Indiana lands basketball standout Cody Zeller

WASHINGTON, Ind. (AP) — The Hoosiers have a big win and the season hasn't even started.

Prep standout Cody Zeller announced Thursday that he's staying home to play for Indiana and coach Tom Crean.

"Growing up in Indiana, I think it will mean a lot for me playing in this state," said Zeller, who is ranked among the top 20 players in the nation.

The 6-10 senior at southern Indiana's Washington High School had narrowed his choices to Indiana, Butler and North Carolina. He announced his decision at his high school gym.

Zeller and his two older brothers each won state championships with the Hatchets. Indiana tried to recruit Zeller's brothers, but Luke Zeller played at Notre Dame and Tyler Zeller plays at North Carolina.

Cody Zeller said he hopes to help the Hoosiers improve the program, which went 10-21 last year and hasn't had a winning season since 2007-08. He said Crean told him he could make a big difference.

"I'll have a part in it even my freshman year," said Zeller, who expects to play forward. "I can be one of the guys who can help them rebuild."

Zeller said he talked to people close to him about his college options and realized Indiana "was the best thing for me."

He said academics at IU were also important.

"You can't play basketball your whole life," he said.

Getting Zeller is a major boost for the Hoosiers, who have been trying to re-establish their recruiting prominence within this basketball-crazed state since Crean, now in his third season, arrived. The last two years, Crean's best recruits — Verdell Jones, Maurice Creek, Christian Watford, Victor Oladipo and Will Sheehey — all came from outside the state.

But adding Zeller may change the equation.

"He is as good of a defensive rebounder as I have ever recruited, not just because of his size but because of his tenaciousness," Crean said in a statement released by the athletic department Thursday. "He has improved his range, he has improved his skill set. He is outstanding at the elbow area and is very good around the post. But what he is getting now more than ever is the ability to shoot the ball from range."

Zeller was the biggest in-state prize for Crean, but not the only one.

Crean also announced Thursday that 6-foot-6 Austin Etherington, a small forward from Hamilton Heights, also signed with the Hoosiers. Etherington averaged 22.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.4 blocks last season and was an Indiana All-Star for the junior team.

"The thing I love is that he loves basketball. He has a high-level of athletic upside and this summer is when he really started to take shape," Crean said. "One thing that is big in our recruiting is that we want to recruit year-round winners, and certainly Austin is that way."

Other schools also announced signings Thursday.

IUPUI officials said they had signed three players, all from Kentucky. The Jaguars added 6-5 Marcellus Barksdale, from Lexington; 6-6 Lyonell Gaines from Louisville; and 6-foot Jordan Shanklin from Bowling Green.

"I don't know when the last time was that we signed three kids this good during the early (signing) period," coach Ron Hunter said in a release. "These three kids can really play and on top of that, they're really good kids. They all come from great winning programs and have played for top-notch coaches"

Indiana State also has announced it signed 6-3 guard Devonte Brown from Killeen, Texas.