ScriptOhio
Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.
Surprise! Dinc commits to give boost to Hoosiers
Aug. 24, 2005
By Gregg Doyel
CBS SportsLine.com Senior Writer
This simply does not happen. Not in late August.
Players as large, as athletic, and as academically gifted as Cem Dinc do not drop from the sky on Aug. 24 and land in a college basketball coach's lap.
But that's what happened to Indiana on Wednesday. Dinc, a 6-foot-10, 245-pound small forward of Turkish-German descent, told CBS SportsLine.com he has given the Hoosiers a verbal commitment. Dinc expects to be eligible for Indiana this season, and he expects Indiana to be good -- very good.
"We want to compete for the Big Ten championship," Dinc said. "With the team we have, I think we will."
The addition of Dinc likely means Indiana will withdraw from the Brandon Rush sweepstakes. Rush might even have chosen the Hoosiers, considering the NCAA Clearinghouse is taking its time with his plea for eligibility and classes are under way at his other top choice, Kansas.
As it stands now, Rush's choices could be down to Illinois, Southern California or a prep school like IMG.
Meanwhile, Dinc said IU coach Mike Davis has promised him a shot at small forward in what could be a loaded IU frontcourt with sophomore D.J. White (6-9, 230) and senior Marco Killingsworth (6-7, 265).
Dinc is a dying breed -- an unknown recruit about to play at the highest level of college basketball.
"I've never seen him play, and I don't know anyone who has," says venerable recruiting analyst Bob Gibbons. "In this day and age of information, who's seen this kid play?"
Hardly anyone in this country. Dinc spent just a few months last fall at Brewster (N.H.) Academy, where he left in November with a broken finger. Dinc said he returned to Germany and work out with his father, a former world-class hurdler. His speed for 100 meters, Dinc said, is 10.8 seconds.
"I played a lot with the Turkish national team, with guys like Hedo Turkoglu of the Orlando Magic and Mehmet Okur of the Utah Jazz," Dinc said. "Hedo was the point guard, and I played the two or the three, and Okur was the four. In terms of ability, I didn't see a lot of difference between us.
"I'm not very (well known) in this country, and that's OK. People will see me this season at Indiana. They will see what I can do."
http://www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/story/8768358
By Gregg Doyel
CBS SportsLine.com Senior Writer
This simply does not happen. Not in late August.
Players as large, as athletic, and as academically gifted as Cem Dinc do not drop from the sky on Aug. 24 and land in a college basketball coach's lap.
But that's what happened to Indiana on Wednesday. Dinc, a 6-foot-10, 245-pound small forward of Turkish-German descent, told CBS SportsLine.com he has given the Hoosiers a verbal commitment. Dinc expects to be eligible for Indiana this season, and he expects Indiana to be good -- very good.
"We want to compete for the Big Ten championship," Dinc said. "With the team we have, I think we will."
The addition of Dinc likely means Indiana will withdraw from the Brandon Rush sweepstakes. Rush might even have chosen the Hoosiers, considering the NCAA Clearinghouse is taking its time with his plea for eligibility and classes are under way at his other top choice, Kansas.
As it stands now, Rush's choices could be down to Illinois, Southern California or a prep school like IMG.
Meanwhile, Dinc said IU coach Mike Davis has promised him a shot at small forward in what could be a loaded IU frontcourt with sophomore D.J. White (6-9, 230) and senior Marco Killingsworth (6-7, 265).
Dinc is a dying breed -- an unknown recruit about to play at the highest level of college basketball.
"I've never seen him play, and I don't know anyone who has," says venerable recruiting analyst Bob Gibbons. "In this day and age of information, who's seen this kid play?"
Hardly anyone in this country. Dinc spent just a few months last fall at Brewster (N.H.) Academy, where he left in November with a broken finger. Dinc said he returned to Germany and work out with his father, a former world-class hurdler. His speed for 100 meters, Dinc said, is 10.8 seconds.
"I played a lot with the Turkish national team, with guys like Hedo Turkoglu of the Orlando Magic and Mehmet Okur of the Utah Jazz," Dinc said. "Hedo was the point guard, and I played the two or the three, and Okur was the four. In terms of ability, I didn't see a lot of difference between us.
"I'm not very (well known) in this country, and that's OK. People will see me this season at Indiana. They will see what I can do."
http://www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/story/8768358
