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The Indiana basketball program enters the second-half of Big Ten play looking to make a push up towards the top of the standings and also get healthy as the end of the season approaches.
Indiana heads into Saturday's matchup with No. 1 Purdue a bit banged up as forwards Jordan Geronimo and Logan Duncomb have both missed the last few games, while guard Xavier Johnson has been out for the last 11 games since suffering a broken foot against Kansas on Dec. 17.
On Thursday, head coach Mike Woodson provided updates to all three and where they stand in their recovery.
The biggest update this week was with Johnson, who was warming up before Tuesday's game at Maryland without a boot on his foot for the first time since he suffered his injury. With the original timeline, there had been hope of a return towards the end of February.
"Not really," Woodson said on a potential updated timeline for Johnson. "He's been out there trying to shoot a little bit. He just got out of the boot. I mean, I just don't know. It's hard to say when he's going to actually be back.
"If you ask Xavier, he thinks he can play tomorrow. Listen, I've been around basketball a long time. That's impossible. The guy broke his foot. I'm not using that in a negative way. I wish he could play tomorrow. But I don't know."
Johnson entered the Kansas game averaging 10.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game. He was shooting 42.5 percent from the floor and 38.5 percent from three on 2.6 attempts per game. He played just nine minutes against the Jayhawks.
With Geronimo and Duncomb, their availability is much more critical to Saturday's matchup. Going up against 7-foot-4 center and National Player of the Year leader Zach Edey, Indiana will need as many bodies as it can to take some of the defensive responsibility off of Trayce Jackson-Davis.
Right now, it is Jackson-Davis, Malik Reneau and Race Thompson -- who is still getting back from his knee injury against Iowa.
"At this point I'm just trying to deal with the guys that are in uniform," Woodson said. "With Geronimo, I think he shot a little bit yesterday. He's had a calf strain. That's what's keeping him out. . . I mean, I've known players that have had calf problems, and that's something you can't mess around with or you can be out for a longer period of time if you come back too soon.
"Logan has got a major sinus infection again. . . I don't know what the outcome is. I haven't gotten a report today since I've been in the office. I'll get it here in a few on those guys to see where they are."
Geronimo had taken over the starting spot for Thompson when he missed four games with his knee injury. In total, Geronimo made five consecutive starts. As a starter, Geronimo was averaging 7.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game in 20.9 minutes.
Duncomb has seen limited action this season, averaging 2.9 points and 1.7 rebounds in nine games. He has not played since Indiana's matchup with Wisconsin.
Zach Edey is top-20 in the country drawing 6.8 fouls per game this season. He also leads the country in offensive rebound rate at 22 percent.
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