Newcomers Make Impact in Season-Opening Win

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Trayce Jackson-Davis and Armaan Franklin headed to midcourt, excited about the tip-off of their first college game.

They waited their entire lives for this moment, and they were tapped by head coach Archie Miller to play starting roles. This would be the launch pad to the rest of their basketball futures, and they couldn't wait to get started.

The problem? None of their veteran teammates were ready to head to center court, and the duo had to be waved back to one final pre-tip huddle with the rest of the starting five.

Such is the exuberance of freshmen.

But that moment was the only hiccup for Jackson-Davis and Franklin in their first college game. Jackson-Davis scored eight points, grabbed six rebounds, blocked four shots, and made 4-of-5 shots from the field in his college debut. Franklin played a game-high 27 minutes and filled his stat line with five points, five rebounds, eight assists, and—and this is key—zero turnovers.

They didn't set any freshman records, but they showed their potential as foundations of the new-look Hoosiers.

"They just got to get more experienced," Miller said. "I think Trayce is playing within himself right now. He's doing a really good job of just being himself. I think he's going to have games where he's got bigger games scoring and whatnot, but he's content with being a great teammate right now, which is good."

And Franklin?

"Armaan, I thought offensively, again, eight assists, zero turnovers, very smooth," Miller said. "Didn't score it as much tonight, which at the end of the day is going to happen, but eight assists were really, really big for Armaan."

But Jackson-Davis and Franklin weren't the only newbies for the Hoosiers.

Joey Brunk, a redshirt junior transfer from Butler, pulled on the cream and crimson unis for the first time vs. Western Illinois and found himself in the starting lineup. No stranger to the college game, he hit the ground running with 11 points, seven rebounds, a 5-of-7 shooting night.

The key for Brunk is just getting comfortable. Sure, he has two seasons of college experience, but he had never played a regular-season game with his new teammates prior to Tuesday night. He's learning a new system and still finding his way, but Miller wasn't unhappy with what he saw.

"I think Joey was feeling himself out a little bit offensively early, was a little uncertain how to attack," Miller said. "He got more comfortable as the game goes, and I think as the games continue to play, he'll get more experience level with what we're doing. He hasn't played with any of these guys before, so it's the first time."

Sixty percent of IU's starting lineup vs. Western Illinois were new to the program, and time will be the key for the trio.

"They just got to get more experience, they got to get more game experience, more toughness into what they're doing, in terms of how we have to do it," Miller said. All three, obviously, right now are big impact guys in terms of adding new weapons to the fold. I mean, all three guys can do a lot of different things for us."

Then there might be the most intriguing player of the "newcomers," the one that has already spent a season in the program.

Redshirt freshman Jerome Hunter missed all of the 2018-19 season with a leg injury, one that included questions of whether he would ever play again. But hard work and a drive to return to the court allowed him to finally make his college basketball dream come true as he walked onto the hardwood at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall at the 11:44 mark of the first half. There was no fanfare, no emotional outbursts from either Hunter or the crowd as he checked in, but it was a meaningful moment for the 6-7 forward from Pickerington, Ohio, who waited an extra year for the moment.

He didn't disappoint. Hunter played 16 minutes, scored seven points on 2-of-5 shooting and grabbed three rebounds to go with a steal.

"Jerome's basically a true freshman," Miller said. "He played his first college game today. So, to be about to get out there is probably a relief for him. Now, he can continue to build. It's not like he has this wealth of experience. Jerome is gifted offensively. He was able to get around the basket a little bit more in the second half like. He can get going from the outside, and he did a good job.

"So, with him, Trayce, and Armaan, you have three, really, just true freshmen."

The four new guys combined to score 31 points, grab 21 rebounds, hand out eight assists, and block four shots, and they helped the Hoosiers roll to their 99th season-opening win in 120 years. In other words, a solid foundation for Miller to build upon.

Indiana University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Joey Brunk

Armaan Franklin

Jerome Hunter

Trayce Jackson-Davis

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