DIPRIMIO: No Waiting – Khristian Lander Set To Make His Mark
8/11/2020 12:20:00 PM | Men's Basketball
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Khristian Lander gambled on himself.
What's wrong with being confident?
This is an era were youth waits for no one. Advancements in basketball training and skills development combined with years of high-level travel ball competition leaves elite high school players major-impact ready from the moment they reach college campuses.
In Lander's case, he arrived without a high school senior season, skipping it to jump from the 2021 to the 2020 class and join the Hoosiers in July. The 5-star prospect from Evansville Reitz High School put up the dazzling numbers you'd expect (1,314 points in three seasons, averages of 23.2 points as a sophomore and 21 points as a junior), but that won't help him now.
He's newly 18 years old (as of August 9) going against players who are 21 and 22, sometimes even older, with the college strength-building resumes to match.
No one will take it easy on him, including Archie Miller, his new coach.
With limits, of course.
"He's going to be that young guy you coach hard," Miller says. "You're going to push him, but you want to push him through mistakes as well and get his confidence up. Don't let him worry about what the expectations are of him as a five-star guy."
The inevitable learning curve, steepened because of pandemic playing limitations, adds to the challenge.
Early signs are Lander is more than ready for it. The big key -- don't sweat the mess ups.
"As a young player he's going to have to learn how to play through mistakes and not get down on himself," Miller says. "This is hard for the first time. Real hard for the first time.
"He can't let any of that doubt creep into his head. It's going to be okay. He's allowed to make mistakes.
"He's going to have to learn there's going to be different guys out there that are pretty good. Bigger, stronger, older."
Recruiting experts considered Lander the top point guard in the Class of 2021. He still rates among the best as a Class of 2020 prospect (247 Sports lists him as the fifth-best point guard). The upside is obvious. So is the need to not rush him before his time. Sink or swim is unnecessary on a team with solid guard depth.
"You've got to be patient with him," Miller says. "He is so gifted on the court and has such a great feel that you can't teach.
"That's the one thing about him that I will say that he's always had and I still feel that way right now. He just has that 'It' factor, that feel factor with the ball and his ability to know how to play."
In other words, rather than Miller teaching him how to play the position, he'll work to refine his game.
"As a basketball player, he's so natural," Miller says. "As he gets experience, he's going to keep getting better and better.
"He's another guy that's very coachable. I love that he's very competitive."
Lander's competitiveness and overall game made strong impressions during July's voluntary workouts. Imagine the possibilities once he gets more time in director of performance Clif Marshall's strength-and-conditioning program.
"He's only 17 years old and he plays like a Division I guard," sophomore forward Trayce Jackson-Davis says. "He might not be physically there, but he's going to get there with Coach Clif."
Adds Miller: "Physically, he's going to have to get a lot stronger; he's going to have to develop a lot in terms of conditioning, which will happen."
One advantage Lander has, Jackson-Davis says, is that, "He's smart. His basketball IQ is super high. He can really help us out a lot."
Help comes with this advice from junior guard Rob Phinisee.
"I would say, 'Take your time. Don't rush into anything.' That's the biggest thing coming from high school to college -- the speed of the game. So take your time, have patience and keep a level head."
Lander will provide a point guard alternative to Phinisee, although in Miller's system, veterans Aljami Durham and Armaan Franklin also play the position.
"I think we'll complement each other pretty well," Phinisee says. "He's very quick. He likes to take ball screens. I feel like in the new offense we have, we'll be able to play together and create for each other."
That "new offense" basically means more ball screens, Phinisee adds.
Having another point guard will allow Phinisee to take advantage of his scoring ability. He averaged 7.3 points last season while leading IU with 90 assists. He has scored as many as 17 points and made as many as three 3-pointers in a game.
"It's going to help a lot," Phinisee says. "Just having another primary ballhandler allows me to be more off the ball. That will allow me to create more and do more things on offense."
That will help boost IU's overall offensive attack. Add a typically stingy Miller defense and, months before the season, the Hoosiers are considered a top-25 team.
"I feel good adding Khristian to the mix," Miller says. "Just in watching him with the upper classmen, if I just walked in, I wouldn't know he's a 17-year-old kid. He's got that going for him. Now, it's just maturity and learning things are okay when you don't make a shot or make a mistake."
What's wrong with being confident?
This is an era were youth waits for no one. Advancements in basketball training and skills development combined with years of high-level travel ball competition leaves elite high school players major-impact ready from the moment they reach college campuses.
In Lander's case, he arrived without a high school senior season, skipping it to jump from the 2021 to the 2020 class and join the Hoosiers in July. The 5-star prospect from Evansville Reitz High School put up the dazzling numbers you'd expect (1,314 points in three seasons, averages of 23.2 points as a sophomore and 21 points as a junior), but that won't help him now.
He's newly 18 years old (as of August 9) going against players who are 21 and 22, sometimes even older, with the college strength-building resumes to match.
No one will take it easy on him, including Archie Miller, his new coach.
With limits, of course.
"He's going to be that young guy you coach hard," Miller says. "You're going to push him, but you want to push him through mistakes as well and get his confidence up. Don't let him worry about what the expectations are of him as a five-star guy."
The inevitable learning curve, steepened because of pandemic playing limitations, adds to the challenge.
Early signs are Lander is more than ready for it. The big key -- don't sweat the mess ups.
"As a young player he's going to have to learn how to play through mistakes and not get down on himself," Miller says. "This is hard for the first time. Real hard for the first time.
"He can't let any of that doubt creep into his head. It's going to be okay. He's allowed to make mistakes.
"He's going to have to learn there's going to be different guys out there that are pretty good. Bigger, stronger, older."
Recruiting experts considered Lander the top point guard in the Class of 2021. He still rates among the best as a Class of 2020 prospect (247 Sports lists him as the fifth-best point guard). The upside is obvious. So is the need to not rush him before his time. Sink or swim is unnecessary on a team with solid guard depth.
"You've got to be patient with him," Miller says. "He is so gifted on the court and has such a great feel that you can't teach.
"That's the one thing about him that I will say that he's always had and I still feel that way right now. He just has that 'It' factor, that feel factor with the ball and his ability to know how to play."
In other words, rather than Miller teaching him how to play the position, he'll work to refine his game.
"As a basketball player, he's so natural," Miller says. "As he gets experience, he's going to keep getting better and better.
"He's another guy that's very coachable. I love that he's very competitive."
Lander's competitiveness and overall game made strong impressions during July's voluntary workouts. Imagine the possibilities once he gets more time in director of performance Clif Marshall's strength-and-conditioning program.
"He's only 17 years old and he plays like a Division I guard," sophomore forward Trayce Jackson-Davis says. "He might not be physically there, but he's going to get there with Coach Clif."
Adds Miller: "Physically, he's going to have to get a lot stronger; he's going to have to develop a lot in terms of conditioning, which will happen."
One advantage Lander has, Jackson-Davis says, is that, "He's smart. His basketball IQ is super high. He can really help us out a lot."
Help comes with this advice from junior guard Rob Phinisee.
"I would say, 'Take your time. Don't rush into anything.' That's the biggest thing coming from high school to college -- the speed of the game. So take your time, have patience and keep a level head."
Lander will provide a point guard alternative to Phinisee, although in Miller's system, veterans Aljami Durham and Armaan Franklin also play the position.
"I think we'll complement each other pretty well," Phinisee says. "He's very quick. He likes to take ball screens. I feel like in the new offense we have, we'll be able to play together and create for each other."
That "new offense" basically means more ball screens, Phinisee adds.
Having another point guard will allow Phinisee to take advantage of his scoring ability. He averaged 7.3 points last season while leading IU with 90 assists. He has scored as many as 17 points and made as many as three 3-pointers in a game.
"It's going to help a lot," Phinisee says. "Just having another primary ballhandler allows me to be more off the ball. That will allow me to create more and do more things on offense."
That will help boost IU's overall offensive attack. Add a typically stingy Miller defense and, months before the season, the Hoosiers are considered a top-25 team.
"I feel good adding Khristian to the mix," Miller says. "Just in watching him with the upper classmen, if I just walked in, I wouldn't know he's a 17-year-old kid. He's got that going for him. Now, it's just maturity and learning things are okay when you don't make a shot or make a mistake."
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