Indiana University Athletics
DIPRIMIO: Surging Hoosiers -- Youth Not Wasted on IU's Young
2/13/2021 9:44:00 AM | Men's Basketball
By: Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Forget youth gets you beat.
For Indiana, more and more, even under brutal Big Ten competition, it helps you win.
The Hoosiers (11-8 overall, 6-6 in the Big Ten) face No. 4 Ohio State (16-4, 10-4) Saturday seeking their first three-game winning streak of the season, and this much is certain – they will go young.
Freshmen Trey Galloway, Anthony Leal, Khristian Lander and Jordan Geronimo will get plenty of minutes against one of the nation's best teams, and they will not blink.
They might not take charge at crunch time -- see veterans Aljami Durham and Armaan Franklin at Northwestern for a double-overtime example of that -- but they will have an impact, sometimes all at the same time.
"There are very few teams in the league who are playing with four true freshmen at different times against really good teams," coach Archie Miller says. "That is going to be a big part of us as we move forward and try to develop our depth and get those guys more opportunities because they have made us better. I think that is where we are at right now."
Consider Geronimo, who is making more impact as the season progresses. He is a 6-6, 220-pound testament to hard-working potential.
"He has a 7-2 wingspan," Miller says. "He's freakishly athletic. He's strong. He's not afraid to bang."
While Geronimo doesn't score much now (averaging 2.4 points), Miller says, "I love the way he plays on offense. He's a physical screener, a good touch passer."
Miller envisions Geronimo developing an effective three-point shot, although, having made just 2 of 7 long-range attempts, much work is needed.
"As he gets older and is able to play more minutes," Miller says, "the three-point shot will come into play. That's when he can blossom into a terrific player."
Geronimo has no better example than Franklin, who has emerged from a low-impact freshman into a sophomore game changer.
His career game at Northwestern (a career-high 23 points, plus five rebounds, four steals and three assists) continues a season of excellence.
After a solid, but unspectacular first three games, Franklin broke loose for 13 points, seven rebounds and five assists against Stanford, and became a formidable force even a sprained ankle couldn't diminish.
Credit a rigorous off-season, much of it spent under pandemic conditions, that elevated his physical, mental and basketball skills.
"The first would be mindset," he says. "I went in every day to get better. As I got better, my confidence grew.
"Over the summer I did a lot of shooting. And I always wanted to be one of the best defenders we had. Making an impact at both ends of the floor and continuing to get better was a big deal for me."
Franklin's improvement doesn't mean he's surpassed forward Trayce Jackson-Davis as IU's best player. Jackson-Davis, after all, was just named to the Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy Midseason Team. He leads IU in scoring (19.4 points) and rebounding (9.4 points). He has eight double-doubles this season, including in three straight games.
"It shows the work he puts in," Franklin says. "You see the amount of work he's put in to develop his body to get quicker, stronger, jump higher, finish above the rim. It shows his work ethic. He'll get better as time gets on."
IU is coming off a tough-minded thriller at Northwestern, a game in which the will to win was perhaps its biggest attribute.
And if that becomes the norm the rest of the season, look out.
"Our guys, when you talk about resiliency, have shown a great attitude," Miller says. "They have had very few down moments in terms of being able to come back."
Big Ten excellence (seven ranked teams, including three of the top six with No. 3 Michigan, Ohio State and No. 6 Illinois) limits if not eliminates dominance. Struggles are the norm, not the exception, and it is the team that rises after getting knocked down, Miller says, that will win not just the moment, but the season.
"As a group you have to understand that there are going to be some rough waters. There are going to be some high moments with wins because every team that you play is really good. It feels so good to battle it out and get one. You are also going to have some hard losses, and the big thing is just to stay with it day-to-day. We talk about it all the time.
"Be the master of the moment. That is what our team has done a good job of. Of being resilient, having a good attitude every day. You have a collective group that continues to try to work to get better.
"That's why you are seeing so many of our guys emerge because we are staying with it, and there is still so much ball left to be played."
This reflects Miller's push to build a deep team.
"To have more guys make plays, to be a little deeper and win with difference guys is very important," he says. "We have more guys. That's why we have a chance to be much better."
The Hoosiers will need to be at their best against surging Ohio State.
The Buckeyes have won eight of their last nine games. Their five-game winning streak includes consecutive comeback victories. They rallied from an eight-point deficit against Maryland and an 11-point hole against Iowa.
Credit a veteran roster in which seven of its top nine scorers have played in at least 70 career games. That includes guards C.J. Walker (a former Indianapolis high school standout), Kyle Young, Musa Jallow, Justice Sueing, Duane Washington, Seth Towns, Justin Ahrens and E.J. Liddell, plus forward Kyle Young.
Two of Ohio State's losses have come by one point to Northwestern and two points to Purdue.
The Buckeyes thrive with defense (holding opponents to 68.4 points) and versatility (nine players average at least 10.2 minutes).
Liddell leads in scoring (14.9) and rebounding (6.8). Washington averages 14.8 points. Sueing averages 10.4 points and 5.6 rebounds.
Winning at Ohio State is a formidable challenge, but after wins over then No. 8-Iowa and Northwestern, the Hoosiers have much-needed momentum.
"It is a high-level league," Miller says. "There is a lot of high-level ball. The quest is to continue to get better every day. We have a lot of room to grow. We feel much more confident about our group being able to play a lot of different combinations."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Forget youth gets you beat.
For Indiana, more and more, even under brutal Big Ten competition, it helps you win.
The Hoosiers (11-8 overall, 6-6 in the Big Ten) face No. 4 Ohio State (16-4, 10-4) Saturday seeking their first three-game winning streak of the season, and this much is certain – they will go young.
Freshmen Trey Galloway, Anthony Leal, Khristian Lander and Jordan Geronimo will get plenty of minutes against one of the nation's best teams, and they will not blink.
They might not take charge at crunch time -- see veterans Aljami Durham and Armaan Franklin at Northwestern for a double-overtime example of that -- but they will have an impact, sometimes all at the same time.
"There are very few teams in the league who are playing with four true freshmen at different times against really good teams," coach Archie Miller says. "That is going to be a big part of us as we move forward and try to develop our depth and get those guys more opportunities because they have made us better. I think that is where we are at right now."
Consider Geronimo, who is making more impact as the season progresses. He is a 6-6, 220-pound testament to hard-working potential.
"He has a 7-2 wingspan," Miller says. "He's freakishly athletic. He's strong. He's not afraid to bang."
While Geronimo doesn't score much now (averaging 2.4 points), Miller says, "I love the way he plays on offense. He's a physical screener, a good touch passer."
Miller envisions Geronimo developing an effective three-point shot, although, having made just 2 of 7 long-range attempts, much work is needed.
"As he gets older and is able to play more minutes," Miller says, "the three-point shot will come into play. That's when he can blossom into a terrific player."
Geronimo has no better example than Franklin, who has emerged from a low-impact freshman into a sophomore game changer.
His career game at Northwestern (a career-high 23 points, plus five rebounds, four steals and three assists) continues a season of excellence.
After a solid, but unspectacular first three games, Franklin broke loose for 13 points, seven rebounds and five assists against Stanford, and became a formidable force even a sprained ankle couldn't diminish.
Credit a rigorous off-season, much of it spent under pandemic conditions, that elevated his physical, mental and basketball skills.
"The first would be mindset," he says. "I went in every day to get better. As I got better, my confidence grew.
"Over the summer I did a lot of shooting. And I always wanted to be one of the best defenders we had. Making an impact at both ends of the floor and continuing to get better was a big deal for me."
Franklin's improvement doesn't mean he's surpassed forward Trayce Jackson-Davis as IU's best player. Jackson-Davis, after all, was just named to the Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy Midseason Team. He leads IU in scoring (19.4 points) and rebounding (9.4 points). He has eight double-doubles this season, including in three straight games.
"It shows the work he puts in," Franklin says. "You see the amount of work he's put in to develop his body to get quicker, stronger, jump higher, finish above the rim. It shows his work ethic. He'll get better as time gets on."
IU is coming off a tough-minded thriller at Northwestern, a game in which the will to win was perhaps its biggest attribute.
And if that becomes the norm the rest of the season, look out.
"Our guys, when you talk about resiliency, have shown a great attitude," Miller says. "They have had very few down moments in terms of being able to come back."
Big Ten excellence (seven ranked teams, including three of the top six with No. 3 Michigan, Ohio State and No. 6 Illinois) limits if not eliminates dominance. Struggles are the norm, not the exception, and it is the team that rises after getting knocked down, Miller says, that will win not just the moment, but the season.
"As a group you have to understand that there are going to be some rough waters. There are going to be some high moments with wins because every team that you play is really good. It feels so good to battle it out and get one. You are also going to have some hard losses, and the big thing is just to stay with it day-to-day. We talk about it all the time.
"Be the master of the moment. That is what our team has done a good job of. Of being resilient, having a good attitude every day. You have a collective group that continues to try to work to get better.
"That's why you are seeing so many of our guys emerge because we are staying with it, and there is still so much ball left to be played."
This reflects Miller's push to build a deep team.
"To have more guys make plays, to be a little deeper and win with difference guys is very important," he says. "We have more guys. That's why we have a chance to be much better."
The Hoosiers will need to be at their best against surging Ohio State.
The Buckeyes have won eight of their last nine games. Their five-game winning streak includes consecutive comeback victories. They rallied from an eight-point deficit against Maryland and an 11-point hole against Iowa.
Credit a veteran roster in which seven of its top nine scorers have played in at least 70 career games. That includes guards C.J. Walker (a former Indianapolis high school standout), Kyle Young, Musa Jallow, Justice Sueing, Duane Washington, Seth Towns, Justin Ahrens and E.J. Liddell, plus forward Kyle Young.
Two of Ohio State's losses have come by one point to Northwestern and two points to Purdue.
The Buckeyes thrive with defense (holding opponents to 68.4 points) and versatility (nine players average at least 10.2 minutes).
Liddell leads in scoring (14.9) and rebounding (6.8). Washington averages 14.8 points. Sueing averages 10.4 points and 5.6 rebounds.
Winning at Ohio State is a formidable challenge, but after wins over then No. 8-Iowa and Northwestern, the Hoosiers have much-needed momentum.
"It is a high-level league," Miller says. "There is a lot of high-level ball. The quest is to continue to get better every day. We have a lot of room to grow. We feel much more confident about our group being able to play a lot of different combinations."
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