Indiana University Athletics
Hunter Takes Steps Forward Versus Maryland
1/27/2020 1:16:00 PM | Men's Basketball
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Jerome Hunter was disappointed.
His face was a mask of sadness as he sat with teammates Devonte Green and Rob Phinisee as the trio took questions from the media following Indiana's one-point loss to Maryland. The Hoosiers were up seven with 2:37 to play, but the lead slipped way, sending IU to a heartbreaking defeat.
Just a two-point swing would have completely changed Hunter's mood in the short-term, but in the bigger picture, the loss to Maryland could be a launching point for the 6-7 forward.
He tied a career high with 12 points in the loss, sparking the Hoosiers off the bench and turning in a season-high 27 minutes. He went 4-of-7 from the field overall, knocked down 3-of-6 shots from 3-point range, made 1-of-2 attempts from the free-throw line, and he added four rebounds and an assist.
He also had one turnover—one that came at the most inopportune time and led to a Maryland 3-pointer that sliced the lead to one with :55 to play—and that undoubtedly was part of Hunter's disappointment.
Head coach Archie Miller, however, wasn't quite as disappointed with his redshirt freshman. He knows what Hunter has been through after missing all last season following surgery on his leg, and he's happy the kid from Pickerington, Ohio, is starting to look like the player he was recruited to be.
"He's starting to look the part," Miller said. "His legs look stronger. I think, if you just watch him right now, he has a much better bounce about him on the floor than he's had. It's taken him a while to get to this point, but like I said before, a guy takes a year off from injury, it's difficult. Now he's playing, and he's playing more and more, which is a big thing for our team."
Scoring 12 points in a blowout win over North Alabama the way Hunter did in the third game of the season was encouraging to be sure. Since that outing, however, Hunter's minutes have fluctuated, and his 3-point shooting—the weapon that helped him score 1,314 career points at Pickerington North and earn first-team All-State honors—had largely left him. Since that game vs. North Alabama, Hunter had missed 18 of his last 19 threes. He went 2-of-3 from distance vs. Nebraska Jan. 18, building his confidence a bit, but he played just eight minutes vs. Michigan State Jan. 23 and didn't attempt a shot.
Which is why Hunter's 12-point outburst vs. Maryland, one of the better teams in the Big Ten and the country, could be critical for Indiana in the future.
Hunter looked far more confident on the floor. He looked like he felt like he belonged, and just getting some solid run in such an important game showed him how much confidence Miller has in him.
Not that Hunter was bubbling with emotion about it after the game. He was asked about taking a step forward in the loss, and to say Hunter was subdued would be an understatement.
"Yeah, it's just a lot to learn being a freshman, just a lot to learn." Hunter said. "Just one of them games. Tough game."
Miller was a little more effusive.
"He has added value in a lot of ways," Miller said. "He's doing a better job defensively. He ends up getting double figures here tonight but made three big shots. That's what he can do. He can add some offensive firepower."
Miller even compared Hunter to another freshman, Trayce Jackson-Davis, who has won multiple Big Ten Freshman of the Week awards.
"There's no difference between him and Trayce," Miller said. "They've played the same amount of games in their career. So, it's a young guy out there that's showing, I think, he's starting to get his basketball legs back, and he's starting to feel good again about playing the game."
But it also was an opportunity of a young player to learn. Hunter's turnover came at a critical time, and Miller used the error as a teachable moment. The sequence, which saw Hunter with the ball at midcourt, get caught in a trap, and attempt a bad pass that was intercepted by Maryland.
"That's a first-year player in Jerome, who's never in that situation," Miller said. "He's just got to be strong with the ball. Either bring it across half court and tuck it, or he's got to chin the ball and be strong with it. I just talked to him a little bit about it.
"It's one of those things as a player you've got to go through, but to be able to throw it ahead to your big guy down the floor, it's about time and scoring in that situation, and that's part of getting better and learning. Not that that one play was the name of the game. It obviously was a big play, but there are a lot of big plays."
With each passing game, Hunter is getting a little more comfortable, feeling more like himself. With a few more outings like the one vs. Maryland, Hunter is going to give the Hoosiers the depth they need to take several steps forward.
His face was a mask of sadness as he sat with teammates Devonte Green and Rob Phinisee as the trio took questions from the media following Indiana's one-point loss to Maryland. The Hoosiers were up seven with 2:37 to play, but the lead slipped way, sending IU to a heartbreaking defeat.
Just a two-point swing would have completely changed Hunter's mood in the short-term, but in the bigger picture, the loss to Maryland could be a launching point for the 6-7 forward.
He tied a career high with 12 points in the loss, sparking the Hoosiers off the bench and turning in a season-high 27 minutes. He went 4-of-7 from the field overall, knocked down 3-of-6 shots from 3-point range, made 1-of-2 attempts from the free-throw line, and he added four rebounds and an assist.
He also had one turnover—one that came at the most inopportune time and led to a Maryland 3-pointer that sliced the lead to one with :55 to play—and that undoubtedly was part of Hunter's disappointment.
Head coach Archie Miller, however, wasn't quite as disappointed with his redshirt freshman. He knows what Hunter has been through after missing all last season following surgery on his leg, and he's happy the kid from Pickerington, Ohio, is starting to look like the player he was recruited to be.
"He's starting to look the part," Miller said. "His legs look stronger. I think, if you just watch him right now, he has a much better bounce about him on the floor than he's had. It's taken him a while to get to this point, but like I said before, a guy takes a year off from injury, it's difficult. Now he's playing, and he's playing more and more, which is a big thing for our team."
Scoring 12 points in a blowout win over North Alabama the way Hunter did in the third game of the season was encouraging to be sure. Since that outing, however, Hunter's minutes have fluctuated, and his 3-point shooting—the weapon that helped him score 1,314 career points at Pickerington North and earn first-team All-State honors—had largely left him. Since that game vs. North Alabama, Hunter had missed 18 of his last 19 threes. He went 2-of-3 from distance vs. Nebraska Jan. 18, building his confidence a bit, but he played just eight minutes vs. Michigan State Jan. 23 and didn't attempt a shot.
Which is why Hunter's 12-point outburst vs. Maryland, one of the better teams in the Big Ten and the country, could be critical for Indiana in the future.
Hunter looked far more confident on the floor. He looked like he felt like he belonged, and just getting some solid run in such an important game showed him how much confidence Miller has in him.
Not that Hunter was bubbling with emotion about it after the game. He was asked about taking a step forward in the loss, and to say Hunter was subdued would be an understatement.
"Yeah, it's just a lot to learn being a freshman, just a lot to learn." Hunter said. "Just one of them games. Tough game."
Miller was a little more effusive.
"He has added value in a lot of ways," Miller said. "He's doing a better job defensively. He ends up getting double figures here tonight but made three big shots. That's what he can do. He can add some offensive firepower."
Miller even compared Hunter to another freshman, Trayce Jackson-Davis, who has won multiple Big Ten Freshman of the Week awards.
"There's no difference between him and Trayce," Miller said. "They've played the same amount of games in their career. So, it's a young guy out there that's showing, I think, he's starting to get his basketball legs back, and he's starting to feel good again about playing the game."
But it also was an opportunity of a young player to learn. Hunter's turnover came at a critical time, and Miller used the error as a teachable moment. The sequence, which saw Hunter with the ball at midcourt, get caught in a trap, and attempt a bad pass that was intercepted by Maryland.
"That's a first-year player in Jerome, who's never in that situation," Miller said. "He's just got to be strong with the ball. Either bring it across half court and tuck it, or he's got to chin the ball and be strong with it. I just talked to him a little bit about it.
"It's one of those things as a player you've got to go through, but to be able to throw it ahead to your big guy down the floor, it's about time and scoring in that situation, and that's part of getting better and learning. Not that that one play was the name of the game. It obviously was a big play, but there are a lot of big plays."
With each passing game, Hunter is getting a little more comfortable, feeling more like himself. With a few more outings like the one vs. Maryland, Hunter is going to give the Hoosiers the depth they need to take several steps forward.
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