiers. Woodson might prefer a more traditional big man, but the sophomore from Oak Forest can pass from the high post and is a more than proficient scorer. The only question would be his ability to hold up defensively and rebound.
Conwell might fit better than any of the players in the portal. He can score at all three levels and is an effective three-point shooter, something the Hoosiers need. Conwell rebounds well from the guard spot and takes care of the basketball. Conwell is also from Indianapolis, so there might be some desire to stay local and play.