Patience Starting to Pay Off for Kaleb Banks

By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – It's hard. Kaleb Banks won't deny it. He came to Indiana to play, not sit and watch.

But he's a freshman forward, with much to learn and improve, with veterans Trayce Jackson-Davis, Race Thompson and Jordan Geronimo ahead of him in the frontcourt, with fellow freshman forward Malik Reneau more Big Ten ready.

And so, he waited.

Opportunity came in limited doses until Saturday night against Ohio State, when Banks played 12 minutes, scoring five points and grabbing a career-high seven rebounds.

Coach Mike Woodson praised him, but without guarantees. The surging Hoosiers (15-6 overall, 6-4 in the Big Ten) have played their way back into the national rankings, No. 21 in the AP poll, No. 22 in the coaches poll, and could do the same in the conference race. Playing time comes down to matchups and who gives the Hoosiers the best chance to win.

Will the 6-7, 215-pound Banks get more opportunity Tuesday night when Indiana, with a five-game winning streak, plays at Maryland (14-7, 5-5)?

He's certainly given Woodson plenty to think about.

Consider the Ohio State game was just the third time Banks had played more than 10 minutes this season. He hasn't played at all in seven games. He averages 2.2 points and 1.1 rebounds in 5.6 minutes while shooting 63.2% from the field.

"It was a challenge," he says about waiting for a playing chance. "It got hard. It was hard, but I stayed ready, stayed the course, and eventually like (Saturday night), I got a chance. I think I contributed well."

Contribution followed solid practices, Woodson says.

"He's been very in tune to what we're doing in practice, in shootarounds, in walk-throughs," Woodson says. "I thought it was time to give him an opportunity, and he played well. It's nice to see. Sometimes when players haven't played, they can easily go the other way, and he didn't."

Woodson tells players to maximize their playing time, whether it's just for a few minutes, or most of the game. Banks bought into that.

"That was my motivation," he says. "It was my shot. I had a feeling before the game that this was going to be the day, so I tried to make the best out of it."

Adds Woodson: "That lets me know that coaching has helped him. My staff has done a tremendous job in terms of trying to bring these young guys along, and everyone is not going to be like (freshman point guard Jalen Hood-Schifino) and Malik. It's been a slow process with him, but he responded. I thought he played his butt off."

Like every heralded freshman, Banks arrived hoping for instant impact. He was the Georgia 4A player of the year and a top-90 national prospect.

Major college reality and freshman inconsistency got in the way.

"One of the things holding me back was probably my defense," he says. "I got better on defense. Just learning how to switch, stuff like that.

"On the offensive end, I've been on and off with my shot. I think I'm starting to get my shot back. I'm progressing day by day."

Banks says he tries to follow Hood-Schifino's hard-working lead. Hood-Schifino is this week's Big Ten freshman of the week after averaging 15.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.0 steals in a pair of victories.

"You see him in the gym every day, and it motivates you to do better for yourself," Banks says. "He's a great leader, and he's a great point guard."

Reneau has elevated his play recently (he had 15 points and a career-high eight rebounds against Ohio State), and Woodson wants to see more.

"We've got to work with him more in terms of his low post moves and stuff because he's got great footwork, and he's got a nice touch around the rim.

"Malik has got a big body, and I'm on him a lot about using his body because he is talented enough to do that."

Reneau says it helps that defenses are so focused on containing Jackson-Davis, this week's Big Ten co-player of the week after averaging 21.5 points, 15.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 4.0 blocks. He also was named to the Wooden Award Late Season Top-20 list.

"Everything opens up when they double-team him," Reneau says. "Race gets a chance to post-up. I get a chance to post-up. Shots get open, and everything just opens up."

The Hoosiers hope more opportunities open at Maryland.

Better defense is a big reason. They have held their last five opponents to 61.2 points on 38.4% shooting, including 26.7% from 3-point range.

They will need all of that against an improving Maryland squad that followed a strong second half against top-ranked Purdue with decisive victories over Wisconsin and Nebraska. It has an 11-1 home record, with the only loss coming to No. 9 UCLA.

The Terrapins, who have won three of their last four games, have held their last four opponents to less than 65 points.

They have four double-figure scorers in 6-1 guard Jahmir Young (16.0 points, 5.0 rebounds), 6-8 forward Donta Scott (11.9, 6.3), 6-8 guard Hakim Hart (11.6, 4.6) and 6-9 forward Julian Reese (10.4, 6-4). They have four players with at least 22 3-point baskets.

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Players Mentioned

Kaleb Banks

Jordan Geronimo

Jalen Hood-Schifino

Trayce Jackson-Davis

Malik Reneau

Race Thompson

Indiana University Athletics