Indiana Basketball: Hoosiers interested in 2019 recruit Lester Quinones

Indiana basketball is pursuing 2019 prospect Lester Quinones extremely hard. The Hoosiers are one of seven teams that Quinones has on his final list.

Indiana basketball head coach Archie Miller and some of his staff were down in Bradenton (Fla.) to see consensus four-star recruit Lester Quinones, per Jake Weingarten of Prep Hoops. The 6-foot-4 wing is one of the most highly sought after uncommitted recruits in the class of 2019. Quinones is ranked as the 64th best prospect in the nation by 247 Sports Composite and 75th by 247 Sports. ESPN has pegged him at No. 89, although Rivals has him at No. 44.

The Hoosiers have not offered the wing a scholarship yet as they don’t have any available. Still, Quinones told Pat Lawless of Prep Circuit that Miller has been in contact with him a lot lately.

"“They came in just a little while ago and Coach Archie Miller has been texting me and my high school coaches lately. They need a scorer and shooter to come in right away, which I think I can do. I’m starting to build a strong relationship with Coach Miller and his assistants.”"

Indiana (13-14, 4-12 Big Ten) got off to an excellent start this season, but the Hoosiers have now dropped 12 of their last 13 games. A big reason for the struggles has been the Hoosiers inability to put the ball in the basket as they have been held under 70 points eight times during this stretch. IU ranks in the bottom of the Big Ten in all offensive categories, and they are 250th in the nation overall in scoring at 70.2 points a contest.

Freshman Romeo Langford, who may leave early for the NBA draft, and senior Juwan Morgan are the only two Hoosiers averaging double figures this season. Evan Fitzer is the other senior on scholarship. Miller has already inked consensus top-25 2019 recruit Trayce Davis-Jackson along with Armaan Franklin. 

Quinones is one of the best shooters in his class. The Huntington Station (N.Y.) native gets his feet set before shooting the ball and has good mechanics overall as well as excellent range on his shot. But he has become more than just a shooter as he has developed more of a scorer’s mentality. He is now comfortable pulling up from mid-range, attacking the rack, and cutting to the rim.

Quinones transferred to IMG Academy from St. Benedict’s (N.J.) over the summer and has said that he has seen a drastic change in his athleticism and body. He also said that he had become a better rebounder and defender.

It is hard to predict where IU stands in the recruiting race. It was originally thought that LSU was the run-away favorite for his services, and while the Tigers may still have the upper hand, Quinones has shown the willingness to at least look at other places. Maryland, Michigan, Memphis, Ohio State, and Georgia are also among Quinones’ final seven schools.

Quinones has made official visits to LSU and Maryland. He also said that he will likely take two more officials to Michigan and Memphis. He is not expected to make a decision anytime soon.

Cole Anthony, Jaden McDonald, LaMelo Ball, Precious Achiuwa, Matthew Hurt, Trendon Walford, Cassius Stanley, Keion Brooks, Choral Marial, Christian Brown, Tre Mitchell, Carl Lewis, Terrence Shannon Jr., Harlond Beverly, and Tristan Enaruna are other top-100 unsigned prospects in the class.