Mandeville Lets Knight Avoid Rush : Prep basketball: La Canada High’s 6-11 center makes Indiana his choice while still a junior.

Richard Mandeville Jr., a 6-foot-11 center for La Canada High, thought his dreams of playing at Indiana University were ruined last March when Coach Bob Knight made a surprise visit.

With the high school season completed, Knight had to watch Mandeville play in a pickup game during a physical education class. The highly recruited junior prospect, nervous and eager to impress, suffered a twisted ankle 10 minutes later and hobbled off the court.

Tom Hofman, La Canada’s coach, told Knight it was unfortunate he would not be able to see more of Mandeville.

“He just looked at me and said 10 minutes was all he needed,” Hofman said. “He was impressed.”

Mandeville, 17, paid Knight a visit in Bloomington, Ind., soon after and was equally happy with what he saw and heard. In early May, he made an unwritten commitment to the Hoosiers, six months before the national early signing period.

Born in Southern California, Mandeville said he welcomes an opportunity to live in another part of the country.

“After visiting all the schools I was interested in, Indiana was by far my favorite,” he said. “So, I didn’t see any reason to delay that decision. I would have hated to wait and possibly missed out on a scholarship.”

Although unwritten commitments are seldom made during a player’s junior year, they are not unheard of. In fact, Mandeville was the second player to commit to Indiana last spring. He is joined by junior forward Robbie Eggers of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, near Cleveland.

Greg Elkin, assistant sports information director at Indiana, said early commitments are perhaps more common in the Big Ten because of the rich basketball tradition. But he acknowledges that it is strange to get one from a player on the West Coast. Mandeville will be only the third player from Southern California to play for Knight.

His early decision was prompted, in part, by a desire to avoid the recruiting rush, which will begin Wednesday. At that time, college coaches can begin calling players. Official visits follow in the fall, with most prospects signing in November.

Mandeville and his parents, Richard and Karen, knew that waiting would result in endless calls from quick-talking recruiters. They also did not want to be hurried in making a decision.

After taking an unofficial visit to UCLA early last spring, Mandeville decided to talk with other schools. He and his parents organized a trip during spring break, stopping at Virginia, Kentucky, Notre Dame, Indiana and Kansas. Richard Sr. called coaches at each school to set up meetings.

Although impressed with every program, Mandeville said he felt most comfortable at Indiana. He said Knight was open with him about his expectations and where he would fit on the team.

Mandeville’s father set up a grading system for each school, and Indiana consistently scored the highest.

“Everyone knows Coach Knight yells a lot,” Mandeville said. “But that really doesn’t scare me. He does it to make you a better ballplayer, not because he doesn’t like you. I look forward to the challenge.”

Although UCLA Coach Jim Harrick actively recruited Mandeville for three years, the La Canada player said he always wanted to go out of state.

Hofman said Mandeville is an improved player since reaching his decision, no longer worried about recruiters watching his every move. In summer league play, he is averaging 25 points and 14 rebounds. He will attend the Nike Camp in Indianapolis early next month.

Mandeville started drawing attention during his freshman season, when he was a 6-8 reserve center. College coaches began sending letters and occasionally scouted games.

Things intensified during his sophomore year. Coaches began routinely calling him at home. Upset over the constant interruptions, the family asked Hofman to step in and act as a mediator with the recruiters.

Mandeville has grown an inch per year since starting high school and has been a starter the last two seasons. A two-time All-Southern Section selection, Mandeville is coming off a junior year during which he averaged 18 points and 11 rebounds in helping lead La Canada to the Division III-A title game.

His role is expected to expand this season as the school goes after its first section championship. Hofman said Mandeville appears to finally be living up to his potential.

“Richard’s size is what attracted the college coaches initially,” Hofman said. “But once they watched him play, they found someone with a lot of potential. He’s slowly turning that potential into some real talent.”

Mandeville, who has a 3.0 grade-point average, has increased his weight to 235 by lifting weights. He also works once a week with a personal trainer.

His vertical leap has improved to 28 1/2 inches, and Mandeville has developed an outside shot. He has made 10 three-pointers in summer play.

Mandeville says he misses the recruiting mail he used to receive every day, but is grateful he was able to reach a decision he can live with.