Indiana University Athletics
DIPRIMIO: Chemistry, Leadership and the Brunk, Jackson-Davis Connection
11/18/2020 10:44:00 AM | Men's Basketball
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Joey Brunk will not blow you away with words, filling recorders with verbal onslaughts so that meaning has to be sifted through like an archeologist digging for artifacts.
Indiana's senior center delivers measured responses that don't pull in the limelight, but the light will come, for him, for fellow frontcourt players Trayce Jackson-Davis (a preseason All-America) and Race Thompson (a senior who has added diversity to his rock-your-world game), and for all the Hoosiers in this most unique of upcoming basketball seasons where even a final schedule remains as elusive as Bigfoot.
Ask about the frontcourt's potential, and you don't hear him mention his name.
"Trayce being named preseason All-American is big. He had a great summer and has been developing. Race won the championship belt for (team) workouts.
"It's been very competitive. Guys have pushed each other."
Ask about some preseason predictions listing IU to finish eighth in the 14-team Big Ten and you get no drama or boasts.
"We have a competitive team. Guys have been working hard.
"We all love being around each other. We'll have a group that continues to get better and gradually builds. We have to see how it plays out. We have good group to be around."
The 6-11 Brunk and the 6-9 Jackson-Davis represent perhaps the Big Ten's most formidable inside duo. They offer scoring, rebounding and, most importantly, leadership. They have a bond that shouldn't break no matter the adversity, and there will be plenty of that under pandemic conditions, both expected and not.
Coach Archie Miller sees the potential, and it goes way beyond statistics.
"What do they bring to the table? They bring chemistry, man. Guys want to be around guys like that. You don't want to be around people that suck the air out of the locker room every other day. They are good guys. They're good teammates and they're here for the right reasons. They want to win. They came in right away last year and made a big impact.
"Both guys are competitive. Both guys work very hard. I think the big thing is they're very coachable and they're really good teammates regardless of what they did on game day. They don't blink. They care about winning. I think that's the best attribute I can give both guys."
Brunk came to Indiana last season after two years at Butler. He wasn't a superstar, but he was a difference maker in all the little things that matter. The former Indiana all-state selection out of Southport High School near Indianapolis averaged 7.6 points and 3.6 rebounds while shooting 61.7 percent in his Bulldog finale.
Last season as a Hoosier, he averaged 6.8 points and 6.2 rebounds, scoring as many as 16 points (twice) and grabbing as many as 14 rebounds. He shot 52.2 percent from the field, 50.8 percent against Big Ten opponents while earning conference sportsmanship award honors.
Miller knew he was getting a solid person and player. What he didn't know was how well Brunk would mesh with Jackson-Davis, the former Indiana Mr. Basketball out of Center Grove High School who led IU in scoring (13.5 points), rebounding (8.4), blocked shots (1.9) and shooting (56.6 percent) as a freshman.
Let's just say it was basketball love at first sight.
"They came here at the same time and gravitated toward one another right away," Miller says. "When they went home, Trayce was working out with Joe or Joe was with Trayce working out. They come back to school, they were together."
Their togetherness made a big team impact.
"They want to do well by their coaches," Miller says. "They want to do well by their teammates. They care deeply about winning.
"Those two guys in general are locker room guys. They're guys that everyone around the team respects and likes. I think when you have that type of relationship with two guys that play a lot of minutes, it speaks volumes. It gives other guys an opportunity to feel good about themselves and want to play with them and want to be around them.
"They're more than just basketball teammates. They genuinely like and really respect each other."
The goal is to produce an Indiana season to remember, and the foundation is there with remaining veterans Aljami Durham, Rob Phinisee, Armaan Franklin and Jerome Hunter along with talented newcomers Khristian Lander (a 5-star prospect out of Evansville), Anthony Leal (Indiana Mr. Basketball out of Bloomington), Trey Galloway (Indiana All-Star out of Culver Military Academy) and Jordan Geronimo (New Hampshire Gatorade Player of the Year).
"We have a lot of good young guys," Brunk says. "It's been a lot of fun."
Brunk sees a team deep in work ethic and commitment that the pandemic break (players weren't allowed on campus from mid-March to late June) didn't shake.
"We had a lot of guys who wanted to be here all summer," Brunk says. "IU athletics did a great job of good Covid protocols so we could maximize our experience. Everybody has been working hard and really invested in what this year will bring."
IU's strong blend of talent, experience and youth suggest this will be Miller's best team entering his fourth season in Bloomington. The public will get its first view during Wednesday night's virtual Hoosier Hysteria event (8 p.m., facebook.com/IndianaMBB).
The Hoosiers will open their season Nov. 25 by hosting Tennessee Tech before playing in the Maui Invitational (moved to Asheville, N.C.) from Nov. 30 to Dec. 2.
"For us to maximize everything, we have to be confident and make plays," Brunk says. "We have to be confident with the ball in our hands. Don't get bogged down, run the floor. We have a good group and have a chance to have a lot of success."
Indiana's senior center delivers measured responses that don't pull in the limelight, but the light will come, for him, for fellow frontcourt players Trayce Jackson-Davis (a preseason All-America) and Race Thompson (a senior who has added diversity to his rock-your-world game), and for all the Hoosiers in this most unique of upcoming basketball seasons where even a final schedule remains as elusive as Bigfoot.
Ask about the frontcourt's potential, and you don't hear him mention his name.
"Trayce being named preseason All-American is big. He had a great summer and has been developing. Race won the championship belt for (team) workouts.
"It's been very competitive. Guys have pushed each other."
Ask about some preseason predictions listing IU to finish eighth in the 14-team Big Ten and you get no drama or boasts.
"We have a competitive team. Guys have been working hard.
"We all love being around each other. We'll have a group that continues to get better and gradually builds. We have to see how it plays out. We have good group to be around."
The 6-11 Brunk and the 6-9 Jackson-Davis represent perhaps the Big Ten's most formidable inside duo. They offer scoring, rebounding and, most importantly, leadership. They have a bond that shouldn't break no matter the adversity, and there will be plenty of that under pandemic conditions, both expected and not.
Coach Archie Miller sees the potential, and it goes way beyond statistics.
"What do they bring to the table? They bring chemistry, man. Guys want to be around guys like that. You don't want to be around people that suck the air out of the locker room every other day. They are good guys. They're good teammates and they're here for the right reasons. They want to win. They came in right away last year and made a big impact.
"Both guys are competitive. Both guys work very hard. I think the big thing is they're very coachable and they're really good teammates regardless of what they did on game day. They don't blink. They care about winning. I think that's the best attribute I can give both guys."
Brunk came to Indiana last season after two years at Butler. He wasn't a superstar, but he was a difference maker in all the little things that matter. The former Indiana all-state selection out of Southport High School near Indianapolis averaged 7.6 points and 3.6 rebounds while shooting 61.7 percent in his Bulldog finale.
Last season as a Hoosier, he averaged 6.8 points and 6.2 rebounds, scoring as many as 16 points (twice) and grabbing as many as 14 rebounds. He shot 52.2 percent from the field, 50.8 percent against Big Ten opponents while earning conference sportsmanship award honors.
Miller knew he was getting a solid person and player. What he didn't know was how well Brunk would mesh with Jackson-Davis, the former Indiana Mr. Basketball out of Center Grove High School who led IU in scoring (13.5 points), rebounding (8.4), blocked shots (1.9) and shooting (56.6 percent) as a freshman.
Let's just say it was basketball love at first sight.
"They came here at the same time and gravitated toward one another right away," Miller says. "When they went home, Trayce was working out with Joe or Joe was with Trayce working out. They come back to school, they were together."
Their togetherness made a big team impact.
"They want to do well by their coaches," Miller says. "They want to do well by their teammates. They care deeply about winning.
"Those two guys in general are locker room guys. They're guys that everyone around the team respects and likes. I think when you have that type of relationship with two guys that play a lot of minutes, it speaks volumes. It gives other guys an opportunity to feel good about themselves and want to play with them and want to be around them.
"They're more than just basketball teammates. They genuinely like and really respect each other."
The goal is to produce an Indiana season to remember, and the foundation is there with remaining veterans Aljami Durham, Rob Phinisee, Armaan Franklin and Jerome Hunter along with talented newcomers Khristian Lander (a 5-star prospect out of Evansville), Anthony Leal (Indiana Mr. Basketball out of Bloomington), Trey Galloway (Indiana All-Star out of Culver Military Academy) and Jordan Geronimo (New Hampshire Gatorade Player of the Year).
"We have a lot of good young guys," Brunk says. "It's been a lot of fun."
Brunk sees a team deep in work ethic and commitment that the pandemic break (players weren't allowed on campus from mid-March to late June) didn't shake.
"We had a lot of guys who wanted to be here all summer," Brunk says. "IU athletics did a great job of good Covid protocols so we could maximize our experience. Everybody has been working hard and really invested in what this year will bring."
IU's strong blend of talent, experience and youth suggest this will be Miller's best team entering his fourth season in Bloomington. The public will get its first view during Wednesday night's virtual Hoosier Hysteria event (8 p.m., facebook.com/IndianaMBB).
The Hoosiers will open their season Nov. 25 by hosting Tennessee Tech before playing in the Maui Invitational (moved to Asheville, N.C.) from Nov. 30 to Dec. 2.
"For us to maximize everything, we have to be confident and make plays," Brunk says. "We have to be confident with the ball in our hands. Don't get bogged down, run the floor. We have a good group and have a chance to have a lot of success."
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