11/13/2020 basketball Edit

2020-21 Player Preview: Jordan Geronimo

Alec Lasley • TheHoosier

Senior Writer

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Indiana brings in the No. 16 overall recruiting class in the country this season that adds more talent to the IU roster. Its four-man class is another talent boost that now makes this the best roster Archie Miller has had in Bloomington.

For most freshmen coming in, they use that first summer to get acclimated to not only college life, but also the ins and outs of the program. Unfortunately this freshman class didn't have that opportunity and now with less than two weeks until the start of the season, are still learning on the fly.

"The process has been difficult, but it has been fun at the same, just learning and growing," Jordan Geronimo said at IU media day.

TheHoosier.com continues its 2020-21 player previews with freshman forward Jordan Geronimo.

Jordan Geronimo looks to bring his athleticism to Bloomington. (IU Athletics)

High School Career

Jordan Geronimo comes to Indiana with a relatively quiet prep career and a recruitment that didn't really take off until the end of the summer heading into his senior season at St. Paul's (NH).

As a junior, he averaged 14 points, 8.1 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game. Following that junior year, Geronimo took to the AAU circuit playing for Mass Rivals (MA). Again, it was a relatively quiet summer, averaging just 9.1 points per game for the majority of the season. Then, the last weekend of the season he shot up to 17.5 points per game.

As a senior, Geronimo was named New Hampshire Gatorade Player of the Year as he averaged 18 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. He was also named an All-New England Class A Honoree.

Former Rivals' National Analyst Corey Evans broke down Geronimo's game last summer:

“To say that Geronimo brings an exciting brand of basketball to the playing floor would be a total disservice to everything that he is capable of achieving. Young for his grade level but with the body already in tow. Bouncy, a capable shot maker, active and a defensive weapon, Geronimo has a lot of OG Anunoby qualities to him. He is far from a finished product."

2020-21 Season Expectations

It's not always expected for freshmen to have huge impacts from game one of their first year, as adjusting to the college game takes longer for certain players. What helps immediately and doesn't usually need time to adjust is athleticism.

For Jordan Geronimo, athleticism is exactly what stands out.

"Jordan is a freak athlete. He's crazy long. He can play different positions on the court. He can stretch the floor," Armaan Franklin said.

"Jordan has been really, really good," Trayce Jackson-Davis added. "High energy. Freak athlete... The sky is the limit for him."

At 6-foot-6 and a 7-foot-3 wingspan, Geronimo brings a lot of length and versatility to Indiana's lineup. Archie Miller has stressed the importance at getting bigger, longer and more athletic on the perimeter and that's exactly what he provides. Geronimo's versatility will allow him to guard multiple different positions as a hybrid wing.

He is still developing a fully polished offensive game, so for him to see minutes as a freshman, it'll be on the defensive end and with his energy.

"Bring the energy, be there defensively, thats something I pride myself on," Geronimo said. "Do anything to get the win.

"I'm working on my guard skills to contribute more to the team (on the perimeter)."

As of right now, I fully expect Geronimo to contribute as a freshman, but I think it will be in limited bursts resulting in very inconsistent playing time. His athletic ability and versatility is not easy to find so because of that, Archie Miller will find a way to use him in certain situational opportunities. That could be a few minutes for defensive purposes or a few minutes as a small-ball four.

Numbers around seven minutes a game and around two points is something I think should be expected. His impact won't necessarily be in the box score but the energy he can provide when needed. Geronimo will be a big player before his career is over, but he still needs time to sharpen his skills on the offensive end and because of the amount of depth IU already has on the perimeter, it may be a year before we see him consistently on the floor. Either way, he's going to have a very productive career in Bloomington.