Following the news of Justin Smith withdrawing his name from the NBA Draft process and entering the transfer portal as a grad transfer, Indiana has a hole to fill. A starter for the past two seasons, Smith's production will be a loss for the Hoosiers.
Where exactly will Indiana look to fill the void, however? We break down a few options the Hoosiers should look at and which may be the best option.
Grad Transfer
Indiana's frontcourt depth was already a bit questionable with Smith on the roster, but now with him gone, there could be a case made to add another body from the transfer portal.
Usually, grad transfers are looking to make the move to help themselves. Most of the time that doesn't mean going to a team for a lesser role. Every once in a while you will get that, but it has to be a perfect match.
With the amount of talent that is still returning for Indiana, the Hoosiers are not in a need for someone to come in and be a go-to player. Now, that doesn't mean you don't take a look, however.
Bringing in another big man for 10-12 minutes a game could be helpful, but at what cost? Could it hurt the development of Race Thompson? There is a lot more that goes into finding the right fit than just saying, 'this guy could be helpful'.
With the NBA Draft and combine expected to be delayed even further, that could mean more names show up in the portal after receiving the feedback they wanted from NBA teams. Until then, I'm not sure this is the route Indiana will go.
Jerome Hunter
I think everyone has been waiting for Jerome Hunter's breakout and for the time when he takes on a larger role in the offense. That time could be now.
Jerome Hunter could immediately slide into Smith's position and bring an offensive punch that was not otherwise in the lineup. Despite struggling for the first half of the season last year, shooting just 19.4 percent (6-of-31) in his first 18 games of the season, Hunter went on to shoot 40.6 percent from deep (13-of-32) for the final 12 games of the season. In those games, Hunter saw four games with multiple threes and eight outings with at least one made three.
At 6-foot-8, Hunter could even play a stretch '4' and leave the paint wide open for Trayce Jackson-Davis and open driving lines for the Indiana backcourt.
Though a step up was expected from Hunter this season, more pressure to develop into a consistent offensive weapon will be placed on him from game one next year.
Three-Guard Lineup
No question Archie Miller loves using his guards in multiple ways, taking advantage of having three players capable of handling the ball and getting the offense started.
Last year, however, we saw that it may not be the best route to go. With the addition of Khristian Lander though, his ability to come in and have an impact immediately, could be crucial for Indiana.
If so, that gives the Hoosiers a lot more versatility on the floor. It could allow Al Durham to move to the wing, or the third guard in the lineup, in addition to Rob Phinisee. Here, you may lose a bit of size but it could be one of the better shooting lineups on the roster.
With Armaan Franklin, Anthony Leal, Jordan Geronimo and Trey Galloway all expected to have bigger roles now, a three-guard starting lineup still gives you four additional players off of the bench for roughly two position.
Depending on the development of Franklin, he could slide into the starting lineup and provide a bit more size and defensive ability than the other trio mentioned.
Overall, Indiana has options at its disposal but it will be even more crucial that the role players take a bigger step up than expected heading into the season.
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