Huntington Prep Alumni Playing Key Roles For No. 9 Indiana

Wins over then-No. 3 Kansas and then-No. 3 North Carolina wouldn't have been possible for No. 9 Indiana this season without help from two key former Huntington Prep players.

Sophomore big man Thomas Bryant (12.3 points per game, 7.9 rebounds per game) and freshman guard Curtis Jones (6.3 points per game) are both playing vital roles for Indiana this season. The former is an important cog in Indiana's machine as the team's leading rebounder and a double-digit scorer - the latter already showing promise in spurts in the rotation off the bench.

They combined for 34 of Indiana's 103 points in IU's four-point win over Kansas - including 15 off the bench for Jones - and Bryant finished with 12 points, 7 rebounds and 2 steals in the Hoosiers' win over the Tar Heels.

Both Bryant and Jones arrived in Bloomington via the West Virginia school. And their contributions and success on the big stage aren't being lost on current Huntington Prep players - a roster that includes several current (and potential) Indiana targets.

Four-star junior Jon Kabongo - a 6-2, 180-pound guard ranked as the No. 103 player in 2018 - already holds an Indiana offer and attended IU's 87-48 home win over Liberty on Nov. 19.

He was joined on that trip by four-star sophomore Elias King - a 6-6, 180-pound forward ranked as the No. 49 player in 2019 - who has already been on-campus multiple times already.

That's not to forget four-star junior Keldon Johnson - a 6-6, 205-pound wing ranked as the No. 18 player in 2018 - who also holds a scholarship from the Hoosiers.

“Jon is a pitbull," Huntington Prep head coach Arkell Bruce said. "He plays hard and he’s tough.

"He can really shoot it and he won’t back down from anybody. The better the player, the harder he plays. He’s a dog.

"Then Elias is just 15 but he’s going to be a big-time recruit. He’s got some early offers from Florida State and other schools. But I think right now, they (Indiana) are just going to come watch him play and get a gauge of how good he is.”

Bruce was head coach back when both Bryant and Jones were with the program, and of course, is keeping tabs on his former standouts in Bloomington.

“It’s a great recruiting tool forsure,” said Bruce with a laugh, when asked about the play of Jones and Bryant. “But for them individually, I’m like a proud dad.

"They were with me for two years and I’ve known them since ninth grade. It’s definitely a blessing for them and a blessing for myself and the program. Just knowing them as human beings – they are better people than players.”

Indiana head coach Tom Crean noted in a press conference this season he thought Jones was a bit underrated by recruiting services as prospect in the class of 2016. Rivals.com had Jones tabbed as the No. 69 player that cycle, while 247Sports ranked him No. 70 nationally and Scout.com pegged him just outside the top 100.

Sticking up for his former star, Bruce wasn't shy about agreeing with Crean's assessment.

"Hell yeah [Jones was underrated]," Bruce said. “That’s easy.

"The bigger the game, the better he played. He’s a stud. He’s outplayed a lot of guys that’s supposed to be ranked, or highly recruited. He should have been a guy that head coaches came to see on a regular basis.

"But he chose the right place for him and it was the right fit. He’s going to have a successful career."

Bruce and Crean see eye-to-eye on more than just Jones. The Huntington Prep coach conducts some aspects of his program in similar ways to Crean and Indiana.

So it's no surprise they find themselves as one of the top schools in the country at their level of play.

Kids get better at Huntington Prep - and then they get better in college. One doesn't have to look much further than Jones and Bryant to see that.

“It’s highly competitive every day in practice, which is just like what they get at Indiana," Bruce said. "We stress fundamentals and we really teach defense and let guys play offensively, similar to how Indiana plays.

"They let guys go offensively, and it’s intriguing to guys that have an arsenal offensively.

“I have a great relationship with them. Tom Crean just texted me the other day congratulating me and telling me I’m doing a great job. I watch them faithfully. Anything I can pick up from them offensively. He does a great job there. [Assistant coach] Chuck Martin too, they have free range to come down to our practices at anytime.”

Interestingly, it's not just Bruce and his players keeping an eye on the Hoosiers. Huntington Prep stresses family, so even as top prospects go their separate ways at the collegiate level, everyone on all sides stays in touch.

From Miles Bridges at Michigan State to Jones and Bryant, they all remain in contact. The two Hoosiers enjoyed a meal with some of the recruits when they were in-town, per Kabongo, and Jones noted him and Bryant went back there in the summer and played ball.

"I stay in contact with them a lot,” Jones said. “We try to catch their games when we can when they’re on television or anything.”

It remains to be seen if any current Huntington Prep players elect to keep the pipeline to Bloomington going.

One thing is certain, though - the school is certainly one for Hoosier fans to keep tabs on.

Huntington Prep will travel all over the U.S. this winter for games, including a few in the Midwest. Click HERE for their full schedule.