Four Top-Level Signees Comprise Archie Miller's First Recruiting Class at Indiana

BLOOMINGTON, Indiana - Indiana University men's basketball coach Archie Miller has announced the signing of four players to a national letter of intent to play basketball at and attend IU beginning in the fall of 2018. Joining the Hoosiers are forward Damezi Anderson (South Bend/Riley), forward Jake Forrester (Harrisburg, Pa./Westtown), forward Jerome Hunter (Pickerington, Ohio/North) and guard Rob Phinisee (Lafayette/McCutcheon). The quartet is ranked as the 12th-best recruiting class in the country by Scout/247 and 15th-best in the nation by Rivals.com.

Archie Miller on the Class:
"We are excited to announce our first recruiting class as coaches of the Indiana Hoosiers. This is a group of four young men who we identified right away in the spring as players who not only fit our needs on the basketball court, but also fit the IU community and culture. They are all outstanding kids who come from great families and basketball programs. They truly embody what an IU student-athlete represents."

"As I have stated many times, the players, coaches and programs of the state of Indiana are of utmost importance to our staff and program. We were able to sign two players from parts of the state that it's been several years since someone from that area became a Hoosier. We signed a player we have been watching for almost three years that we believe is the best player in the state of Ohio. We also went to the state of Pennsylvania to get a player who has tremendous upside and gets better and better by the day."

"We feel this class will lay the foundation for future Hoosiers for years to come and be building blocks for future great Indiana basketball teams."

Damezi Anderson
SF, 6-7, 205
South Bend, Indiana
Riley HS
Anderson is ranked #83 in the country by Scout/247 and #103 in the nation by Rivals … rated as the #2 player in the state of Indiana … was named 2017 Northern Indiana Conference MVP when he averaged 24 points and 7.6 rebounds a game his junior year to help Riley to a 19-3 record … was named an Indiana Junior All-Star … high school coach is Eric Brand … played AAU basketball for MeanStreets Basketball in the EYBL … first scholarship signee from South Bend for IU since Tom Abernethy (1973-76).

Miller on Anderson:
"Damezi is an excellent addition to our program. He is a big wing who has a knack for scoring the basketball. His ability to shoot the basketball with great range has stood out from the first time I watched him play. Damezi and his family are very excited that he is the first scholarship basketball player from South Bend that has signed with IU in almost 45 years."

Jake Forrester
PF, 6-8, 215
Harrisburg, PA
Westtown School
Forrester is ranked #143 by Rivals and #149 by Scout/247 … helped Westtown to a 32-2 record and a Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association championship… averaged 13 points and 10 boards as a sophomore … coached by Seth Berger … played AAU basketball with the PSA Cardinals … coached by Terrance Williams … same program that produced former Hoosier and current Los Angeles Laker Thomas Bryant … son of Dwight and Colleen Forrester.

Miller on Forrester:
"Jake is a versatile front court player who has only scratched the surface of his basketball ability. He has a tremendous work ethic and seems to improve daily. He comes from a basketball family and is coached by Seth Berger at Westtown School which has produced many high livel college basketball players. Jake can play multiple positions on offense and guard multiple positions on defense. His best basketball is ahead of him and the sky is the limit for who he can become as a player."

Jerome Hunter
SF, 6-7, 195
Pickerington, Ohio
Pickerington North
Hunter is ranked #50 by Rivals and #51 by 247/Scout … rated as the #2 player in Ohio … averaged 20.6 points per game as a junior and was named first-team All-Metro by The Columbus Dispatch … averaged 19 points and 10 rebounds as a senior … led his team to the Regional title game where he scored 27 points and had 10 rebounds … HS Coach is Jason Bates … played AAU basketball for Ohio Nova … coached by Andreas James … son of Nichol Lewis.

Miller on Hunter:
"I have known Jerome and his family since his sophomore year of high school. I have watched him grow as a player and person. He is an extremely versatile wing who has great size for his position. He loves being in the gym and is constantly looking for ways to improve. Jerome's ability to play both on the perimeter and inside will make him a great addition to our team."

Rob Phinisee
PG, 5-11, 160
Lafayette, Indiana
McCutcheon
Phinisee is ranked #95 by Scout/247 and #121 by Rivals … was the Journal & Courier Big School Player of the Year averaging 21.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 3 steals as a junior. As a sophomore, he led the Mavericks to a runner-up finish in the Class 4A state tournament … played for Rick Peckinpaugh and will be coached by Tyler Scherer this year ... named to the Indiana Junior All-Star team … played AAU ball for Indiana Elite and Mike Fox … same program that produced former Hoosiers Jordan Hulls, Cody Zeller and Yogi Ferrell … is the first scholarship recruit for IU from Lafayette since 1948, when Indiana Mr. Basketball Bob Masters and Charlie Vaughn left Lafayette Jeff for Bloomington … son of Tanika Phinisee.

Miller on Phinisee:
"Rob is a name that came up on my first day on the job. We immediately identified him as a priority and began developing a relationship with him and his family. Rob is a throwback point guard who cares only about running the team and winning. His teammates love playing with him and he makes the game easier for everyone around him. We are proud that Rob is the first scholarship basketball player to play for Indiana from Lafayette in almost 70 years."

Four Top-Level Signees Comprise Archie Miller's First Recruiting Class at Indiana

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