Jaraan Cornell
High School South Bend Clay, IN
Height and Weight 6'3 205lbs
Date of Birth 11/22/76
Position Shooting Guard
Ratings #19 (G), #37 (RR), #34 (HS), #43 (PS)
#8 (among big guards by FS)
Academically Eligible Yes
Status Signed
Player Summary ·
Player News ·
Game Stats ·
Season Stats ·
Honors ·
IHSAA Results
Jaraan Cornell is a 6'3", 205 pound SG from the 1994 IHSAA
state champion South Bend Clay. Cornell is a smooth lefty that is
destined to be the MVP of any team he plays upon. What Cornell lacks
in flash he makes up for in consistency and determination. He is an
unselfish scorer that has an excellent work ethic on and off the court
(he's class president). Cornell has career totals of 1,700 points, 782
rebounds, 180 steals, and 150 assists (steals and assist numbers do not
yet include 1996 season numbers. Highly regarded by recruiters,
Cornell is an early favorite for the 1996 Indiana Mr. Basketball award.
In the 1995-96 season, Cornell averaged 21.8 points per game,
ranking 31st among the Indiana state scoring leaders. He also averaged
8.9 rebounds. South Bend Clay had a 22-4 record and was ranked 8th
in Indiana, after being as high as 2nd earlier in the season. Jaraan
finished as Clay's all time leading scorer and rebounder.
In the 1994-95 season, Cornell averaged 18.9 points and 8.2
rebounds for South Bend Clay, which finished 20-2. A three-year starter,
the left hander lead the Colonials to a 62-11 varsity record, including
27-2 in 1994. Cornell shot 59.5 percent from the floor last season,
including 42 percent from three-point range, and made 62 percent of his
free-throws.
As a sophomore, Cornell averaged 16.9 points for Clay's 27-2 squad.
The Colonials won the 1993-94 state championship, defeating Valparaiso
93-88 in overtime behind Cornell's 30 points and 10 rebounds. With
Clay trailing 78-75, Cornell sent the game into the extra session with
a 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds remaining.
Cornell chose Purdue over hometown Notre Dame, Kentucky, Tennessee,
DePaul and Ball State.
Keady on Cornell: "Jaraan may be the best two-guard in the nation
because of his great attitude and work ethic. He has tremendous character.
I've always said Jaraan is a quick Troy Lewis. He can shoot it and is a
great kid. He's just like Mike Robinson. He loves reading the ratings and
is into all of that."
Kendrick on Cornell: " He has tremendous body control and is a great
shooter. He's a gem and people are going to love him. He's going to be
great."
6-22-96...Jaraan Cornell finished among the top scorers in the
state of Indiana his senior season, but was looked to by Coach Broughton
during the Indiana/Kentucky All-Star game to be the teams defensive
stopper. "I'm proud to have that role and to be looked at as a stopper,"
Cornell said. "I wanted to step up and rise to the occasion, and I
think I did a pretty good job." His assignment...Kentucky Mr. Basketball
Daymeon Fishback, who usually scores in the mid twenties. Cornell
kept Fishback scoreless in the first half with a smothering jersey-tight
defense, forcing Fishback out beyond his usual range. Fishback's
first points came in the second half with Cornell on the bench. "We
forced him out a step farther than he wanted to go," Broughton said.
"Getting him off the line an extra step really helped." When asked
the reason why Fishback managed to hit a couple of shots in the
second half, Cornell replied, "Well, it was about 120 in there."
Cornell played 27 of 40 minutes and still managed 8 points during
the defensive effort. "I go out there and give it 100 percent every
time," Cornell said. "The game is not fun if you don't play as hard
as you can." (See stats below)
4-24-96...The Exponent recently asked Jaraan Cornell about Purdue's
need for another big man. "It will be real good if we can have five
players come in and help, then it doesn't seem like a rebuilding year,"
Cornell said. "I kind of prefer it to be a freshman, 'cause then we
can have another Fab Five." Cornell said he also plans to take
summer classes to help him achieve his dream, which doesn't just
include professional basketball. "I want to go down there and graduate
from college and hopefully go on and play pro ball. That's my dream
right there."
4-21-96...Hounded by international star Palladino, Cornell had
a modest scoring appearance in the Hoop Summit game yesterday. Cornell
was cold from the outside, as was the rest of the US team who went a
combined 5-19 from the perimeter. The International team successfully
picked the guards and slashed to the boards, where they also ruled by
outrebounding the US team 57-37. Cornell's only field goal came on a
Jermaine O'Neal baseline jumper. Cornell rebounded the ball in front
of the bucket, did a 360 spin around an opponent on the left side of
the paint, and laid the ball up with his left hand. The game wasn't as
close as the score suggested (Internationals 104, USA 96), as the
International team led by 19 with three minutes remaining. A last second
bomb from Winfred Walton cut the lead to single digits at the buzzer.
(see stats below)
4-14-96...Jaraan Cornell has been chosen as one of the 13 players
that will represent Indiana in the annual Indiana/Kentucky All-Star
series early this summer. Cornell will join fellow Boiler recruit
Gary McQuay, and his brother Greg on the team. The battle for minutes
at shooting guard and small forward should be intense. "We have some
good athletes at small forward," coach Broughton said Sunday. "They're
very athletic and hopefully that can work to our advantage." Cornell
will likely share time with Lamont Roland (New Albany), Carl Sykes
(Franklin Central) and Lee Coomler (Kokomo). At shooting guard,
Cornell would mix in with Kevin Ault (Warsaw), Andrew Graves (White
River Valley), and Mike Lewis (Jasper). "That was one of the things we
looked at with this group," Broughton said. "We wanted players who
can play more than one position. We're solid on the perimeter. We
have a lot of directions we can go, depending on the player."
The Indiana All-Stars will battle the Kentucky All-Stars
the two state's male All Stars will battle for the 96th and 97th time
on June 22 in Lexington, Kentucky, and the following week June 29
at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis. The Indiana game will begin
at 7:30pm.
4-6-96...The state's two top scorers were the favorites for
Indiana Mr. Basketball. This became evident after the votes were made
public Saturday night as Kevin Ault was named the 1996 Mr. Basketball.
Cornell finished third in the voting behind Kevin Ault and Michael
Lewis. Ault finished with 144 of the 365 votes, Michael Lewis with
92, Cornell with 46 and New Albany's LaMont Roland with 37.5. Ault
will now wear the #1 jersey in the upcoming Indiana/Kentucky All-Star
games.
3-11-96...After leading South Bend Clay to the South Bend
Sectional crown, Clay was booted from the IHSAA tournament by Northridge
58-42. Cornell is Clay's career scoring and rebounding leader and has
led the Colonials to one state championship and a 69-8 record over the
past three years. "During the past few weeks, he's taken charge," Clay
AD Greg Humnicky said. "One of the great things about Jaraan is that he
beats you coming off screens, not playing 1-on-1. He's simply a complete
team player." Those screens have been effective in getting Cornell open
on the perimeter. He is 47.5 percent from 3-point range on 75 of 158
attempts.
Assistant Bruce Weber went to see Cornell in January and can't
wait to coach Jaraan. "He is very solid," said Weber. "I'd compare him to
Troy Lewis...maybe even a little more athletic. He can do so many things.
I would think his adjustment to college basketball would be pretty easy."
2-17-96...Cornell surpassed the scoring record of a past Indiana
scoring legend on Friday with 19 points for the game. Cornell became
Clay's all-time career scoring leader, breaking the 45 year record set
by three-time Big Ten scoring leader and three-time All-American Don
Schlundt. Cornell now has a total of 1,605 points compared to Schlundt's
1,596. Schlundt was a part of Indiana's national championship team in
1953. South Bend Clay's 72-48 win over #18 South Bend LaSalle gave them
their third consecutive Northern Indiana Conference championship.
1-20-96...SB Clay rallied from 14 points down, and Cornell hit
four clutch free throws in the closing minutes to lead Clay to a 71-68
victory over South Bend Washington and move their record to 13-2. "If we
were going to win this game, I wanted to win it for us," Cornell said. "If
we were going to lose it, I wanted to lose it for us." Cornell received
praise from Washington coach Milt Cooper. "He's my Mr. Basketball
candidate," coach Cooper said. "He was coming off their double screens, and
though we played very well defensively, we couldn't guard the 3-point line."
Cornell scored a career high 36 points against SB Washington, and hit a
school record seven 3-pointers.
12-30-95...South Bend Clay played all ranked teams in the Marsh Hall
of Fame Classic in New Castle, IN, losing the first to Muncie South 63-60
and winning the second for third place in the tourney over Jasper 65-64.
The first game had Cornell with only 10 points, but 10 rebounds. Cornell
got into foul trouble late in the second half and sat the bench from 4:43
to 3:03, while Muncie South cut the lead to 3. Cornell fouled out at 1:16
putting Clay's defensive stopper out of the game and helping Muncie South to
the 3 point win. In the second game, Cornell went up against fellow Indiana
Mr. Basketball candidate Michael Lewis. Lewis took the scoring battle with
38 points, but Cornell and South Bend Clay took the game with a 65-64
victory as Lewis' last second half court shot fell a foot short. Clay's
structured half-court offense gives Cornell roles similar to those he will
be expected to fill next year with the Boilers. (See stats below)
12-19-95...Jaraan has failed to meet the minimum requirement of
820 on the SAT in his first attempt. He scored a 790, and is currently
awaiting the results from his latest attempt. His coach is not worried
about the score due to his work ethic and honor roll status. His GPA
is said to be "well above" the required 2.0.
10-18-95...Jon Reidel and Rich Allen writing for "The Big Ten
Basketball Handbook" ranks Jaraan Cornell at #20 and comments on his play
from the summer tournaments..."Cornell is a silky smooth lefty who's
not a real attention-grabber but is as valuable a player as anyone in the
senior class. Known for an incredible work ethic on and off the court
(he's class president), Cornell is a coach's dream. Doesn't have to score
to have an impact on the game but can score when necessary."
8-26-95...Details behind Cornell's decision to attend Purdue were
printed in todays J&C. Seems like all the national attention was a
distraction for him and his family. "We talked and Jaraan was tired of all
the phone calls," Clay Coach Tom DeBaets said Friday. "He was getting so many
calls that even when he was there, his dad was telling people that he wasn't
there. I was getting the same thing. I was 90 percent sure that Jaraan was
going to come to Purdue. There was an outside shot that he would end up at
Notre Dame."
Reports say Cornell was being heavily recruited by Michigan State,
Minnesota, DePaul, Maryland, Marquette, Ball State, and Indiana State. With
classes beginning soon and the phone calls a natural distraction, Cornell
and DeBaets had two lengthy recruiting discussions this week. "He indicated
to me that he wanted to go to Purdue," coach DeBaets said. "I told him that
if that's the case, you've got to be honest with these other schools that
are trying to set up home visits. I told him, 'Let's not waste their time,
and let's not waste your time.'"
"I liked winning the high school state championship, and I'd like to
win an NCAA championship too," Cornell said. "I've always been a Big Ten fan,
and I wanted to stay pretty close to home. I just felt real good about
Purdue."
Purdue coaches will make a home visit with Cornell on September 10,
who is planning an official announcement a few days thereafter. Cornell
has yet to meet freshman eligibility scores on a standardized test, but Coach
DeBaets said in his first and only attempt he was just 40 points short.
Recruiting guru Bob Gibbons said, referring to the addition of Cornell
into the Purdue fold, "I don't believe any other program has three
commitments, and certainly no program has two commitments from top 20 players.
Right now, Purdue has jumped to the top of the national recruiting scene. Gene
Keady has to be smiling."
8-25-95...Both the Indianapolis Star and the AP wire have reported
that South Bend Clay star Jaraan Cornell has announced he will sign with
Purdue University. Cornell struggled between his final two choices Purdue
and hometown college Notre Dame (which his father wanted him to attend). He
chose Purdue on the strengths of the coaching staff and the quality of the
team Coach Keady was assembling, and their chances for a run at the national
title. Although he said he is expecting to continue to be recruited by other
colleges, he said that it would "take a miracle" to change his mind now.
Cornell's new Gibbons ranking is 19th, down from 14th, primarily due
to an average showing at the summer's NIKE camp.
8-18-95...Jaraan Cornell is expected to have a home visit by Purdue
sometime after September 9th and is expected to announce his choice soon
after.
7-9-95...An article in the Indianapolis paper made it sound like
Cornell may have had enough of camps, after attending 2-3 of them plus AAU
tournaments. It stated Purdue and Notre Dame were high on his list.
7-10-96...Cornell played fine on Saturday, better than Barnes, but
again was not the most impressive player on the court. The team they played
(with many of their players from Texas) had people on it that looked
better. However, the team with Barnes and Cornell did win; that may
count for something. Cornell could dribble and pass. He played
off-guard mostly, although he might be able to play the small forward
position. Cornell also apparently played better, as he was chosen as one of
20 players to play in the gold game. He again played ok, but not
outstanding.
7-10-95...Jaraan Cornell spoke well of Purdue's chances of adding him
to their roster in the 96-97 season. Cornell, who was interviewed while
attending the Nike All-American camp in Indianapolis, said he would probably
wait until September to announce his choice. Cornell is being described as
a scrappy southpaw with excellent jump-shot elevation and a quick first step,
with the size and ability similar to that of Calbert Cheaney.
Cornell said Monday, "It's fair to say Purdue is up there. I like
Purdue alot. There are other colleges that I like too, but it is just a
matter of time. I'm really thinking the whole thing over. It's a really big
decision - one that probably will change my life." Cornell says he is not
attempting to be dramatic by prolonging a decision. "Hopefully by the end of
the summer, I can narrow my choices down. But as far as making it public, I
don't want to do that until early September."
Cornell and Mosi Barnes were Nike Camp teammates this week. Barnes,
who has already committed to Purdue, is convinced Cornell will play for the
Boilers. "Jaraan and I have been talking about that," Barnes said. "I think
Jaraan is going to come to Purdue. Every time I ask him, he says, 'Yeah, I
think so.' He's trying not to tell me, but I know he is swinging his way
toward Purdue."
One reservation might be the team that Keady is assembling. Without
Cornell, Keady has a potential national contender recruited already. Cornell
would likely be in competition with Chad Austin for the starting SG spot.
"With great players like that, it would be a good situation to play with
them," Cornell said. "That doesn't make it any more or any less attractive,
because if I went in there, I would be going in trying to fight for a position
and playing time."
In attendance at the Nike Camp was Keady, along with Illinois' Lou
Henson, Louisville's Denny Crum, Memphis' Larry Finch, Connecticut's Jim
Calhoun and Massachusetts' John Calipari.
As far as Cornell's game, he said "I'm working on my ball-handling.
I'm working on shooting off the dribble instead of spotting up and shooting.
I know I can spot up and shoot.''
DATE FG FGA FT FTA 3PM 3PA RB A S B PTS
----------------------------------------------------
07-09-95 7 8 3 8 23
12-30-95 5 15 0 2 0 2 10 10 Lost 60- Muncie S. 63
12-30-95 9 15 2 3 3 7 5 23 Won 65- Jasper 64
01-20-96 7 10 36 Won 71- SB Wash. 68
02-14-96 13 11 Won 53- SB St. Joe's 38
02-16-96 11 19 Won 72- SB LaSalle 48
02-27-96 14 Won 61- SB St. Joe's 39
03-01-96 21 Won 70- SB LaSalle 59 OT
04-20-96 1 3 4 4 0 1 6 Lost 96- Int. AS 104
06-12-96 9 16 2 2 4 7 8 3 2 1 24 Won 103- Spiece 62
06-19-96 8 14 0 2 1 5 17 Won 101- Junior AS 69
06-22-96 3 11 1 2 1 4 5 6 2 0 8 Won 98- Kentucky AS 87
06-26-96 3 9 5 8 Won 110- Junior AS 82
06-29-96 7 14 1 3 2 4 4 5 1 0 17 Lost 99- Kentucky AS 106
Season thru PPG FG% FT% 3P% RPG APG SPG BPG RECORD RANK
----------------------------------------------------------------
12-15-95 25.4 .544 .818 .483 8.2 4.0 4.2 1.8 5-0 2nd (IN)
01-05-96 21.5 .557 .426 7.7 3.8 1.2 9-2 7th (IN)
01-25-96 23.6 13-2 8th (IN)
02-03-96 22.8 14-3 12th (IN)
02-13-96 23.2 17-3 11th (IN)
02-25-96 22.4 8.4 19-3 8th (IN)
03-07-96 22.2 .550 .758 .475 8.8 3.2 22-3 8th (IN)
1995-96 stats 21.8 8.9 22-4 8th (IN)
95-96 season South Bend Clay All Time Leading Scorer and Rebounder
Junior National Select Team (one of 12 players chosen)
Associated Press Indiana All-State First Team
Indiana Basketball Coaches Association First Team
Hoosier Basketball Magazine First Team
Parade All-American Third Team
Indiana Mr. Basketball candidate (finished 3rd)
Indiana All-Star Selection
94-95 season Hoosier Basketball Magazine First Team
93-94 season IHSAA State Championship
IHSAA State Tournament MVP
Sectional...
Won vs. SB ST. Joe's 61-39
Won vs. SB LaSalle 70-59 OT
Won vs. SB Washington 76-62
Regional...
Lost vs. Northridge 42-58
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