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Jordan Geronimo has always been one of my favorite prospects on the Indiana roster. There simply aren't that many human beings with God-given athleticism to Geronimo's degree. His athleticism is at an NBA level, and you could make a case he was the best wing athlete in college basketball in his second season.

The key for Geronimo has always been turning him from an athlete into a basketball player. The foundation has always been present -- solid shooting mechanics, good defensive technique, etc. -- but projecting the development of these skills has always been fascinating.

In his first year under Mike Woodson, a coach with plenty of experience developing athletic wings, you began to see the seeds planted for what could be an impressive future for the former four-star recruit.

A stellar end to his second season has Geronimo in prime position for a starting spot for the 2022-2023 season. It also begs the question: how high is his ceiling as a player? Potentially higher than we ever thought, as it turns out.

At first glance, Geronimo's numbers are rather pedestrian. In 12.6 minutes per game, he scored 4.4 points and grabbed 3.6 rebounds on 51.8%/31.0% shooting splits -- far from earth-shattering.

However, after a freshman season where it was just encouraging for Geronimo to impact the game in small ways, the natural next step was not stardom but consistency. He needed to prove himself as a player capable of being trusted in big moments and turn his potential into reliability.

As the season progressed, the second-year wing showed he could be trusted and that he could swing the tides of games on his own. His performances in the latter portion of the season open the door for great things next year.

Indiana's First Four win in the NCAA Tournament can largely be attributed to Geronimo's play. He scored 15 points off the bench on 7-of-11 shooting and grabbed seven rebounds. He racked up points by gliding to the rim like a heat-seeking missile to dunk home missed layups and knocked down shots from the midrange at a high level.

You want your best players to step up in the biggest moments, and Geronimo picked the biggest stage of the season to have his signature performance. It was the culmination of a foundation he had built throughout the season: grab every rebound and knock down mid-range shots. In his own words, "God gave me this body to get rebounds," and he certainly did just that all season long.

When you are blessed with the athleticism Geronimo possesses, the expectations for your game are going to always be high. It is easy to watch him play and see the best-case scenario for his development, but the harsh reality is many players with similar bodies do not pan out. Last season proved that route is clearly not Geronimo's destiny.

The Wyoming game was a new beginning in Geronimo's young career. It was evidence that he could not only impact a game, but that he could control a game. His length and athleticism are so superior to the average college player that he can wreak havoc on the boards and defense.

If all he did was focus on mastering those two aspects of his game, Geronimo could be a scary good player. If the offense begins to fall into place, then there is no ceiling for what he could be as a two-way wing in the Big Ten. His mid-range jumper is already a go-to shot, but if he can expand that consistency to three-point range, it will take his game to another level.

The next evolution of Geronimo's game will be to add ball-handling skills. It may be a few years away, but if he can develop a handle and start getting to his spots on the court, watch out.

Expectations for Geronimo are permanently raised from this point forward, and for good reason. At the least, expect him to be a key contributor and push for a starting spot. In the best-case scenario, he could turn into a Big Ten All-Defense player and maybe, just maybe, even potentially begin to flirt with a job application for the NBA.

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