IU freshman class bringing full package to Bloomington
In any normal offseason, the summer is a major adjustment period for incoming freshman classes, but this year has been anything but normal.
The four freshmen that enrolled at IU all bring different skillsets but one part of their games and personalities that are all similar, is their ability to buy-in and do 'whatever it takes' to win. As practice began on Oct. 14, not only were their individual skillsets on display, but so was their eagerness to learn, a welcomed sight for the coaches and returning players.
"Non-stop work (from everyone) … everybody wants to be around each other. Everyone wants to learn from the next man," Al Durham said at Tuesday's virtual media day. "It’s a good vibe. Everyone is locked in."
"All of our young guys, everyone who is here, is here for the right reasons," Archie Miller added.
With good senior leadership, it's been easy for the freshmen to learn on the fly and enjoy it all at the same time.
"The process has been difficult, but it has been fun at the same, just learning and growing," Geronimo said.
"They took me in really well," Galloway added of the upperclassmen. "It's been great to be on the court with these guys. I just follow their lead."
Indiana's freshman class was ranked No. 16 in the Rivals150 team rankings, highlighted by five-star point guard Khristian Lander. Everyone was aware of his reclassification to the 2020 class, but nobody really knew what to expect from someone who should still be a senior in high school. Earlier this summer it was obvious, Lander was going to make a significant impact.
“I feel good about Khristian (Lander) adding to our mix, just watching him with our upperclassmen, these five to six workouts,” Miller said earlier this summer. “If I walked in, I wouldn’t know he was a 17-year-old kid. He’s got that going for him.”
The part of Lander's game that is so intriguing is his playmaking ability, IQ and creativeness. Indiana ranked 12th in the Big Ten a year ago in assists per game (12.9) and last in the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.03). Adding another ball handler was a necessity and an area that will be extremely helpful for the Hoosiers all season.
"For a higher assist total, we will definitely spread the floor out, using more guards, having more multiple ballhandlers with an opportunity to make a play off the bounce, off the dribble, off of ball screens," Miller said. "(It) will hopefully give us a little more opportunity and space to play. It will create more drives and more sharing of the ball."
With Lander and Trey Galloway in the fold, it not only provides Indiana with another ball handler - Lander, Phinisee, Durham - but it allows for more versatility in the backcourt with more freedom and position-less basketball.
"I feel like we'll play really well together," Lander said of Rob Phinisee. "I feel like both of us can play on ball and off ball, so I feel like we can play off each other very well."
“When you have three guys who can bring the ball up the court, I feel like we can play a lot faster and just attack,” Phinisee said. “There’s a lot of matchup nightmares too, with that. Playing fast and playing small, it can be really hard to guard us.”
"(Trey) can do it all. Hard on defense," Armaan Franklin said. "He's very versatile."
That versatility not only lies in the backcourt, but now on the wing with multiple big bodies and athleticism that Archie Miller has been actively seeking. And that comes through Jordan Geronimo.
"Jordan is a freak athlete. He's crazy long. He can play different positions on the court. He can stretch the floor," Franklin said..
"Jordan has been really, really good," Trayce Jackson-Davis added. "High energy. Freak athlete... The sky is the limit for him."
That 'freak' athleticism they are referring to was emphasized when he was asked what his vertical was now... 40 inches. For reference, the top vertical at the 2019 NBA Combine was 43 inches.
So while playmaking, defense and athleticism has been accounted for, shooting was the last piece of the puzzle for an Indiana team that shot just 32.6 percent last year on a conference low 5.5 makes per game. That's where local standout Anthony Leal comes into play, coming into his freshman season with the reputation as a shooter.
"Anthony is a real knock down shooter," Franklin said. "Real strong, big body guard. He can play defense, he can shoot it and he can create if he needs to."
As the 2020-21 season rapidly approaches, it could be the freshmen who tilt the scale for the Hoosiers and not only help them return to the NCAA Tournament, but also lay the ground for the future success of the program.
“All the freshmen, they are really great,” Phinisee said. “Everyone loves playing with them and they are great teammates.”
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