GoldandBlack.com: Meet the Signees

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (GoldandBlack.com) - This morning, Purdue's men's basketball team will sign its touted 2010 recruiting class, a four-man class ranked by Rivals.com as a top-20 group nationally.

The Boilermakers are expected to sign this morning big man Travis Carroll, forward/wing Donnie Hale and guards Anthony Johnson and Terone Johnson.

Coach Matt Painter will talk to the media about his four newest recruits this morning. In the meantime, below is a look at the four signees.

Travis Carroll - Danville (Ind.) High School

Scouting Report: The 6-foot-9, 230-or-so-pound Carroll is a true throwback, a big-bodied post player who makes up for a lack of great athleticism with a physical demeanor, a well-refined post game, an understanding of angles and positioning, great hands and feet and just general savvy around the basket.

He's a dominant low-post scorer and rebounder at the high school level and a high-effort interior player who might be a little undersized for center at the next level but best suited to play it nonetheless. He's expanded his game to include a reliable mid-range jumper.

In college, he'll look to improve his upper-body strength and overall strength and become more flexible, athletic and mobile.

Other schools: Carroll committed last summer before recruiting had really begun in earnest, but he was drawing interest from Notre Dame, Indiana, Butler, Iowa and several other Big Ten schools.

Rankings: Not ranked in Rivals.com's most recent top 150 after being so since his sophomore year.

AAU
IBCA

Donnie Hale - New Albany (Ind.) High School

Scouting Report: The wiry 6-8 forward is fairly raw offensively, but has the potential to contribute immediately defensively. His combination of quickness, length and explosiveness off the floor makes him a terrific shot-blocker, while his mobility on the perimeter and long arms can make him a nuisance guarding smaller players on the perimeter.

Offensively, Hale's ability to run the floor and play above the rim generate points for him. He's developed some post moves with his back to the basket and can knock down long jumpers facing it. But his offensive repertoire very much remains unrefined.

In addition to overall skill development at Purdue, Hale will look to get bigger and stronger, which would help him at both ends of the floor, while the southpaw will also look to become more effective using his right hand.

Other Schools: Hale had an early offer from Xavier before it changed coaches. Oklahoma State, Minnesota, LSU and Indiana were among the others who recruited him.

Rankings: Not ranked in Rivals.com's most recent top 150 after being so since his sophomore year.

Indiana Junior All-Stars
AAU

Anthony Johnson - Chicago Whitney Young High School

Scouting Report: At one time considered one of the top scoring guards in the country, Johnson might be a little more an unknown at this point after missing the entire spring and summer with an ankle injury sustained late in his junior season.

But when healthy, the 6-3 guard is regarded as a dead-eye shooter and the sort of versatile scoring guard that could remind of current Boilermaker E'Twaun Moore. Johnson's thought to be able to play either backcourt position, but his reputation is primarily as a scorer.

In the summer before his junior season at loaded Whitney Young, Johnson tore up the AAU scene and had schools nationwide falling all over themselves to recruit him.

A key for Johnson at the next level will be adding strength.

Other schools: Johnson committed to Purdue last fall over offers from Ohio State, Illinois, Marquette, Iowa State, California and many others.

Rankings: No. 100 nationally by Rivals.com; previously a top-50 player, but dropped after missing entire AAU season with an ankle injury.

Terone Johnson - Indianapolis (Ind.) North Central

Scouting Report: One of the top prospects in Indiana's 2010 class and a certain Mr. Basketball candidate as a senior, Johnson erupted this past AAU season, vaulting into the national top 50.

The stocky, powerful 6-foot-2 guard is a versatile, physical player who can score in any number of ways. He's a very good three-point shooter with a quick release and excels at using his body and strength to wall off defenders when driving to the basket and finishing around the hoop. For a player his size, he excels at scoring in the paint among big men.

Though a potent scorer, Johnson is very capable of playing set-up man as a point guard, perhaps the key to his recruitment, because he does not possess ideal height for a true shooting guard prospect.
Johnson's known for his physical and mental toughness and competitiveness.

At the next level, Johnson will need to show he can play off the ball and come off screens. For every team he's played on, he's always had the ball in his hands. Also, his emotions sometimes get the best of him, drawing frequent technical fouls in July.

Other schools: Johnson committed in the fall after only Cincinnati and Butler had offered. But he'd have had many more had he waited. Indiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio State were among those showing interest.

Rankings: No. 46 nationally by Rivals.com.