Theo Pinson Decision: Why Indiana Hoosiers Should Be Leading for 5-Star

The Indiana Hoosiers had better get ready for Theo Pinson, because on Wednesday he will announce that he is headed to Bloomington.

OK—so it's not a guarantee that he'll be playing for Indiana, but it certainly appears that he's leaning that way.

According to ESPN's Dave Telep reports, the 5-star small forward will announce his college decision on Wednesday at 12:15 p.m. ET.

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National recruitment ends Wed. @tpinsonn will pick from G'Town, UNC, Duke, Louisville and Indiana. 12:15 at his school

— Dave Telep (@DaveTelep) May 18, 2013"

This is pretty early for a kid who just finished his junior year to commit to a school. If he's trying to commit before his senior season, he could have used the summer to continue his recruitment, but the fact that he is deciding now tells me that he is absolutely in love with one of the programs on his list.

If we're trying to narrow down the list a bit, we can take note of what Pinson's father told InsideTheHall.com about Indiana being in his son's top three.

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'Yeah, they definitely would,' Pinson Sr. said of Indiana being in the top three. 'He likes them. They’re up there right now.'

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Obviously, to fall in love with a program, you have to visit, talk to the coaches and players, etc. This is another good sign for the Hoosiers, as they are the only school that he took an official visit to (per Sporting News).

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Indiana coach Tom Crean has made Pinson a top priority in the 2014 class, and some analysts believe the Hoosiers have the inside track. His only official visit has been to IU, and he recently told insidethehall.com the Hooisers were 'looking good right now' in his recruitment.

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Perhaps one of the reasons the Greensboro native looks like he will spurn North Carolina in favor of Indiana is the success of freak athlete Victor Oladipo and his emergence from a solid player to a sure-fire lottery pick this season.

As Scout.com tells us, Pinson is "one of the better athletes in the 2014 class," and that "Pinson is at his best when he’s using his energy to defend, rebound and make plays in transition."

Sound like anyone else?

Oladipo came out of high school as a highly-touted athlete without a refined game, but he quickly became one of the best players in the country under Indiana coach Tom Crean.

It doesn't hurt that Oladipo happened to be Pinson's host during his official visit either (h/t InsideTheHall.com).

Considering Oladipo was so devoted to IU that he claimed it was "divine intervention" that brought him to Bloomington, you have to imagine that he brought that enthusiasm for the school to his courting of Pinson.

All signs point to this incredible athlete going to Indiana, and it would be shocking to see him pick anyone else on Wednesday,

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