4/22/2020 basketball Edit

What to expect from Khristian Lander in 2020

Alec Lasley • TheHoosier

Senior Writer

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Indiana's 2020 class is all but set and though it patiently awaits to see if five-star commit Khristian Lander reclassifies up from 2021 to be on campus next year, the plan is in place to do so and the team is moving forward with that expectation.

Having Lander arrive a season early will be a huge blessing for an Indiana program which struggled to score in the half court. Most of that had to deal with the lack of a true playmaker from the backcourt in addition to depth behind Rob Phinisee.

While reclassifying up a year is never an easy task, Lander's commitment did come with high expectations. There is a reason he is one of the best players in his class. Those expectations should come with patience, however.

Right away, Lander will step in as the secondary ball handler in an Archie Miller offense that is very guard heavy. Before last year began, it was noted that Al Durham would take on a much larger role as a ball handler and point guard. While it worked at times, it was not a long term fix and the end result showed why. Indiana had the second-highest turnover rate in the Big Ten at 15.8 percent and the worst assist-to-turnover ratio (1.03).

Though Phinisee has the potential to make impact plays, he is much more of a 'game manager' at the point guard position. Lander is exactly the opposite. The 6-foot-2 guard comes with great explosiveness and quickness, something that will allow him to get in the lane at a much higher rate than Indiana's guards last season. While that can lead to finishing at the rim, getting into the middle of the defense will open up so many additional options for the offense. Forcing the defense to slide over will allow for more open shots on the perimeter or easier drop off passes to the frontcourt members at the rim.

Hand-in-hand with his ability to be a playmaker for his teammates is his ability to make plays for himself. Indiana not only struggled to help others but outside of Devonte Green, there were no other players on the roster who had the skillset to go one-on-one with a defender and win the battle more often than not. Lander averaged 21 points per game as a junior and scored at all three levels of the floor, a welcomed sight for Indiana.

Defensively, he has the potential to pair with Phinisee and Al Durham as three very strong defenders in the backcourt. his length can disrupt opponents in addition to Phinisee's strength and lateral movement.

All of that is great, but Khristian Lander still has the body of a junior in high school. At just 170 pounds, he does have a skinnier frame and taking the pounding and physical play in the Big Ten will take a toll on him throughout the season. Because of that, don't expect to see Lander play 30 minutes a game. Still remember, 20 minutes of Lander will be much better than zero.

Overall, Lander will be a terrific addition to the roster and provide a new found height on the offensive end. He will have a definite learning curve, however, and may not have the consistencies during the grueling Big Ten play that many are expecting. Lander's ability will still have a direct impact on Indiana winning a few additional games than without him on the roster.