For the second time in two days, an Indiana guard committed to the University of Southern Indiana. Today, it was Crispus Attucks guard Isaiah Stafford. He moved to Indianapolis from Illinois this season and wasted no time picking up a bunch of small college offers.
Stafford is an explosive guard that knows how to get his shot. His burst and scoring ability led to scholarship offers from the likes of Lewis, Indiana Wesleyan, McKendree, Ferris State, Truman State, Northern Michigan, and Illinois-Springfield. Those are many of the region's top D2 programs. In the end, Stan Gouard and Southern Indiana beat the competition for the talented guard.
Indiana Basketball Source has tracked seven Attucks games so far, Stafford is averaging 16.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.3 steals in that sample. Behind his athleticism, Stafford makes a major impact as a defender. His steal rate is the biggest thing that stands out. Like every high school player, Stafford will need to make adjustments to defend well at the next level, but there is no doubt that he has the tools to get it done early in his career.
With Attucks, nearly all of Stafford's shots come off the dribble. He has the ball in his hands most possessions, and he creates space for his shot by himself. That leads to a lot of mid-range shots and contested attempts. That pulls his overall efficiency down. When he can play without the ball, Stafford is going to be a more efficient scorer.
Stafford joins Castle's Isaiah Swope in USI's 2021 recruiting class. Here is more on Swope. Southern Indiana also has Jack Mielke committed for next season.