BORDEN, Ind. -- When Indiana entered the summer of 2018, and really the season, the key task at hand for head coach Archie Miller was figuring out how to mesh a five-man freshman class plus a grad transfer with seven returning players.
Miller's third season won't have him worrying about chemistry, rather figuring out how to employ a variety of lineups with several interchangeable parts.
"We're going to have to prepare this team to be able to play a couple of different styles," Miller said at last month's On the Road with the Hoosiers event at Huber's Orchard and Winery. "Meaning that, one group of people probably won't be able to play one way, but a different group of people obviously could come in and play a different way."
In Miller's eyes, the players should be comfortable playing in bigger or smaller lineups. The positional versatility at his disposal will allow both.
Incoming freshmen Trayce Jackson-Davis and Armaan Franklin, as well as grad transfer center Joey Brunk, are key pieces to that, as is the overall makeup of the roster.
The 6-foot-9, 245-pound Jackson-Davis will primarily play the four but could be a five for the Hoosiers in smaller lineups. Redshirt sophomore Race Thompson, 6-8, 228, could also fill that role.
The 6-4, 185 Franklin, meanwhile, is capable of being a primary ball-handler and someone who can initiate the offense in a bigger lineup, or play the 2 or 3 in a smaller one. Junior guard Al Durham Jr., 6-4, 181, and senior guard Devonte Green, 6-3, 185, fit the bill here.
Brunk, 6-11, 230, will play the five in a bigger lineup, and he could also potentially play along 6-10, 255 De'Ron Davis in variations of that same hypothetical group.
Redshirt freshman Jerome Hunter, 6-7, 185, offers arguably the most versatility of anyone on the roster. If healthy and fully available for the upcoming season, he gives IU someone who could play the 2 or 3 in a bigger lineup or the 4 in a smaller lineup. Junior Justin Smith, 6-7, 227, and sophomore Damezi Anderson, 6-7, 215, could play the three in IU's bigger lineups or the four in smaller ones.
Overall, there are several options Miller can experiment with, and thus Indiana's players should be prepared for.
"They have to have a different feel, especially offensively, with playing with different combinations of people, and I think that will help our chemistry on the floor," Miller said. "Defensively, we are who we are, and we'll continue to grow that area of our game. It was a strength for us at times last year that gave us a chance.
"As we evolve this team, there's going to be a couple different looks that we have to be prepared to play with. Small, big, you never know, but there's got to be a different combination when you that many guys of equal size and height that can all play together."
The earliest the public will get the chance to see the composition of those lineups will be the annual Hoosier Hysteria this fall. Until then, Miller and the coaching staff will be working to discover what clicks.
"That will be a big part of this summer, is grouping these guys and figuring out how and what they do with one another, how they play off another," Miller said. "That will be a big thing for us."
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