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There is no question that the point guard position has been a major point of emphasis over the past few seasons for Indiana. Whether it be injury or just lack of production, it is a position that has had many question marks since Archie Miller's arrival.
Rob Phinisee is now expected to enter year three as a starter once again and that means expectations will be even higher for the Lafayette native. Phinisee has been a steady force for Indiana when he is in the lineup, but unfortunately, he hasn't always been available for the Hoosiers. Spending time sidelined with a concussion as a freshman and then with an ankle injury as a sophomore, the IU point guard is now entering his third year as healthy as ever.
"I feel so much better. Honestly this wasn't how we wanted to end the season but it really helped having my body just have the time off," Phinisee said earlier this summer. "I feel like this is the best I've felt in a while."
TheHoosier.com continues its 2020-21 season player previews with junior point guard Rob Phinisee.
2019-20 Season In Review:
Another year and another injury that derailed Phinisee's season. An ankle injury kept Phinisee out of lineup for five games about a month into the season and that continued to linger throughout the season. In 27 games (16 starts), however, the 6-foot guard averaged 7.3 points and 3.4 assists.
Scoring has never been a need from Phinisee, but when the IU point guard was more aggressive, the offense was clearly better. In nine double-digit scoring games, the Hoosiers were 6-3 and when he scored less than five points, Indiana was just 4-6.
What was concerning, however, was that Phinisee had nine games where he made one or less field goals. The consistency factor was definitely a point of emphasis throughout the entire season and it was almost like as Phinisee went, Indiana went.
His best stretch of the season came in the last 11 games of this season. He averaged 7.8 points and 3.8 assists - with seven games with one or less turnovers.
While Phinisee had his ups and downs, he struggled all season with his shooting percentage, shooting just 37.4 percent overall, and 39.8 percent from two.
Defensively, Phinisee was steady all year, once again, as he has now become one of the best on-ball defenders in the Big Ten.
2020-21 Season Expectations:
The junior point guard, assuming he stays healthy this season, should once again play an integral part in Indiana's success. Not only does he have a healthy offseason under his belt, but he also has some additional ball handling help in the backcourt.
Phinisee, who was the lone ball handler for most of his IU career, now has the help of five-star guard Khristian Lander. Not only will it help the Hoosiers, but it will make life easier for Phinisee who can now move into different roles in different lineups.
"It's going to help a lot," Phinisee said of adding Lander to the backcourt. "Just having another primary ballhandler is allowing me to be more off the ball and that will allow me to create more and do more things on offense."
The career 7.0 point per game scorer isn't going to magically see his points shoot up to 12-13 a game, but I fully expect an increase in production in the scoring column. While Phinisee is a good playmaker, he isn't going to 'throw open' any teammate. Most of his assists come off of already open shots, rather than a pass to open up the shot for a teammate.
With Lander now in the fold, the playmaking can all be left up to the freshman point guard, allowing Phinisee to play more off of the ball. He was productive in that role, albeit minimal, last season.
"I think we'll complement each other pretty well," Phinisee said. "He's (Lander) very quick, he likes to take ball screens. I feel like in the new offense we have, we'll be able to play together and create for each other."
That new offense that Phinisee noted is exactly what will work for both point guards; more ball screens. Phinisee showed at times the ability to be an effective catch-and-shoot player from the perimeter and using a ball screen to allow Lander to draw more opponents to him will only create more open looks.
With a bit of a changed role, I expect Phinisee to have his best season yet and see career highs across the board. An average of 8-9 points but on a much more efficient shooting percentage - closer to 45 percent - along with his steady defense is something that Indiana fans should expect this season.
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