What began as a potentially loud debut went quiet, but that wasn't to say junior forward Freddie McSwain Jr. wasn't productive Saturday night in his limited Indiana debut.

"I'm just glad to be here," McSwain said. "I just wanted to get my feet wet basically, just get used to the game and the tempo and playing with my group of guys. It was a great opportunity to just be on the court again."

McSwain, a 6-foot-6, 215-pound junior college transfer from Neosho County [Kansas] Community College, finished with one point, eight rebounds and two turnovers in eight minutes of his first game in an Indiana uniform, a 73-49 exhibition win over Bellarmine.

He nearly made an emphatic entrance after checking in around the 13 minute mark of the first half. After freshman forward De'Ron Davis missed a free throw, McSwain skied for the putback slam but missed as the Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall Crowd rose to its feet.

His lone point came off a free throw, but his seven defensive rebounds showed his ability to provide energy off the bench in a short burst.

IU head coach Tom Crean said McSwain was on a minutes limit and just began full-court work the day before the game.

"Rusty would be a key, definitive statement right now," Crean said.

McSwain made his debut right around the estimated timetable for his return. On Oct. 19, McSwain indicated he was a couple of weeks away from making his debut, while Crean said during his weekly radio show Monday night McSwain could return as soon as Saturday's exhibition.

McSwain arrived on campus on Aug. 14 after fulfilling summer academic obligations. While most of Indiana's first-year players had been there since the summer practicing with teammates and spending multiple weeks in head strength coach Lyonel Anderson's strength and conditioning program.

Then there was the knee surgery in September which limited him and put him further behind. Throughout the roughly five-week rehab process between late September and early November, his teammates were behind the him the entire way.

"They helped me stay focused and get back on the court soon," McSwain said. "I'm just grateful that I'm here."

His teammates have also noticed how a healthy McSwain can impact the team. One of them, sophomore center Thomas Bryant, said McSwain brings a lot to the team.

"Being able to switch, even with how quick fast and strong he is, he can be on key guys and that can help us out a lot," Bryant said. "It really helps with all of us out there."

Even a "rusty" McSwain was able to make contributions in limited minutes, especially on the defensive end. Offensively, he only attempted one shot and earned just one trip to the free throw line.

However, Crean said McSwain's shot will start to fall once he gets confidence with the pace, movements of the game and offenses.

With the amount of time McSwain missed, Crean is asking for fans to be patient.

"The game's going really fast for him right now because he's going so fast," Crean said. "Once he filters in a little bit and gets comfortable, he'll be really good for us, but it's going to take a little time."