Recruiting the Hoosiers Future: 2013 Forward Luke Fischer

Now that the dust has settled a bit from the commitment of Luke Fischer Saturday evening, it is time to take a more in depth look at what exactly Indiana was able to lock up for the 2013 class. Some have questioned the ability of Fischer, being that we should only be looking at the best of the best top 100 type recruit guys now that IU has proven to be a force on the recruiting scene. However, Tom Crean’s eye for talent when it is there hasn’t failed him yet.

Luke Fischer is the 140^th rated prospect in the 2013 class according to Rivals.com, but that is likely about to change. Fischer is a prime candidate (along with Devin Davis) for a fast riser in his class. Both Fischer and Davis haven’t polled well in recruiting rankings because there are specific aspects each needed to work on before getting major attention. Both have done just that since the end on the summer evaluation session. Fischer’s biggest knock was that he was too skinny for 6’9" to play the traditional post. Fischer was recently measured in his local paper as a 6’10" 215 lbs. player. That is an extra inch and 15 pounds to what any recruiting data base says. I tend to believe the local sources too, as one look at the kid shows that he could easily hold the weight. His frame is such that he is big in the lower body but his upper body needs work. A weight room session or two with Je’Ney Jackson would have him above Cody Zeller’s current 225 lbs. pretty easily. He could bang around in the post at 240 without losing the athleticism.

Recruit Spotlight: Luke Fischer (via InsideIndiana)

Speaking of which, he is definitely a big man that can run the floor. Many early on compared him to a slightly less athletic Cody Zeller. As we have seen this season, Zeller is quite the athlete, so being slightly less athletic than him is not necessarily a knock. He runs the floor extremely well and scores a lot of points in transition. Looking forward to the 2013 season, this team could be special in the front court for a high tempo offense. Zeller, Perea, Jurkin, Hollowell, (maybe but a bit of a stretch, Devin Davis currently 6’6" and growing) and Fischer would all be 6’9"+ guys that could run the floor in transition. Their ability and size to get out and run would force a lot of Big Ten big men to sit the bench from fatigue and foul trouble. 2013 could see a defensive frontcourt that MSU seems to have had for a decade now.

The other big knock on Fischer that seems to be still a work in progress is Fischer’s ability to finish. As you can see in the video highlights, he has pretty solid post moves and works well with his back to the basket. He can also extend his game out to around 15 feet pretty well. BUT he struggles to finish those moves to the bucket. A lot of missed bunny shots that should be easy money tend to happen with Fischer. This may be a strength issue or he may just lack touch. That is something he’ll have to work on if he wants to be a bigger offensive threat in the half court during college.

Overall, IU and Coach Crean landed a candidate to replace Zeller when he leaves and someone who can play that Wisconsin big man style of game that the Badgers have terrorized the Big Ten with for forever. Don’t mind his recruiting site rankings, those will change and likely jump him into at least top 100 when all is said and done. Scout.com seems to see what I see and has him rated as a 4-star and 96^th in his class currently. Ratings do tend to matter in the big picture, but don’t be concerned Fischer’s will be there in the end.