Indiana's offense was consistent in one aspect a season ago; being inconsistent. The Hoosiers were doomed by the lack of offensive efficiency in almost every game, often times going five or more minutes without a field goal. A lead would turn into a deficit. A small deficit would turn into a blowout.
Part of the problem with IU's inability to be a consistent offense was not only a lack of shooting on the floor, but also ball handlers and guards who could make plays. With the addition of five-star point guard Khristian Lander, that problem is addressed.
“He plays like a Division I college guard [already],” Trayce Jackson-Davis said. “He might not be physically there yet, but he’s definitely going to get there with [strength] coach Clif [Marshall]. He’s smart. His basketball IQ is super high. He’s going to help us out a lot.
"He is so gifted on the court... he just has that ‘it factor’," Archie Miller added. "He’s just so natural... If I walked in I wouldn’t know he’s a 17-year-old kid."
While Lander is an extremely skilled point guard, his addition to IU runs deeper than just his skill. It's how free-flowing and open the offense will become that has made Miller and Co so excited, especially rising junior guard Rob Phinisee.
“I think we’ll complement each other really well,” Phinisee said about playing with Lander. “He’s very quick and likes to attack off of ball screens. I feel like in the new offense we have, we’ll both be able to play together and be able to create for each other.
"Having another primary ball handler to help me play off of the ball. It’ll help me create more for myself and others."
That new offense that Phinisee noted - music to Indiana fans everywhere. For most of last year, two bigs with no jumpshot roamed the paint and made life difficult on the IU guards' ability to drive. With the current roster makeup, however, things will look different on the floor.
“Once Khristian joined, it was inevitable. We were going to have to be able to play Rob, Khristian and Al together,” Miller noted. “I don’t know necessarily if that combo works the best, but it’s going to give our perimeter guys way more opportunities to get out there and play a three-headed monster... even smaller stuff with Jordan Geronimo and Jerome being a more perimeter oriented guy out there around one of those [Jackson-Davis or Brunk] guys."
While there were other factors at play, one reason for Trayce Jackson-Davis returning to school was to expand his offensive game. Multiple times last year the standout freshman was taken out of games by the opponent due to his lack of versatility on the offensive end. After watching film on some former Big Ten bigs, Jackson-Davis is ready to put that to use and open up the offense even more.
“I’ve been really working on my jump shot and stretching the floor is going to be a big key for me this year," Jackson-Davis said. "During quarantine that’s all I’ve been working on is my jump shot, just shooting the ball a ton.
“The Big Ten is brutal and not being able to space [the floor] really hurt parts of my game. Teams being able to pack it in, they kind of learned that late in the season. As I watched some of the other players, Kaleb Wesson, Jalen Smith, Daniel Oturu all being able to step out and shoot the ball really opened the offense."
Indiana shot just 32.6 percent from three last year and attempted a league low 16.9 threes per game. Some of that obviously has to do with the skillset of the team but also the lack of spacing on the floor. Jerome Hunter stepped up late in the season connecting on 13-of-32 threes in the final 12 games of the season after just a 6-of-31 showing in the first 18, and he has the size and skillset to help IU in small-ball lineups. While Jackson-Davis doesn't have consistent three-point range yet, he realizes having that option opens up the playbook on the offensive end.
“Guards being able to drive the ball, less clogged areas, especially coming off of balls screens. It also allows the bigs to have more freedom,” Jackson-Davis said. “You can pop to the top of the key... That’s what we’ve really been working on right now.”
With the additions and departures on Indiana's roster, Archie Miller knows his offensive scheme will be different but is excited about the roster and skillsets he has put together.
“My hope would be this … our skill level goes up, our turnovers go down, our shooting percentage goes up. Our style is a little more uptempo, even more so than a year ago," Miller said. "I feel like we have a more skilled team [than last year]."
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