IU Basketball Players to Watch This Season
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Here are the three Indiana University basketball players to keep an eye on this season.
1. Romeo Langford
2. Juwan Morgan
3. Devonte Green
Trayce Jackson-Davis
As a Freshman last season, Jackson-Davis was one of the most impactful players on the court for the Hoosiers. The 6’9″ forward from Center Grove High School averaged 13.5 points and 8.4 rebounds per game while shooting 56.6% from the field and 67.8% from the Free Throw Line He was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team and was a finalist for the Karl Malone Award, which is given to the nation’s top Power Forward
This season, Jackson-Davis is expected to be an even bigger force for the Hoosiers. He has worked on his outside shooting this offseason and is expected to be more of a threat from beyond the arc. With his size and skill set, he has the potential to be one of the best players in the country and will be one of the players to Watch This Season
Armaan Franklin
Armaan Franklin is a 6-foot-4-inch sophomore shooting guard from IU who is known for his shooting ability. He’s expected to be one of the team’s top scorers this season and will be relied upon to provide a spark on offense. He’s a versatile player who can also contribute on defense, and he will be key to IU’s success this season.
Khristian Lander
The freshman point guard has been one of the most talked-about recruits in the country since he committed to Indiana University in 2019.
Lander was a consensus five-star recruit and the No. 11 player in the 2020 recruiting class according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings He was also ranked as the No. 2 point guard and No. 2 player in the state of Indiana.
As a senior at Evansville Reitz Memorial High School Lander averaged 28.7 points, 5.9 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game while leading his team to a 22-3 record and a spot in the Class 4A state championship game. He was named Mr. Basketball USA and Gatorade Player of the Year for Indiana.
Lander has been described as a “pass-first point guard” with “tremendous vision” and the ability to make everyone around him better. He’s also been praised for his work ethic and leadership qualities.
Al Durham
Al Durham will be a key player for the Hoosiers this season. The 6-foot-4 guard from Indianapolis was one of the top recruits in the country last year, and he should make an immediate impact on the team. Durham is a good shooter and a good defender, and he has the potential to be a star for Indiana.
Jerome Hunter
Hunter, a 6-foot-7 freshman, is one of the most heralded players to come out of the state of Indiana in recent memory. He was a consensus top-30 recruit in the Class of 2018 and chose IU over offers from several other major programs. Some have likened him to former Hoosier greats like Alan Henderson and Jared Jeffries.
Hunter is expected to make an immediate impact for the Hoosiers this season. He has good size and length for a wing player and is a very good shooter from both inside and outside the arc. He is also a good rebounder and has the potential to be a very good Defensive Player
If everything goes according to plan, Hunter will be one of the best players on the team and should help lead IU back to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2016.
Race Thompson
Race Thompson is a 6’8″ forward from Bloomington, Indiana. He is a versatile player that can play both inside and outside. He is a good shooter and rebounder.
Joey Brunk
Joey Brunk, a 6-11 sophomore center from Southport, Indiana, is one of the IU basketball players to watch this season A McDonald’s All-American, Brunk averaged 2.7 points and 2.1 rebounds in 8.6 minutes per game as a freshman last season. He is expected to see an increased role this season with the departures Justin Smith and Juwan Morgan to the NBA.
Devonte Green
As a sophomore, Devonte Green started to come into his own last season. He improved his3-point shooting and began to assert himself more as a scorer. Green also did a better job of getting to the free throw line If he can build on those improvements as a junior, he could be one of the Hoosiers’ most important players this season.
Rob Phinisee
Rob Phinisee, a sophomore from McCordsville, Indiana, is one of the top returning players for the Indiana Hoosiers this season. Phinisee was a key player as a freshman, starting 33 games and averaging 9.0 points, 3.4 assists, and 2.7 rebounds per game He was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team and was an honorable mention for the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year Award Phinisee will be looking to build on his strong freshman campaign as he takes on an even bigger role for the Hoosiers this season.
Zach McRoberts
Zachary McRoberts is a 6’7″ forward from Carmel, Indiana. He played his collegiate basketball at Indiana University As a senior, he was named the Big Ten defensive player of the Year. He is currently playing for the Charlotte Hornets of the NBA.
Zach McRoberts was not highly recruited out of high school He played two years of junior college basketball before transferring to Indiana University He redshirted his first year at IU, then became a key player for the Hoosiers off the bench as a redshirt sophomore. As a junior, he started all 36 games for IU, and helped them win the Big Ten regular season championship.
As a senior, McRoberts was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. He was also an Honorable Mention All-Big Ten selection by the media. He helped lead IU to a share of the Big Ten regular season championship and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament
After going undrafted in 2018, McRoberts signed with the Charlotte Hornets He has appeared in 23 games for the Hornets in 2018-19, averaging 1 point and 1 rebound in 4 minutes per game.