Recruiting - What does the commitment of Juwan Morgan Mean for Indiana?

The Indiana Hoosiers got their first commitment of the 2015 class on Wednesday evening in the form of four star 6'8" PF Juwan Morgan who is currently ranked #88 in the 247Sports Composite Index. So what does this mean for Indiana and how will it affect future recruiting efforts by Coach Crean and his staff?

First and foremost, the Hoosiers have landed a talented stretch four that could end up reminding some of former star Christian Watford. While I don't believe Morgan has anywhere near the range that Watford had - they are similar in the rebounding and athleticism departments - with Morgan possibly being a little more athletic. He is never going to score the ball like Watford who could simply take over games from time to time. However, he currently has a 4.0 GPA and also clearly has a high basketball IQ which is always one of the top things Coach Crean is looking for. Depending on who returns next season, the Hoosiers should be just fine in the scoring department and will be looking for players to bring the other intangibles necessary for a successful program which is right in Morgan's wheelhouse.

Morgan's high school coach, Chris Pilz, said that Morgan actually came in as a 6'3" or 6'4" freshman and I believe this could be a large benefit for both Morgan and Indiana over the course of his career. He knows how to handle a basketball which is key for a successful stretch four player. He proved to be successful as a 6'3" player and is obviously successful as a 6'8" player which means Morgan is the definition of versatile which will fit Coach Crean's system very well.

From a scholarship standpoint, as most Indiana fans know, the Hoosiers do not have a scholarship available for Morgan in the 2015 class due to there being no seniors on the current roster. So someone on the current roster will be leaving at the end of the year via professional basketball or via transferring to another program and it will be very interesting to see that play out. I am not going to speculate on who that player might be as that really doesn't serve much purpose at this point, but there are plenty of obvious options available when it comes to players potentially having the opportunity to go pro with a good season in 2014-15.

In addition, Coach Crean isn't done recruiting in the 2015 class and Morgan will play a large role in the remaining process as well. The Hoosiers will host Top 100 guard Shake Milton on an official visit starting September 26^th. Morgan just happens to be Milton's AAU teammate and close friend and will obviously play an important role in this recruitment. Milton could come in and be Kevin "Yogi" Ferrell's successor which will be a very important position for Coach Crean to fill for the future of the program. Morgan and Milton have played together for years and there would be a great comfort with each other as soon as they arrive on campus.

While Morgan doesn't really fill the void of a true center - he has the athleticism to defend against other true centers in the college game if the Hoosiers are unable to land a center in the 2015 class. Like everyone that joins the Indiana program, he will put on a number of pounds next summer which should also help him hold up when guarding larger players. Overall, from my perspective - this seems like a great get for Coach Crean and Hoosier Nation and I think that will be proven out fairly early in Morgan's career at Indiana.