Basketball player Capobianco transfers from IU to Valpo

VALPARAISO | Setting screens and limited court time led former Indiana University forward Bobby Capobianco to seek a transfer, and he believes he has found a home in Valparaiso.

Capobianco said Sunday that he his transferring to play for the Crusaders and new head coach Bryce Drew. He'll have two years of eligibility after sitting out the upcoming season due to NCAA transfer rules.

At 6-foot-9, 245 pounds, Capobianco says he is a power forward who wants to be able to showcase his skills, which include shooting from beyond the arc.

"(Leaving Indiana) was a tough decision because I'm a really loyal guy and really enjoyed my time in Bloomington," Capobianco said. "But for me to get the most out of my basketball career and myself, making a move was necessary."

Capobianco is from Loveland, Ohio, near Cincinnati. He finished his high school career as Loveland's all-time leading scorer, rebounder and shot blocker.

As a senior, he averaged 17.3 points and 12 rebounds per game, and was rated as the No. 100 prospect and No. 33 power forward in the Class of 2009 by ESPN.com. Capobianco played AAU basketball for Indiana Elite on a team that included Ray McCallum Jr., a future Horizon League opponent at Detroit.

At IU, Capobianco started five games as a freshman and averaged 2.3 points and 2.6 rebounds. His playing time dwindled as a sophomore, averaging just 6.3 minutes in 26 games. He averaged 1 point and 1.2 rebounds.

He's confident those numbers will improve at Valparaiso, where he will be on scholarship for three years while continuing his pursuit of a degree in sports communication broadcast.

"I'm definitely a power forward but I can get out and shoot the ball a lot," Capobianco said. "I can shoot the 3, but I wasn't necessarily encouraged to take too many 3-pointers at Indiana. I was busy setting a lot of ball screens.

"I'm excited to play at Valpo and for a coach who empowers me and gives me the opportunity and confidence to be the player I am and not restrict me."

Capobianco said the recruiting process began after he was given his release in mid-May. He said he's already accumulated 76 credit hours that will all transfer to Valpo.

He said the school will announce his enrollment when paperwork is complete by the end of that week. Until then, Drew can not comment.

Capobianco already knows something about the city. He's dating Valparaiso High School graduate Margo Andrews, who will be a senior this fall at Indiana.

"Valparaiso called right away when I got my release from Indiana, so it ended up that those two things crossed paths," he said. "It's nice because I've had exposure to the city of Valparaiso and know my way around. It was definitely nice to have a pretty good feel for the town because the official visits are only 48 hours and it takes more time to really get to know a place."

Capobianco is the latest among several Drew recruits. Other incoming players are 6-1 guard Will Bogan, a transfer from Mississippi, 6-7 Dino Jakolis of Croatia, 6-8 Richie Edwards from Hillsborough (Fla.) Community College and 6-4 Ben Boggs, a transfer from Virginia Tech.

The school also is expected this week to announce the addition of 6-11 freshman Vashil Fernandez of Jamaica.