Saturday, June 12, 2010
Nebraska a Phenomenal Fit
Link
They met last month at a secret location to exchange materials on mission and branding and culture and finances — all those athletic-department buzzwords that make you want to flip the channel.But what struck Jim Delany, the Big Ten's buttoned-down commissioner, was something more emotional, something that led him Friday to call Nebraska a "phenomenal fit."Delany recalled Nebraska athletic director Tom Osborne telling him about how Cornhuskers fans gave Texas' Ricky Williams a standing ovation after he rushed for 150 yards in a 1998 game — a 20-16 Longhorns victory.
"I thought: 'Wow, that's special. They get it,' " Delany said. "When you are proud of something like that, it's a distinguishing characteristic."It's not (about) dollars or cents or television or even academics. It's about culture and values. They thought a lot like we did in what we are trying to achieve in our venues."
So there you have it: Delany was turned on by Nebraska's sportsmanship. Probably didn't hurt that Nebraska has some of the nation's richest football tradition, has sold out 304 consecutive games at 81,067-seat Memorial Stadium, is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities and resides in the Midwest.All those factors contributed to Nebraska's joining the league of Bo and Woody on Friday — the Big Ten's first addition since Penn State in 1990.And the Big Ten might not stop at 12, instead following Delany's "act and act again" model/forecast from one week ago.Delany called this period "a pause … a deep breath" and said the conference could take another six to 12 months before deciding whether to add more schools."We're back to the 'slower-tempo' sort of game," he said. "We will continue to study. If an opportunity presents itself, (we will) seize it. But it's very hard to predict the unpredictable. That's the environment we find ourselves in."Missouri is all but out of the picture, a victim of apparent Big Ten ambivalence.
"My understanding," Big 12 Commissioner Dan Beebe said Friday, "is there aren't any other conference members (that will be) considered by the Big Ten."Texas appears headed to the Pac-10 (along with Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and possibly Texas A&M), but Longhorns officials won't make that announcement until Tuesday at the earliest.Notre Dame also remains a pipe dream, with athletic director Jack Swarbrick telling the Tribune the school has had "no substantive discussions" with the Big Ten.Sources say the Big Ten remains interested in not only Rutgers, but also Maryland, a school that has not received much attention from expansion observers.Maryland is a large public research institution in a Big Ten border state with two substantial TV markets (Washington and Baltimore) and a decent athletic history.Maryland is an AAU member and ranks 53rd nationally among public universities (tied with Ohio State and ahead of Purdue, Minnesota, Indiana, Michigan State, Iowa and Nebraska) but has struggled to graduate its football and men's basketball players, producing weak Academic Progress Rate numbers.
But go back to Nebraska. Chancellor Harvey Perlman said a major attraction of the Big Ten was stability "that the Big 12 simply cannot offer."Not only that, but there's a promise of increased revenue once Nebraska becomes an equal member. The Big 12 paid out about $10 million to Nebraska in 2009, half of what Big Ten schools received.Perlman and Osborne also talked about fit."We don't feel like we're walking into a room of strangers," Perlman said.Added Osborne: "We feel we share a lot of common values with what we know of Big Ten institutions."
A few other keys:
•Nebraska will join the conference on July 1, 2011. "A quick turnaround," Delany called it. But not soon enough for Osborne. "Once you make the change, you'd like to do it tomorrow," he said.
•In determining how to break up the 12 (or 14 or 16) teams into divisions, Delany said the first priority will be "competitive fairness." Second is maintaining rivalries. Third is geography.
•Delany said he is "presuming" there will be a conference title game in 2011 and will consult former SEC Commissioner Roy Kramer on the logistics. Delany said the conference has not looked into possible venues.
•The vote among presidents and chancellors in favor of Nebraska was unanimous.
•Nebraska has been particularly strong in women's basketball, women's volleyball and baseball. Oh, and the women's bowling team is pretty decent. The men's basketball team, meanwhile, never has won an NCAA tournament game.
They met last month at a secret location to exchange materials on mission and branding and culture and finances — all those athletic-department buzzwords that make you want to flip the channel.But what struck Jim Delany, the Big Ten's buttoned-down commissioner, was something more emotional, something that led him Friday to call Nebraska a "phenomenal fit."Delany recalled Nebraska athletic director Tom Osborne telling him about how Cornhuskers fans gave Texas' Ricky Williams a standing ovation after he rushed for 150 yards in a 1998 game — a 20-16 Longhorns victory.
"I thought: 'Wow, that's special. They get it,' " Delany said. "When you are proud of something like that, it's a distinguishing characteristic."It's not (about) dollars or cents or television or even academics. It's about culture and values. They thought a lot like we did in what we are trying to achieve in our venues."
So there you have it: Delany was turned on by Nebraska's sportsmanship. Probably didn't hurt that Nebraska has some of the nation's richest football tradition, has sold out 304 consecutive games at 81,067-seat Memorial Stadium, is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities and resides in the Midwest.All those factors contributed to Nebraska's joining the league of Bo and Woody on Friday — the Big Ten's first addition since Penn State in 1990.And the Big Ten might not stop at 12, instead following Delany's "act and act again" model/forecast from one week ago.Delany called this period "a pause … a deep breath" and said the conference could take another six to 12 months before deciding whether to add more schools."We're back to the 'slower-tempo' sort of game," he said. "We will continue to study. If an opportunity presents itself, (we will) seize it. But it's very hard to predict the unpredictable. That's the environment we find ourselves in."Missouri is all but out of the picture, a victim of apparent Big Ten ambivalence.
"My understanding," Big 12 Commissioner Dan Beebe said Friday, "is there aren't any other conference members (that will be) considered by the Big Ten."Texas appears headed to the Pac-10 (along with Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and possibly Texas A&M), but Longhorns officials won't make that announcement until Tuesday at the earliest.Notre Dame also remains a pipe dream, with athletic director Jack Swarbrick telling the Tribune the school has had "no substantive discussions" with the Big Ten.Sources say the Big Ten remains interested in not only Rutgers, but also Maryland, a school that has not received much attention from expansion observers.Maryland is a large public research institution in a Big Ten border state with two substantial TV markets (Washington and Baltimore) and a decent athletic history.Maryland is an AAU member and ranks 53rd nationally among public universities (tied with Ohio State and ahead of Purdue, Minnesota, Indiana, Michigan State, Iowa and Nebraska) but has struggled to graduate its football and men's basketball players, producing weak Academic Progress Rate numbers.
But go back to Nebraska. Chancellor Harvey Perlman said a major attraction of the Big Ten was stability "that the Big 12 simply cannot offer."Not only that, but there's a promise of increased revenue once Nebraska becomes an equal member. The Big 12 paid out about $10 million to Nebraska in 2009, half of what Big Ten schools received.Perlman and Osborne also talked about fit."We don't feel like we're walking into a room of strangers," Perlman said.Added Osborne: "We feel we share a lot of common values with what we know of Big Ten institutions."
A few other keys:
•Nebraska will join the conference on July 1, 2011. "A quick turnaround," Delany called it. But not soon enough for Osborne. "Once you make the change, you'd like to do it tomorrow," he said.
•In determining how to break up the 12 (or 14 or 16) teams into divisions, Delany said the first priority will be "competitive fairness." Second is maintaining rivalries. Third is geography.
•Delany said he is "presuming" there will be a conference title game in 2011 and will consult former SEC Commissioner Roy Kramer on the logistics. Delany said the conference has not looked into possible venues.
•The vote among presidents and chancellors in favor of Nebraska was unanimous.
•Nebraska has been particularly strong in women's basketball, women's volleyball and baseball. Oh, and the women's bowling team is pretty decent. The men's basketball team, meanwhile, never has won an NCAA tournament game.
Big Ten appears to close the door on Mizzou
Link
Missouri’s chance of receiving an offer from the Big Ten Conference appeared to slam shut this afternoon when Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe said there weren’t any other Big 12 members “being pursued by the Big Ten at this time.”
But MU athletic director Mike Alden told The Star that he is not ready to close the door on the Big Ten.
“We don’t have knowledge of that,” Alden said. “To me that certainly is speculative, that deal. I appreciate the commissioner saying what he said. But we don’t know that to be accurate or not.”
Beebe made his comments on a national teleconference after Nebraska announced it was joining the Big Ten. Beebe said he spoke earlier in the day with Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany and Beebe said he believed the Big Ten was done shopping in the Big 12.
Delany, speaking later in the afternoon at a news conference in Lincoln, Neb., said the Big Ten will adhere to its original timetable when it comes to further expansion possibilities.
“We’re going to pause,” Delany said as he was welcoming the University of Nebraska to his conference on Friday.
In December, the conference said the process would take 12-to-18 months, but the Cornhuskers were fast-tracked.
The Big Ten may not be finished growing after adding the Cornhuskers as its 12th member. Delany said his conference won’t sit idly by if there are other changes in the college sports landscape.
“We’re still open, we’re aware of what’s going on,” Delany said. “Change won’t abate anytime soon.
“But we’re in a great place. We’re stronger today than we were yesterday.”
Earlier in the day, University of Missouri system president Gary Forsee increased his level of rhetoric in assuring that Missouri will not be left without an equitable position in the changing landscape of major college athletics.
Forsee and other MU officials also took issue with the notion — as one questioner put it — that Mizzou may have “started the hillside on fire” in so quickly responding to the Big Ten’s expansion announcement last December.
“I don’t think that would be accurate,” Forsee said during a news briefing at which he and Board of Curators chairperson Judy Haggard fielded questions.
“Trace chapter and verse. That would be very inaccurate.
“The match was the Big Ten talking about expansion. What’s happened since that period of time, if you go back and look at comments made by us or anybody else, we were only doing what you would expect any institution — whether you’re sitting here or in Lawrence, Kansas, or Waco, Texas.
“Did we contribute more or less than any other institution in the Big 12 or nationally? No. I think we’ve all been caught up in now this national discussion that certainly has spread beyond the Big Ten, and the Big 12 is certainly in the middle of that.”
After Nebraska’s exit to the Big Ten was on, Nebraska president Harvey Perlman reminded his regents that Nebraska wasn’t the first to be associated with Big Ten expansion, pointing out Missouri and Colorado.
“Early on, after the Big Ten announced it was considering expansion, officials at Missouri said they wanted to go to the Big Ten, including statements by their governor with comments that were not clearly supportive of the Big 12,” Perlman said. “Colorado has always been mentioned as poised between the Pac-10 and the Big 12."
Alden, aware of Perlman’s comments, later spoke even more forcefully to that issue in terms of Missouri’s expansion stance causing rifts within the Big 12.
“I’ve heard that suggestion out there,” Alden said. “And I would tell you, that’s ridiculous. That is silly.”
Missouri’s chance of receiving an offer from the Big Ten Conference appeared to slam shut this afternoon when Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe said there weren’t any other Big 12 members “being pursued by the Big Ten at this time.”
But MU athletic director Mike Alden told The Star that he is not ready to close the door on the Big Ten.
“We don’t have knowledge of that,” Alden said. “To me that certainly is speculative, that deal. I appreciate the commissioner saying what he said. But we don’t know that to be accurate or not.”
Beebe made his comments on a national teleconference after Nebraska announced it was joining the Big Ten. Beebe said he spoke earlier in the day with Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany and Beebe said he believed the Big Ten was done shopping in the Big 12.
Delany, speaking later in the afternoon at a news conference in Lincoln, Neb., said the Big Ten will adhere to its original timetable when it comes to further expansion possibilities.
“We’re going to pause,” Delany said as he was welcoming the University of Nebraska to his conference on Friday.
In December, the conference said the process would take 12-to-18 months, but the Cornhuskers were fast-tracked.
The Big Ten may not be finished growing after adding the Cornhuskers as its 12th member. Delany said his conference won’t sit idly by if there are other changes in the college sports landscape.
“We’re still open, we’re aware of what’s going on,” Delany said. “Change won’t abate anytime soon.
“But we’re in a great place. We’re stronger today than we were yesterday.”
Earlier in the day, University of Missouri system president Gary Forsee increased his level of rhetoric in assuring that Missouri will not be left without an equitable position in the changing landscape of major college athletics.
Forsee and other MU officials also took issue with the notion — as one questioner put it — that Mizzou may have “started the hillside on fire” in so quickly responding to the Big Ten’s expansion announcement last December.
“I don’t think that would be accurate,” Forsee said during a news briefing at which he and Board of Curators chairperson Judy Haggard fielded questions.
“Trace chapter and verse. That would be very inaccurate.
“The match was the Big Ten talking about expansion. What’s happened since that period of time, if you go back and look at comments made by us or anybody else, we were only doing what you would expect any institution — whether you’re sitting here or in Lawrence, Kansas, or Waco, Texas.
“Did we contribute more or less than any other institution in the Big 12 or nationally? No. I think we’ve all been caught up in now this national discussion that certainly has spread beyond the Big Ten, and the Big 12 is certainly in the middle of that.”
After Nebraska’s exit to the Big Ten was on, Nebraska president Harvey Perlman reminded his regents that Nebraska wasn’t the first to be associated with Big Ten expansion, pointing out Missouri and Colorado.
“Early on, after the Big Ten announced it was considering expansion, officials at Missouri said they wanted to go to the Big Ten, including statements by their governor with comments that were not clearly supportive of the Big 12,” Perlman said. “Colorado has always been mentioned as poised between the Pac-10 and the Big 12."
Alden, aware of Perlman’s comments, later spoke even more forcefully to that issue in terms of Missouri’s expansion stance causing rifts within the Big 12.
“I’ve heard that suggestion out there,” Alden said. “And I would tell you, that’s ridiculous. That is silly.”
It's Official
Bo Pelini's answer came as no surprise. He's focused on the here and now. So even though the plan is for Nebraska to begin competing in the Big Ten in 2011, Pelini is looking no further than the upcoming season, the Cornhuskers' last in the Big 12.That was his response to a question during Friday's news conference to announce Nebraska's move to the Big Ten. He also was asked his feelings about setting traditions aside."I'm not a real emotional guy," Pelini said with a smile and a nod.Not "emotional?" Then why the laughter as he walked from the podium? Maybe "not sentimental" was what he meant. Who better to address the issue of Nebraska's joining the Big Ten than Pelini, a Youngstown, Ohio, native and Ohio State grad, Class of 1990? Oh yes, he also got his coaching start as a graduate assistant at Iowa.
Of course, he's been at Nebraska for only three football seasons, the first as defensive coordinator and the last two as head coach. So setting aside tradition isn't as big of a deal to him.The situation is different for Athletic Director Tom Osborne, however. He grew up in the state and was a graduate assistant on Bob Devaney's first staff in 1962. "There's a little bit of nostalgia because you realize some of the history's going by the wayside," said Osborne. "But for the long-term trajectory of the athletic program and the university, this is really an important day."Tradition or not, Nebraska had to look out for its own interests in the context of unmistakable uncertainty regarding the long-term viability of the Big 12 Conference. "Life goes on," Osborne said. "It isn't that we weren't sensitive (to tradition). Believe me, I agonized about this."But he and Chancellor Harvey Perlman concluded "this probably wasn't going to hold together."
The truth is the Big 12 had become dysfunctional, if it ever had the cohesion, the shared culture among its members, necessary for the conference to survive, much less thrive. Osborne and Perlman never said that. Their comments about the Big 12 were complimentary, devoid of animosity. Their decision to leave for the Big Ten was practical not personal.Nebraska definitely will fit the Big Ten culture. "That's one thing I mentioned quite often was culture today when I was talking, and I just think that it's a comfortable fit," Osborne said. "It doesn't mean that we're going to agree 100 percent of the time, but I do think that there's a lot of similarity, an emphasis on work ethic, a lot of people are fairly blue-collar, pretty good values throughout the Midwest. So I think that's going to help."The Big Ten did its due diligence before accepting Nebraska."I think (Commissioner) Jim Delany is a really bright guy, and when we met with him a week or so ago, I was impressed by the fact he said, 'You know, we've seen so many conferences just kind of get smashed together without any preparatory work, any idea of how you're going to merge these cultures or these philosophies,' " said Osborne. "And he said, 'This is a big deal, and the reason some of these don't work so well is because that forethought and that preparation didn't occur.'"So he's sincere. He wants to make sure our fans and our people really get to know more about him, get to know more about the Big Ten, and he's going to try to make it work."Delany was right, said Osborne, "that sometimes the reason conferences come apart is you assume everybody understands each other and you assume the culture's common, and all of sudden you get thrust together and you realize it really isn't the way you thought."
Delany came to Lincoln for Friday's announcement. And he was impressive, all right. He had a block-N pin on his lapel. He wore a red and white striped tie. And he was conversant with Cornhusker football history. He also was focused on the here and now."Fit is very important," he said.Nebraska is a good fit for the Big Ten, whether or not the move elicits emotion from Pelini."You would've got the same response if we joined the NFL," said Perlman.
Of course, he's been at Nebraska for only three football seasons, the first as defensive coordinator and the last two as head coach. So setting aside tradition isn't as big of a deal to him.The situation is different for Athletic Director Tom Osborne, however. He grew up in the state and was a graduate assistant on Bob Devaney's first staff in 1962. "There's a little bit of nostalgia because you realize some of the history's going by the wayside," said Osborne. "But for the long-term trajectory of the athletic program and the university, this is really an important day."Tradition or not, Nebraska had to look out for its own interests in the context of unmistakable uncertainty regarding the long-term viability of the Big 12 Conference. "Life goes on," Osborne said. "It isn't that we weren't sensitive (to tradition). Believe me, I agonized about this."But he and Chancellor Harvey Perlman concluded "this probably wasn't going to hold together."
The truth is the Big 12 had become dysfunctional, if it ever had the cohesion, the shared culture among its members, necessary for the conference to survive, much less thrive. Osborne and Perlman never said that. Their comments about the Big 12 were complimentary, devoid of animosity. Their decision to leave for the Big Ten was practical not personal.Nebraska definitely will fit the Big Ten culture. "That's one thing I mentioned quite often was culture today when I was talking, and I just think that it's a comfortable fit," Osborne said. "It doesn't mean that we're going to agree 100 percent of the time, but I do think that there's a lot of similarity, an emphasis on work ethic, a lot of people are fairly blue-collar, pretty good values throughout the Midwest. So I think that's going to help."The Big Ten did its due diligence before accepting Nebraska."I think (Commissioner) Jim Delany is a really bright guy, and when we met with him a week or so ago, I was impressed by the fact he said, 'You know, we've seen so many conferences just kind of get smashed together without any preparatory work, any idea of how you're going to merge these cultures or these philosophies,' " said Osborne. "And he said, 'This is a big deal, and the reason some of these don't work so well is because that forethought and that preparation didn't occur.'"So he's sincere. He wants to make sure our fans and our people really get to know more about him, get to know more about the Big Ten, and he's going to try to make it work."Delany was right, said Osborne, "that sometimes the reason conferences come apart is you assume everybody understands each other and you assume the culture's common, and all of sudden you get thrust together and you realize it really isn't the way you thought."
Delany came to Lincoln for Friday's announcement. And he was impressive, all right. He had a block-N pin on his lapel. He wore a red and white striped tie. And he was conversant with Cornhusker football history. He also was focused on the here and now."Fit is very important," he said.Nebraska is a good fit for the Big Ten, whether or not the move elicits emotion from Pelini."You would've got the same response if we joined the NFL," said Perlman.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
More on Vanhoose
More info:#7 / Graham / Nick Vanhoose / CB & TB / 6' 1" / 188# / Jr-2011 / 4.36-40 /***2009 - 10 games 186 carries for 1,877 yards & 25 TD's on the ground, 6 catches for 50 yards receiving. Vanhoose had 5 games of 200+ yards rushing and broke 2 school season records. As a corner he had 5 INT's and 12 PBU's. Special player that stands out once th tape starts rolling, Vanhoose lights up all the camps coming out on top of the DI & DII Blue Chippers! Vanhoose is also the Falcons place Kicker, #7 is a legitimate candidate for Mr. Ohio Football if Grahams has another good season, can you say 4K yards & 50 TD's in 2 years & he is a legit DI corner. Basketball Nick was the conference player of the year, district 9 player of the year. Nick led the league in steals and broke single game school record for steals in a game with 10. Graham basketball team played top competition this year with games vs. Akron St. Vincent St. Mary and St. Edward Nick had a fast steal into a fast break dunk against St. Edward to get us within 5 late in the game.
*****Nick ran a 4.36 @ Bowling Green football camp June 2010! "Nick is extremely motivated, comes from a blue collar family, works on his own and does extra whenever possible to make himself better, he is a pleasure to coach because he is so self motivated & ultra competitive. He has a 3.5 GPA and a steal to whoever offers him". Nic Black, HC Graham High School. Offensive Player of the Year CBC in 2009 & 2nd Team All State. ***DI Offers - Ball State U & Indiana!
http://www.swohiofootball.com/...4_2011-SWOF-100
Look out for St. Paris Graham RB/WR/DB Nick VanHoose. He is a gifted athlete at 6'2 170 lbs. and he can flat out fly. I'm trying to get a 40 time but he was just severely under-utilized the past couple seasons and he is finally getting the ball. He had 280 yards and 3 TD's against Tipp City last weekend on 37 carries. I'm going to watch him tomorrow night and I will give a report. The area has fairly weak competition that will produce a D1 player here and there, but I think his talent will be difficult to ignore. He is fast but he doesn't lose speed off his cuts and gets upfield in a hurry. He can also catch the ball and has pretty loose hips in the secondary. He is rail thin but he can put on some good weight when he focuses on lifting in the offseason. He will get some D1 offers imo and he may just end up getting looked at by OSU .I got to see VanHoose last night and man is he a talent. I see a Big 10 caliber player at least, though his name is just starting to surface. He is a toothpick but he'll put on weight in college when he settles on football (he plays bball as well). His acceleration and ability to find the seam and hit full boar is something else. The only question mark may be his position, as he isn't likely going to be an every down back but I think he would make a heck of a slot receiver, as he has good hands.
VanHoose Commits to Hoosiers
per scout.com
Bloomington – Indiana is getting a little bit of everything in Nick VanHoose. VanHoose, meanwhile, is getting exactly what he wanted. The 6’1”, 180-pounder from Graham H.S. in St. Paris, Ohio, verbally committed to the Hoosier football program Wednesday, becoming the ninth member of Bill Lynch’s 2011 recruiting class.
VanHoose has been a do-it-all player at Graham H.S., starring on both sides of the ball. As a junior he rushed for 1,877 yards and 25 touchdowns on offense, while adding five interceptions and 12 passes broken up as a cornerback on defense. He also handled the team’s kicking and return duties for good measure.
VanHoose’s skills aren’t limited to the football field. He’s also a gifted basketball player, averaging a team-high 15.8 points, 3.3 assists and 3.4 steals while earning Area Player of the Year honors this past spring after leading his team to a 20-4 mark.
“He’s one of the highest quality kids they could get,” Graham H.S. Football Coach Nic Black said. “He’s extremely explosive and sudden athletically. He does it all for us, and if we have another good year next fall I think he’s a legitimate candidate for Mr. Football.
“I thought all along he’d be a steal for any program.”
That program is Indiana, a school that isn’t necessarily used to going into Ohio and luring potential players of the year out of the Buckeye state. But a pre-existing relationship helped open the door for the Hoosiers, and a subsequent trip to Bloomington sealed the deal.
IU assistant coach Brian George, a fellow Graham H.S. product, is VanHoose’s recruiter. Black said George’s family has known the VanHooses for years, and the IU assistant coach has known Nick since he was a youngster. That familiarity was big in convincing VanHoose that IU was the right fit.
“Nick said he didn’t want to go more than four hours away, so home is important to him, and having a comfort level is important to him,” Black said. “He had that comfort level with IU, Coach George and Coach (Bill) Lynch. That sold him.”
Another big selling point was a spring trip to Bloomington. That provided VanHoose with an opportunity to see Indiana’s new football facilities, which provided further evidence that it was a good fit.
“When he visited in the spring, the facilities blew him away,” Black said. “I think after that trip that he felt that if IU offered, he was going.
“For him, getting an IU offer wasn’t a bargaining chip for Ohio State or another program. He had a dream in mind, and if he got a chance, he was going to take it.”
That’s good news for Indiana, which is getting a player than ran a 4.36 in the 40 at a recent workout at Bowling Green. While Indiana was one of the first to offer a scholarship to the small school star, Black has little doubt about the number of scholarships VanHoose could have received if he’d opted to wait longer, or about the prospects for him making a major impact at Indiana.
“He’s not a kid who wanted to let it go on and on,” Black said. “He went to Indiana in the spring and fell in love with the whole thing, the atmosphere. Had he not committed when he did, we’d be talking about a kid with 15 offers. I think he was ready for himself to be settled and know where he’s going.”
Bloomington – Indiana is getting a little bit of everything in Nick VanHoose. VanHoose, meanwhile, is getting exactly what he wanted. The 6’1”, 180-pounder from Graham H.S. in St. Paris, Ohio, verbally committed to the Hoosier football program Wednesday, becoming the ninth member of Bill Lynch’s 2011 recruiting class.
VanHoose has been a do-it-all player at Graham H.S., starring on both sides of the ball. As a junior he rushed for 1,877 yards and 25 touchdowns on offense, while adding five interceptions and 12 passes broken up as a cornerback on defense. He also handled the team’s kicking and return duties for good measure.
VanHoose’s skills aren’t limited to the football field. He’s also a gifted basketball player, averaging a team-high 15.8 points, 3.3 assists and 3.4 steals while earning Area Player of the Year honors this past spring after leading his team to a 20-4 mark.
“He’s one of the highest quality kids they could get,” Graham H.S. Football Coach Nic Black said. “He’s extremely explosive and sudden athletically. He does it all for us, and if we have another good year next fall I think he’s a legitimate candidate for Mr. Football.
“I thought all along he’d be a steal for any program.”
That program is Indiana, a school that isn’t necessarily used to going into Ohio and luring potential players of the year out of the Buckeye state. But a pre-existing relationship helped open the door for the Hoosiers, and a subsequent trip to Bloomington sealed the deal.
IU assistant coach Brian George, a fellow Graham H.S. product, is VanHoose’s recruiter. Black said George’s family has known the VanHooses for years, and the IU assistant coach has known Nick since he was a youngster. That familiarity was big in convincing VanHoose that IU was the right fit.
“Nick said he didn’t want to go more than four hours away, so home is important to him, and having a comfort level is important to him,” Black said. “He had that comfort level with IU, Coach George and Coach (Bill) Lynch. That sold him.”
Another big selling point was a spring trip to Bloomington. That provided VanHoose with an opportunity to see Indiana’s new football facilities, which provided further evidence that it was a good fit.
“When he visited in the spring, the facilities blew him away,” Black said. “I think after that trip that he felt that if IU offered, he was going.
“For him, getting an IU offer wasn’t a bargaining chip for Ohio State or another program. He had a dream in mind, and if he got a chance, he was going to take it.”
That’s good news for Indiana, which is getting a player than ran a 4.36 in the 40 at a recent workout at Bowling Green. While Indiana was one of the first to offer a scholarship to the small school star, Black has little doubt about the number of scholarships VanHoose could have received if he’d opted to wait longer, or about the prospects for him making a major impact at Indiana.
“He’s not a kid who wanted to let it go on and on,” Black said. “He went to Indiana in the spring and fell in love with the whole thing, the atmosphere. Had he not committed when he did, we’d be talking about a kid with 15 offers. I think he was ready for himself to be settled and know where he’s going.”
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