Indiana University announced on Tuesday that it has received a commitment from Emmitt Holt to suit up for the Hoosiers this season. Originally, Holt was opting to attend prep school, but Tom Crean offered him a chance to play for a Division I program right away. He enrolled in classes on Monday, according to the school.
Holt is listed as 6-7 with a 7-3 wingspan. He averaged 20 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 blocks per game last year at Webster Schroeder High School. He was also a finalist in New York for the state’s Mr. Basketball award. Holt played in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League this summer, averaging 12 points and 7 boards per contest.
His overall performances were enough to attract the attention of Crean and his staff.
“We are excited to bring Emmitt to Indiana at such a late date,” Crean said on Tuesday. “We determined that we needed another quality player up front and we were able to uncover Emmitt’s potential availability. He is coming off a very impressive high school season and also an outstanding spring and summer with the Albany City Rocks. He would have been a high level recruit this coming year and we are happy to have him now.”
Holt joins what is deemed as the 17th best incoming class in college basketball. Crean's haul includes guards James Blackmon, Jr. and Robert Johnson, forwards Max Hoetzel and Tim Priller, and center Jeremiah April.
Indiana will open the 2014 campaign attempting to fill gaps left in the line-up due to the recent departures of underclassmen Cody Zeller, Victor Oladipo, and Noah Vonleh to the NBA. The Hoosiers will rely on point guard Yogi Ferrell to lead an inexperienced and untested group of players into a rough and tumble Big Ten schedule.