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Prospect?s college choice looks to be in play

It?s a guess, but Eric Gordon will change his mind, pick IU.

A column by Pete DiPrimio

pdiprimio@news-sentinel.com


Gordon: Gave oral commitment to Illinois last winter

BLOOMINGTON ? Today, we?re doing dangerous sports writing. We?re living on the edge. We?re analyzing from the gut.
Today, we?re going to tell you, with absolute certainty born from two decades of never being wrong (just ask my wife), whether Eric Gordon will choose Indiana or Illinois to play college basketball.
So which is it?
Ah, be patient.
First, a few facts. Gordon is, depending on whom you ask, the No. 1 high school shooting guard in America and one of the top five players in the nation regardless of position. He is a man among boys, the Alpha Stud among Alpha Studs. He is from Indianapolis North Central, and because the Mike Davis-led Hoosiers were not for him, he orally committed to Illinois last winter.
Then Davis resigned and Kelvin Sampson took over and life got complicated.
An oral commitment isn?t binding, but signing a national letter of intent is. High school players can?t sign until November of their senior year. Thus, a player can change his mind, and yes, IU has benefited from this before (remember Robert Vaden signing with the Hoosiers after originally committing to Purdue?).
Once Sampson arrived in Bloomington last spring, Gordon decided to explore his options while still saying his oral commitment with Illinois was firm. Except, of course, that he kept coming to Bloomington ? to visit friends, to have dinner with Sampson and his staff, to play pickup games with current IU players.
If that sounds like getting engaged to Jessica and then dating Britney, well, get your mind back on track.
Anyway, all this stirred angst and criticism within Illini faithful, hope and excitement within Hoosier fans.
Anger was directed at Sampson for getting involved with a player who had committed elsewhere. But recruiting is a ruthless business, and it?s not like Gordon was begging Sampson to leave him alone. If one of America?s top players wants to talk to you, if there are no NCAA rules prohibiting you from talking to him, why wouldn?t you, unless you had the intelligence of a fly?
Last week, Illini coach Bruce Weber visited Gordon at North Central, and by all accounts, it went well. Gordon visited Illinois last weekend, and that, too, apparently went well, although not enough for him to skip another trip to Bloomington.
So Gordon and his family will visit IU this weekend and attend the Hoosier-Connecticut football game. Given the Hoosiers? loss to I-AA Southern Illinois last Saturday and Connecticut?s rushing prowess, well, Cream ?n Crimson fans had better hope the decision doesn?t rest with an Indiana victory.
It won?t, of course. It will be based on what?s best for Gordon, as it should be.
If there?s fault in all this, it?s that Gordon made his original commitment too soon. Don?t commit until you are absolutely sure a school is for you, regardless of any changes in another program. There?s a reason why patience is a virtue.
But you?re not here for a lecture. You want to know where Gordon is going ? before Gordon even knows. In truth, he can?t go wrong. Both are great schools and great programs.
So after analyzing everything, we?ve tapped into the insight that has enabled us to pick the last 10 national basketball champions. OK, maybe it wasn?t the last 10, maybe it wasn?t even the last one (Florida, for those who have forgotten), but let?s not quibble over details.
Gordon will pick the Hoosiers. Sampson will get his first ? but not his last ? big-time Indiana recruiting coup.
And if, by some fluke, Gordon picks Illinois, we can still give you, with absolute certainty, one iron-clad guarantee:
Ohio State will win the national championship.