IU Roster: Who Will Be the Starting Five for the Hoosiers This

The Indiana Hoosiers have a lot of talent on their roster this season. Here are the five players that will likely make up the starting lineup

Introduction

It’s that time of year again. The season is just around the corner, and we’re all eagerly awaiting the start of another exciting year of IU basketball. With a new season comes new players, new expectations, and inevitably, some new question marks. One of the biggest questions facing the team this year is who will make up the starting five?

The Current Roster

The current roster for the Indiana University Men’s basketball team includes:

-Trey Galloway
-Armaan Franklin
-Jerome Hunter
-Race Thompson
-Joey Brunk
-Damezi Anderson
-Justin Smith
-De’Ron Davis
-Jake Forrester
-Al Durham Jr.
-Rob Phinisee
-Romeo Langford

The Starting Five

As the college Basketball season rapidly approaches, fans across the country are wondering who will start for their favorite team For Indiana University basketball fans, this preseason has been full of speculation as to who Coach Archie Miller will put in the starting lineup Here is a look at the likeliest candidates for the starting five this season.

Junior guard Romeo Langford is the returning leading scorer for the Hoosiers and is a shoo-in to start. He averaged almost 17 points per game last season and was recently named to the preseason watch list for the John R. Wooden Award, given to the nation’s top player

Sophomore guard Rob Phinisee emerged as a key player for IU last season, starting 29 games as a freshman. He averaged just over nine points per game and will likely retain his spot in the Starting Lineup

Senior forward Juwan Morgan is another returning starter from last season. He was named honorable mention All-Big Ten after averaging nearly 16 points and seven rebounds per game Morgan is one of the team’s leaders and will be looked to for production on both ends of the court.

The final two spots in the starting lineup are up for grabs, but there are a few players who seem to have an edge. Sophomore forward Damezi Anderson started 21 games as a freshman and provides good scoring and shooting ability from the wing. Freshman guard Armaan Franklin was one of the top recruits inIU’s incoming class and has impressed in preseason scrimmages with his scoring touch. Whoever doesn’t start between Anderson and Franklin will likely see significant minutes off the bench.

The starting five for IU this season will be an interesting mix of experience and youth that should provide plenty of entertainment for Hoosier fans all year long.

The Bench

Now that Tom Crean has had a chance to assess his team and settle on a rotation, it’s time to take a look at the Indiana Hoosiers’ bench.

Who will be the primary backups for each position? Who will see the most minutes? And which players are likely to redshirt?

Here’s a look at the Hoosiers’ bench heading into the 2016-2017 season.

Forwards: Juwan Morgan, Clifton Moore Freddie McSwain, De’Ron Davis, Justin Smith
Guards: Josh Newkirk, Robert Johnson, Devonte Green, Curtis Jones Jr.

The Coaching Staff

The Coaching Staff for the Indiana University men’s Basketball team is led by Head Coach Archie Miller. He is assisted by Tom Ostrom, Brad Stevens, Mike Roberts, and Terry Johnson. The team also has a strength and Conditioning Coach in addition to a team of trainers.

The Schedule

The Hoosiers will face a daunting schedule in their first season under new head coach Archie Miller. They’ll take on some of the best teams in the country, including a road game against defending National Champion North Carolina Miller will also have to find a way to replace star guard James Blackmon Jr., who averaged nearly 17 points per game last season. Here’s a look at the team’s schedule for the 2017-18 Season

Nov. 10 – vs. Indiana State
Nov. 12 – vs. Howard
Nov. 15 – vs. Kennesaw State
Nov. 18 – vs. Notre Dame (in Indianapolis)
Nov. 21 – vs. Fort Wayne
Nov. 24 – vs. Louisville (in Louisville)
Dec. 2 – at Ohio State
Dec. 5 – vs. Rutgers
Dec. 9 – at Virginia Tech

The Fans

The starting five for the Indiana Hoosiers this season is still very much up in the air. Coach Archie Miller will have a lot of tough decisions to make as he attempts to fill the void left by the departures of James Blackmon Jr., Robert Johnson, and Collin Hartman.

The fans have their own ideas about who should start for the Hoosiers this season. Here are the five players that they would most like to see in the starting lineup

1. Romeo Langford: The highly-touted freshman from New Albany, Indiana is the most popular choice among fans to start at shooting guard Langford is a dynamic scorer with a smooth shooting stroke and the ability to get to the basket. He should be a major contributor for the Hoosiers right from the start.

2. Juwan Morgan: Morgan is a strong and athletic forward who showed improvement as last season progressed. He has the potential to be a very good player for Indiana and should be in line for a starting spot this season.

3. Zach McRoberts: McRoberts was a key player for Indiana last season, averaging nearly 30 minutes per game while doing all of the dirty work on both ends of the floor. He may not be the most talented player on the team, but his toughness and effort level make him a valuable piece of any successful team.

4. Devonte Green: Green is another player who saw his role increase as last season went along. He has good size and athleticism and can score from anywhere on the court. Green will likely be in competition with Langford for playing time at shooting guard this season.

5. De’Ron Davis: Davis started 27 games as a freshman last season and showed glimpses of becoming a very good player down the road. His development will be crucial for Indiana this season, as they will need him to play well in order to have any chance of success.

The Expectations

Entering the 2019-2020 Season the Hoosiers have a lot of talent and experience returning. They also have some key newcomers who could make an immediate impact. Here are the five players who are expected to start for IU this season:

1. Trayce Jackson-Davis The 6’9″ forward is IU’s highest rated recruit in recent memory and he is expected to make an immediate impact. He is a versatile player who can score inside and out, and he should be one of the Hoosiers’ best players from day one.

2. Romeo Langford: The 6’6″ shooting guard was one of the top recruits in the country last season, and he lived up to the hype as a freshman. He averaged over 16 points per game and was named to the All-Big Ten Freshman team. He will be counted on to be an even bigger scoring threat as a sophomore.

3. Justin Smith The 6’7″ forward was IU’s leading scorer last season, averaging just over 13 Points per game He is also a very good rebounder, averaging nearly six per game. Smith will need to continue to be a leader on both ends of the court for IU to be successful this season.

4. Devonte Green: The 6’3″ guard is another player who saw significant action as a freshman last season. He averaged nearly ten points per game and shot over 38% from three-point range Green will likely see his role increase even more this season, and he will need to be more consistent on both ends of the court.

5. Rob Phinisee: The 6’1″ point guard started all 32 games for IU as a freshman last season, averaging nearly nine points and three assists per game He will need to continue to run the offense effectively and also provide some scoring punch from the perimeter.

The Legacy

There is no question that the legacy of the IU Basketball Program is one of the richest in all of college basketball The Hoosiers have won five National Championships and their storied history includes some of the biggest names in the game.

This year’s team will look to etch its own place in IU lore, and it will be led by a starting five that has the potential to be one of the best in recent memory. Let’s take a look at who those players will be.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is still unknown who will be the starting five for the Hoosiers this season. However, based on the current roster and the coaching staff’s preference for experience, it is reasonable to assume that the starting lineup will be seniors R.J. Hunter and James Blackmon Jr., junior Roy Williams and sophomores Thomas Bryant and OG Anunoby.