Indiana University might have had an earlier than expected exit from last year's NCAA tournament, and this year are struggling in Big Ten play, but that did not deter 247Sports'
No.28 ranked overall recruit in the 2014 class to commit to his home state Hoosiers.
Marion (Ind.) shooting guard
James Blackmon Jr. is in the midst of a big senior campaign, tallying over 35 points per game at the same school where his father and head coach, James Blackmon Sr., scored a school record 1,897 points.
A
McDonald's All-American, Blackmon Jr. will be one of two participants representing the Hoosier state at Chicago's United Center on April 2. Blackmon Jr. follows
Noah Vonleh (2013),
Yogi Ferrell (2012), and
Cody Zeller (2011) as IU representatives in the game.
James Blackmon Jr., Marion
Courtesy of 247Sports
Arguably the top shooter in his class, the 6-foot-3 Blackmon Jr. had an eventful recruiting trail to say the least. After recovering from a torn ACL that kept him out during the end of the 2011-12 season, close friend
Trey Lyles of
Indianapolis Arsenal Technical (Ind.) de-committed from Indiana and later committed to Kentucky, the same school James Blackmon Sr. attended.
Blackmon Jr.'s return to the court during his junior season saw him come back stronger than ever, averaging 33.3 points per game for
Fort Wayne Bishop Luers (Ind.). Questioning the steps he took in making his commitment at such an early age, Blackmon Jr. de-committed from Indiana, turning some of his attention to the Kentucky Wildcats. In the meantime, Indiana head coach Tom Crean made it very evident to Blackmon Jr. that he was their primary prospect, and in the end the prized guard kept to his original commitment, bringing Tom Crean one of his biggest recruiting wins yet.
After the injuries, transferring and recruitment woes, Blackmon Jr. has cemented himself as on of the nation's most promising guards. He has been named to the 2014 USA Basketball Junior Select national team, where he will more than likely play against Canadian Trey Lyles and the rest of the World Team on April 12 at the Moda Center in Portland, Ore. during the
Nike Hoop Summit.
Marion (Ind.) is one of the state's most storied programs with seven state titles and currently sits at 15-4 overall. The Giants' next game is tomorrow night at Fort Wayne South Side.
