Indiana University Athletics
DIPRIMIO: Versatile Durham ‘Doing What’s Needed’ and More Notes
8/17/2020 12:19:00 PM | Men's Basketball
By: Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Aljami Durham has never lacked for versatility.
Ask him to play point guard, shooting guard, combo guard, and this Indiana senior rises to the challenge. He has, after all, scored as many as 22 points, dished out as many as six assists and grabbed as many as five rebounds.
Now comes the final coaching request -- play a clearer, more defined role.
Specifically, play-making guard.
Durham seems more than ready to handle it.
"It's never been a problem with me being able to play in different positions," Durham says, "but I do feel like it'll help.
"I can still play two positions, but they've given me clear directions that I can have the freedom to be able to make plays. It'll help a lot, but at the same time I'm always ready to do whatever the teams needs me to do."
The Georgia native has been through nearly everything a college basketball player could face -- coaching change, a pandemic, thrilling wins, agonizing losses, plenty of playing time, highlight moments, tough setbacks.
Now, the Hoosiers hope, he's set to deliver his consistent best.
If he does, look out.
Last season, Durham averaged 9.8 points, led the team in three-point shooting (38.3 percent) and free throw shooting (81.1 percent), and was second in assists (80, behind Rob Phinisee's 93). All were career highs.
A year ago, he shared team captain duties with Devonte Green, who recently signed with a Greek professional team.
While team captains haven't been named for this season, Durham has re-asserted his leadership, especially when it comes to talented freshmen Khristian Lander, Anthony Leal, Trey Galloway and Jordan Geronimo.
"They're young, just getting on campus," Durham says, "so I've been trying to teach them the ropes, teach them how to work out, teach them the bits and pieces of our offense and defense, and get them a head start on how we do things and how to prepare and be ready for the workouts.
"I tried to talk them through it and keep them away from that freshman wall as much as I can. Try to give them the pieces and tools as much as I can to help them through the (the start of) freshman season."
Lander, Leal and Galloway are guards, and inexperienced in the ways of major college backcourts. Durham is showing them the way.
"It's the typical freshman stuff – don't rush," he says. "You try to teach them different speeds and how to set up their cuts and set their footwork up so they can knock down more shots. How to get (defenders) turned around. Just little things that you don't know as you come in to college. How it's a different ball game from high school to now."
It's just as much a big-brother approach as it is just being a veteran teammates.
"You just try and teach them the little intangibles that will help them in their freshman year and stay away from the (freshman) wall," Durham says. "I've been trying to keep their heads high, keep their confidence, talk to them as much as I can.
"Get to know them -- where they like to shoot from, where they like the ball at. Get to know what kind of guys they are, what kind of players they are. Try to give them as much faith as I can so they can play as well as they can and we get things we want out of them."
Add veterans Phinisee and Armaan Franklin, and IU has the kind of backcourt depth to play small, fast and versatile as never before in the four-year Miller coaching era.
"It's been a good adjustment," Durham says. "Everyone gets a shot at everything. It's more interchangeable with three guards around the perimeter. You can reposition whether that be at the corner or the top.
"We've all learned what (the coaches have) tried to implement into the offense and we just try and learn more and more each day. How they want us to work out and how they want us to play the positions they put us in."
*****
Forward Joey Brunk found humor amid pandemic uncertainty.
That's a good thing. Do we really need more woe-is-us misery these days?
Ask him what he learned about himself during the pandemic and you get this:
"As far as quarantine goes, I'm going to be pretty well adjusted to retired life at some point. I really do enjoy golfing, fishing and reading. I think I'll be pretty well equipped whenever that time comes."
With that time likely decades away, the 6-11, 245-pound senior got serious.
"As far as the team, I think it comes down to not taking things for granted. We don't know necessarily what the future looks like. There's no need to worry about the things we can't control. If we make the most of what we have now, there's not going to be any regrets as a group.
"Let's just be ready for whenever that moment of time comes."
Brunk's adjustment last season from moving to IU from Butler -- he averaged 6.8 points and 5.2 rebounds while shooting a team-leading 52.2 percent from the field -- gives him special insight into what the four freshmen are facing.
"There's a lot of different adjustments being in a new place, even though I had been in school for three years. As far as the basketball, I feel I have a better understanding of what we want to accomplish and be able to give my input -- what I see, what I've been through and my experiences and hopefully make their lives a little bit easier.
"It's my job as a senior leader to take the experiences and hopefully I can help pass those off to our freshmen and to everyone on the team. Help speed things along and help us develop to the best team we can be."
*****
Look for some special moments from Phinisee, especially if he's finally over the injuries that limited him his first two seasons. Last year, he averaged 7.3 points, had those team-leading 93 assists and shot 72.5 percent from the line.
Having the season end after one Big Ten tourney victory because of the pandemic, and then having to stay away from campus for a couple of months, worked to his advantage, he says.
"I feel so much better," he says. "Honestly, this wasn't how we wanted to end the season, but it really helped having my body just have the time off. I feel like this is the best I've felt in a while."
*****
A healthy Race Thompson looms as a major contributor. Last season, in 29 games and limited at times by injury to an average of 13.7 minutes, the 6-8, 235-pounder averaged 3.7 points and 3.9 rebounds. He was especially effective at Minnesota (nine points, 10 rebounds) and against Iowa (10 points, four rebounds).
A big focus has been improving his leadership.
"It has to just do with being around, and being comfortable with everybody," he says. "Knowing that everybody trusts me. Knowing my coaches trust me. It makes it easier for me to have a voice for the younger guys because I'm going into my fourth year here, I know stuff so I can help people out.
"It's easier because I already know, so it's teaching the younger guys, teaching everybody because I feel like I know what's going on."
Durham likes what he's seen.
"Race has stepped up tremendously and become more of an outspoken leader, whether that be on the court or off the court," he says. "Race has really stepped into a role of leadership with the younger guys and taken them under his wing – teaching them how to do certain things and showing them how we operate as a team. He's been doing very well.
"He's stepped his game up and his communication up tremendously."
Thompson is from Minneapolis, the city where George Floyd was killed while in police custody. That sparked a serious of protests. Thompson participated in some.
"Those marches and protests were all very powerful movements in Minneapolis," he says. "The George Floyd ordeal happened in my hometown city and that's literally 15 minutes away from my house.
"I felt obligated to go down there. I needed to show support for these people because this is home for me. It hit home for me."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Aljami Durham has never lacked for versatility.
Ask him to play point guard, shooting guard, combo guard, and this Indiana senior rises to the challenge. He has, after all, scored as many as 22 points, dished out as many as six assists and grabbed as many as five rebounds.
Now comes the final coaching request -- play a clearer, more defined role.
Specifically, play-making guard.
Durham seems more than ready to handle it.
"It's never been a problem with me being able to play in different positions," Durham says, "but I do feel like it'll help.
"I can still play two positions, but they've given me clear directions that I can have the freedom to be able to make plays. It'll help a lot, but at the same time I'm always ready to do whatever the teams needs me to do."
The Georgia native has been through nearly everything a college basketball player could face -- coaching change, a pandemic, thrilling wins, agonizing losses, plenty of playing time, highlight moments, tough setbacks.
Now, the Hoosiers hope, he's set to deliver his consistent best.
If he does, look out.
Last season, Durham averaged 9.8 points, led the team in three-point shooting (38.3 percent) and free throw shooting (81.1 percent), and was second in assists (80, behind Rob Phinisee's 93). All were career highs.
A year ago, he shared team captain duties with Devonte Green, who recently signed with a Greek professional team.
While team captains haven't been named for this season, Durham has re-asserted his leadership, especially when it comes to talented freshmen Khristian Lander, Anthony Leal, Trey Galloway and Jordan Geronimo.
"They're young, just getting on campus," Durham says, "so I've been trying to teach them the ropes, teach them how to work out, teach them the bits and pieces of our offense and defense, and get them a head start on how we do things and how to prepare and be ready for the workouts.
"I tried to talk them through it and keep them away from that freshman wall as much as I can. Try to give them the pieces and tools as much as I can to help them through the (the start of) freshman season."
Lander, Leal and Galloway are guards, and inexperienced in the ways of major college backcourts. Durham is showing them the way.
"It's the typical freshman stuff – don't rush," he says. "You try to teach them different speeds and how to set up their cuts and set their footwork up so they can knock down more shots. How to get (defenders) turned around. Just little things that you don't know as you come in to college. How it's a different ball game from high school to now."
It's just as much a big-brother approach as it is just being a veteran teammates.
"You just try and teach them the little intangibles that will help them in their freshman year and stay away from the (freshman) wall," Durham says. "I've been trying to keep their heads high, keep their confidence, talk to them as much as I can.
"Get to know them -- where they like to shoot from, where they like the ball at. Get to know what kind of guys they are, what kind of players they are. Try to give them as much faith as I can so they can play as well as they can and we get things we want out of them."
Add veterans Phinisee and Armaan Franklin, and IU has the kind of backcourt depth to play small, fast and versatile as never before in the four-year Miller coaching era.
"It's been a good adjustment," Durham says. "Everyone gets a shot at everything. It's more interchangeable with three guards around the perimeter. You can reposition whether that be at the corner or the top.
"We've all learned what (the coaches have) tried to implement into the offense and we just try and learn more and more each day. How they want us to work out and how they want us to play the positions they put us in."
*****
Forward Joey Brunk found humor amid pandemic uncertainty.
That's a good thing. Do we really need more woe-is-us misery these days?
Ask him what he learned about himself during the pandemic and you get this:
"As far as quarantine goes, I'm going to be pretty well adjusted to retired life at some point. I really do enjoy golfing, fishing and reading. I think I'll be pretty well equipped whenever that time comes."
With that time likely decades away, the 6-11, 245-pound senior got serious.
"As far as the team, I think it comes down to not taking things for granted. We don't know necessarily what the future looks like. There's no need to worry about the things we can't control. If we make the most of what we have now, there's not going to be any regrets as a group.
"Let's just be ready for whenever that moment of time comes."
Brunk's adjustment last season from moving to IU from Butler -- he averaged 6.8 points and 5.2 rebounds while shooting a team-leading 52.2 percent from the field -- gives him special insight into what the four freshmen are facing.
"There's a lot of different adjustments being in a new place, even though I had been in school for three years. As far as the basketball, I feel I have a better understanding of what we want to accomplish and be able to give my input -- what I see, what I've been through and my experiences and hopefully make their lives a little bit easier.
"It's my job as a senior leader to take the experiences and hopefully I can help pass those off to our freshmen and to everyone on the team. Help speed things along and help us develop to the best team we can be."
*****
Look for some special moments from Phinisee, especially if he's finally over the injuries that limited him his first two seasons. Last year, he averaged 7.3 points, had those team-leading 93 assists and shot 72.5 percent from the line.
Having the season end after one Big Ten tourney victory because of the pandemic, and then having to stay away from campus for a couple of months, worked to his advantage, he says.
"I feel so much better," he says. "Honestly, this wasn't how we wanted to end the season, but it really helped having my body just have the time off. I feel like this is the best I've felt in a while."
*****
A healthy Race Thompson looms as a major contributor. Last season, in 29 games and limited at times by injury to an average of 13.7 minutes, the 6-8, 235-pounder averaged 3.7 points and 3.9 rebounds. He was especially effective at Minnesota (nine points, 10 rebounds) and against Iowa (10 points, four rebounds).
A big focus has been improving his leadership.
"It has to just do with being around, and being comfortable with everybody," he says. "Knowing that everybody trusts me. Knowing my coaches trust me. It makes it easier for me to have a voice for the younger guys because I'm going into my fourth year here, I know stuff so I can help people out.
"It's easier because I already know, so it's teaching the younger guys, teaching everybody because I feel like I know what's going on."
Durham likes what he's seen.
"Race has stepped up tremendously and become more of an outspoken leader, whether that be on the court or off the court," he says. "Race has really stepped into a role of leadership with the younger guys and taken them under his wing – teaching them how to do certain things and showing them how we operate as a team. He's been doing very well.
"He's stepped his game up and his communication up tremendously."
Thompson is from Minneapolis, the city where George Floyd was killed while in police custody. That sparked a serious of protests. Thompson participated in some.
"Those marches and protests were all very powerful movements in Minneapolis," he says. "The George Floyd ordeal happened in my hometown city and that's literally 15 minutes away from my house.
"I felt obligated to go down there. I needed to show support for these people because this is home for me. It hit home for me."
Players Mentioned
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's BasketballDarian DeVries Postgame Press Conference
Saturday, December 20
IUBB Postgame Press Conference
Saturday, December 20
MBB: Postgame Press Conference - Chicago State (12/20/25)
Saturday, December 20
IUBB v CSU Highlights
Saturday, December 20