Indiana Elite - Blast from the Past

In May 2008, the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions (TOC) was the country’s premier spring AAU tournament. As the top tournament in the land, numerous high major prospects were busy running up and down the hallowed courts of Cameron Indoor and the Dean Dome. While spectators were drawn to the run and gun style of John Wall and the powerful dunks of Derrick Favors throughout the tournament, there was a squad from Indiana that quietly went about their business. This 17-U Indiana Elite squad fell short as they lost to Favors’ Atlanta Celtics squad in the semi-finals; however it is this AAU team that is impacting the 2012-13 college basketball season. Mason Plumlee (Duke), DJ Byrd (Purdue), and Jordan Hulls (Indiana) were integral components of this high powered AAU squad, and now this senior trio is playing a key role for their respective college teams almost five years later. 

Mason Plumlee (6’11 – Ranked #20 by Scout.com)

Plumlee

As a senior, Mason Plumlee is currently putting together the best season of his college career. After debating about going pro following his junior season, Plumlee is currently a leading candidate for player of the year. Plumlee is averaging 18.8 points per game and 11.2 rebounds with a 118.5 offensive efficiency rating for the #1 team in the country. During the Tournament of Champions, Plumlee notched a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds in his first ever game at Cameron Indoor. Already a Duke commit, Plumlee was the top player on the Indiana Elite squad and a top 20 player nationally. During the tournament he out-played his fellow Duke teammate Ryan Kelly before falling to Derrick Favors and his Atlanta Celtics squad. While Favors moved on quickly to the NBA after one season in the ACC, Plumlee is in the midst of putting together an extremely impressive senior campaign.  

DJ Byrd (6’5” – Ranked #28 SF by Scout.com)

DJ Byrd

Bryd was the rough and tough sharp shooting wing for the loaded Elite squad and the made his name knocking down three pointers from the wing similar to what he is currently doing for the Purdue Boilermakers in West Lafayette, IN. Byrd scored 15 points including several three pointers during a 16-3 second-half run that fueled an upset of the favored Illinois Illini in the first Big 10 match-up of the season. With the departure of Robbie Hummell, the former 3-star small forward is playing a career high 30 minutes per game and will be a key factor in determining how this young Boilermaker team fares in the stacked Big 10 this year. 

Jordan Hulls (6’0” – Ranked #51 by Scout.com)

Jordan Hulls

Prior to the TOC in North Carolina, Jordan Hulls, a Bloomington native gave new Indiana coach Tom Crean his 4^th commitment in the class of 2009. Upon seeing Hulls run the point for Indiana Elite and bury three pointers during the TOC it was easy to picture him as the prototypical Hoosier point guard. Upon committing to Indiana, Hulls noted that he was looking forward to running Crean’s offense and that “within the next couple of years IU will be back for sure.” While Hulls has spent many times running Crean’s offense through his first three years he has currently been playing more off the ball with prized freshman Yogi Ferrell in the mix (also a former Indiana Elite player). With Ferrell running the point, Hulls’ utilization rate has decreased approximately 17%; however his offensive efficiency rating has increased 17%. Hulls currently has an outstanding 141.2 offensive efficiency rating (#2 in the country) and is shooting a career best 51.4% from behind the three point line. Years after committing to Indiana, Hulls is still burying three pointers and helping fulfill his prediction of returning Indiana to national relevance.  

This Indiana Elite AAU squad took a backseat to the Atlanta Celtics during this particular tournament in 2008 and the trio discussed above did not make the flashy headlines during their inaugural freshman campaign in 2009 like John Wall and Derrick Favors. Despite falling short in this tournament, the Indiana Elite squad racked up numerous championship trophies during the spring and summer and now as seniors this trio has grabbed the college basketball headlines of 2013. Plumlee has turned into a player of the year candidate, Byrd turned into a go-to guy on an up and coming team, and Hulls turned into the most efficient player on IU. While a championship eluded this group in the most prestigious spring AAU tournament in 2008, individually each of these players hopes they can capture the prestigious NCAA tournament championship in 2013.