Indiana, Purdue take in-state recruiting to new heights

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana coach Archie Miller and Purdue coach Matt Painter relied exclusively on in-state talent for their new recruiting classes.

Just hours before the Hoosiers hosted Marquette, Miller announced 6-foot-4 guard Armaan Franklin signed. Franklin averaged 23.0 points and 7.8 rebounds last year for Indianapolis Cathedral and becomes the fourth all-state selection to join Indiana in the past 12 months.

Painter added two guards — Isaiah Thompson and Brandon Newman — along with forward Mason Gillis.

The 6-1 Thompson is the younger brother of last year's starting point guard P.J. Thompson and averaged 23.1 points last season at Zionsville on the west side of Indy. Newman played at Valparaiso High School where the 6-4 guard averaged 25.1 points and 9.5 rebounds.

At 6-7, Gillis made the Indiana Junior All-Star team last season after averaging 21.6 points and 12.2 assists at New Castle — the same school that produced former Indiana Hoosiers star and current UCLA coach Steve Alford.

Purdue's class is generally regarded among the top 30 in the nation.

Ball State took a similar path, adding two more players from in-state — getting 6-1 point guard Luke Bumbalough, Gillis' teammate, and 6-5 Lucas Kroft from Richmond, near the Ohio border. The Cardinals also added 6-10 center Ben Hendriks from Canada. Hendricks is a former hockey player who was too tall to continue playing the sport.

The Indiana women's four-player recruiting class is headlined by Jorie Allen, the star of Bedford North Lawrence — Damon Bailey's alma mater south of Bloomington, and Mackenzie Holmes of Gorham, Maine.

But coach Sharon Versyp went outside the Indiana state lines to fill out the Boilermakers' recruiting class. She signed Bria Harmon, a star from Georgia, and Rickie Woltman, a 6-3 post player from St. Louis who is considered the highest-rated player to sign with Versyp's team.