Indiana basketball initiated the symbolic start to its season as fans gathered inside of Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall to witness 2019 Hoosier Hysteria.
Both the men's and women's basketball teams were introduced and kicked off the season with a host of semi-competitive contests, including a short men's basketball scrimmage to end the afternoon. The crowd filled a majority of the arena.
Indiana basketball is coming off a disappointing 2018-2019 season after failing to earn a bid to the NCAA tournament. Last year's leading scorer Romeo Langford departed into the NBA draft and is now a member of the Boston Celtics, leaving questions as to who will fill the enormous hole he has left.
As for the women, who made their own tournament appearance, are looking to get back into the March Madness bracket while the men's team reconstructs this season.
Indiana head coach Archie Miller calls 2019 "a building year."
There's a high level of uncertainty surrounding the program heading into the 2019-2020 season. Indiana hasn't qualified for the NCAA tournament in the Archie Miller era and are looking to find stability in a state with a rich history of excellence.
During Miller's talk to the crowd, he mentioned that this will be a year for the team to build. However, he also said it has the talent to be a special group.
In the backcourt, a committee of guards led by lone senior Devonte Green will look to replace the departed Romeo Langford, who led the team in points and minutes played last season.
True freshman forward Trayce Jackson-Davis leads this year's crop of newcomers after committing to play for the Hoosiers as Indiana Mr. Basketball. During Hoosier Hysteria, he payed tribute to former Hoosier Calbert Cheaney by wearing his number 40 after winning the dunk contest against Al Durham, Justin Smith and Armaan Franklin.
Success will have to come with the unit working with various lineups on the floor. There's not one player that will take over games for the Hoosiers, but a collective effort will be key for winning games in the Big Ten. --DJ
Calbert Cheaney supports Archie Miller's direction
Former Indiana star and recent College Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Calbert Cheaney was introduced at Hoosier Hysteria, joining Archie Miller on the stage after the head coach directed the crowd's attention to the screen for a video honoring his selection.
He joked with the current players and re-entered the Hall to DJ Khaled's "All I Do Is Win."
Then he made a statement that caught the ears of most fans in the arena.
"I'm 100-percent behind Archie and what he's doing with this basketball program," Cheaney said to the crowd.
That's not a surprise, and of course he isn't going to denounce the head coach on stage, but the support rang loudly, as the Hoosiers haven't found the postseason success fans had hoped for in Miller's first two seasons.
"I think just in terms of giving him an opportunity. It's his third year in, and hopefully he can get some things done," Cheaney said to the media after the event. "It's a matter of him developing the kids and getting the kids he wants. Then we can go from there. I think he's done a good job to this point, and hopefully this season will be a good indicator of that."
Cheaney said he's been happy with the way Miller has worked with the defense and the success he's had in recruiting, but the most promising aspect of Miller's performance in two years is the way he's continued to develop the young players he's brought in.
The Hall of Famer also had some words on his induction.
"It's a tremendous honor to be inducted into the college basketball hall of fame," Cheaney said. "To be inducted with the likes of Shane Battier, Larry Johnson. . .I'm lucky to be a part of it, and I'm happy to be a part of it." --TL
Jerome Hunter plays in front of eyes
After missing his entire freshman season due to a series of injuries, redshirt freshman Jerome Hunter was able to participate in the three-point contest and the skills contest. But what showed a glimmer of hope for his near-future was a couple of scoring plays during the scrimmage.
He showed an ability to move and a smoothness to his game that he showed in high school in Pickerington. One particular fadeaway mid-range jumper caught some fans' attention.
Related: Highlights from the 2019 Hoosier Hysteria scrimmage
But in an event where the team held out Rob Phinisee and others for precautionary reasons – an IU Athletics release stressed there are no serious injuries – Hunter was able to play the entire time, even though it's been said that he continues to work toward 100 percent. --TL
The team exercises caution and holds Rob Phinisee out of events.
Junior Rob Phinisee was a no-show today and didn't participate any events. Jerome Hunter took his place against Joey Brunk in the first round of the skills competition.
An IU Athletics release was sent before the events started, stating that some players would not take part in Hoosier Hysteria, even with no injuries to be concerned about currently.
"We just completed our first week of practice," IU Athletics said in the release. "Some players may be held out of the scrimmage and skills competitions as a precaution. We have no serious injuries." -- DJ
Indiana big men flash in the scrimmage to end the afternoon.
Indiana Mr. Basketball Trayce Jackson-Davis matched up with Butler transfer Joey Brunk for the duration of the scrimmage to end the day.
With the team not exposing itself to any injuries, the game ended in a score of 15-9. Jackson-Davis and Brunk were both busy at the boards and came away with most of their teams' rebounds.
Toward the start of the exhibition, Brunk made a move in the post and put up a shot that wouldn't fall, but he followed through on a second-chance attempt and rebounded his own shot before hitting the short shot off the glass.
At Butler, he led the Bulldogs in field goal percentage after seeing playing time in all 33 games. He'll have two years of eligibility at Indiana.
Jackson Davis raced into the paint twice in the game, finishing with a layup over the 6-foot-11 Brunk with a foul called on the shot. Indiana didn't shoot free throws, but the freshman would have had an opportunity for a three point play. --DJ
Indiana shows some promise from behind the arc
A big point of emphasis as the preseason wanes on, and a point that Archie Miller has stressed in his conversations with the media in the last week is a need to find the team's shooters. That's especially true from behind the arc, as the Hoosiers shot just over 31 percent from three-point range last year.
Junior guard and co-team captain Al Durham is going to have to be one of those options, as he bumped his three-point percentage from 28.6 to 34.8 between his freshman and sophomore seasons. Saturday, he showed that his sophomore year might not be just a blip on the radar, as he hit nearly half of his 40 attempted threes.
Freshman guard Armaan Franklin also showed a semblance of a three-point shot as well, even though he didn't compete as strongly in the competition. Damezi Anderson and Jerome Hunter were the other two contestants, and, particularly with Anderson, there appeared to be some promise, even though the effort in these competitions can sometimes be in question.
But these competitions are largely taken with a grain of salt. --TL
Armaan Franklin flashed some athleticism
Franklin was a major contributor during the rally Saturday, competing in the dunk contest and three-point contest and also handling the ball during the scrimmage.
As stated above, he showed somewhat of a shot from three, but his second dunk, which received the second-best score of the night to Trayce Jackson-Davis' final dunk and nearly won him the dunk competition, was the true flash of the athleticism he brings to the roster.
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