Central Florida Recruiting, George Mason Recruiting, Kansas State Recruiting, Virginia Tech Recruiting, West Virginia Recruiting, Zach Smart

KEEP AN EYE ON IAN BAKER IN 2012 CLASS

Ian Baker Intro: Brother’s Keeper Getting Looks From All Over

By Zach Smart

Is Ian Baker his brothers’ keeper?

Baker, a rising junior at Arlington Country Day school in Jacksonville, Fla., is certainly keeping the Baker name alive and intact on the court. The cerebral combination guard, who averaged 10 points and four assists per game as a sophomore, has been actively pursued by a number of Division-I hardwood homes. One Big East school has been the front runner, with schools from the ACC and CAA looking to sell the kid from the rich basketball bloodline.

Two of Ian’s older brothers, Evann and Jeremy Baker, played for Quinnipiac in the Northeast Conference.

Ian’s other brother Travis is headed for the prep ranks after averaging 18 points, four assists, and five boards at High Point High School in Beltsville, Md. Travis Baker earned All-County, turning in two 25-point performances against Oxon Hill, the alma mater of former Georgetown star Michael Sweetney.

Oh and while we’re on it, Baker’s other older brother, Corey, was the MVP at High Point in 2009 and recently accepted a scholarship at Garden City Community College in Kansas. Jeremy Baker authored quite the career at Garden City. The JUCO All-American drained a number of clutch shots, handed out assists like a club promoter hands out flyers (early, often, and whenever he goes to work), and always handled the chore of clamping down on every All-American in sight.

So, is Ian Baker his brothers’ keeper?

As the youngest of the Baker boys, he’s got pairs of shoes to fill. His emergence as one of the more highly sought after recruits in the D.C.-area would indicate, the shoes are a perfect fit and he’s ready to lace them up as we head into the NCAA Open Evaluation Period.

West Virgina, George Mason, Virginia Tech, Central Florida and Kansas State have all expressed significant interest.

“Coach Harrison, he’s the one who contacted me first,” said Baker. “They started recruiting me after we played in a tournament down in West Virginia.”

“That’s when they first started recruited me so I guess I did something that caught their eye.”

Baker, taking after Jeremy, loves to create offense. He draws in the defense with his serious handle and passes the pigment out of the ball. He embraces his role as a dish-first guy, albeit Baker has found himself calling his own number and stuffing the score sheet as of late.

“I try to get everybody involved,” says Baker. “I realize that if nobody gets their scoring going, then I’ll try to take over with my own scoring.”

Baker transferred to Arlington Country Day from Proctor Academy in New Hampshire, where his second cousin (former UConn guard and 2010 NBA draft hopeful) Jerome Dyson played (if you get invited to a family reunion, bringing a Spalding would probably get you a few burgers at the cookout).

“When it comes to basketball, since he was the baby and he got to see everybody go through, he’s got like a basketball old soul,” explained longtime D.C. basketball guru Walter Ray, the founder and president of E.G.O.S. (Education, Goals, Opportunities In Sports).

“That’s what his strength is, experience. As far as talent goes, his talent is right there with the rest of them. He gets to kind of incorporate that into the wisdom and knowledge and experience thing that you get from having older brothers. That just adds to what he is, because most of these players now have robotic games. Now he can play, instinctively. Like I said, he’s seen some of the best. He’s been out there with me getting his butt busted.”

Is Baker a Big East caliber baller?

“I’ve seen some 11-12th men his better than, I’ve seen some starters he’s better than,” opined Ray. “Historically and currently, yeah. He can play in the Big East.”

Ray knows a thing or two about the Big East. Players such as Roy Hibbert and Jerome Dyson have come out of his program. Ray has also coached the likes of former George Mason guard Tony Skinn, the aforementioned Bakers, former NCAA scoring machine Rob Monroe (fourth in the nation in scoring his senior year at Quinnipiac), Binghamton’s Troy Hailey II, Jerome Habel (San Diego State), Steve Harley and plenty others from Maryland/D.C.’s basketball real estate.

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