Jordan Geronimo's Strange Basket Typical Hustle Play From Indiana Sophomore
BLOOMINGTON, Ind, — Jordan Geronimo is such a good athlete that he does things on a basketball court that none of his teammates can do. He is a great ''north-south'' athlete, with a vertical leap in the mid-40s, and he can make things happen in many ways
But Thursday night, Geronimo outdid himself. He did something even he has never done in the Hoosiers' much-needed 74-64 over Maryland.
Midway through the first half, Indiana's Race Thompson went to the free throw line and made his first shot. He missed the second attempt and Geronimo, lined up on the left block, slipped past Julian Reese and then went up over Xavier Green. He couldn't get both hands on the ball, so he spiked into the ground.
It bounced up — and in the basket. It had everyone shaking their heads and laughing, including Geronimo, the 6-foot-6 sophomore from Newark, N.J.
"I've never done anything like that before,'' Geronimo said with a laugh Friday when asked about the crazy play. "The ball went up, and people don't realize when they box me out, I still have all the advantage, because I can reach over them.
"The ball was at a point where I could grab it, but (Green) was still boxing me out so I just smacked it. I saw the arch, and thought, 'that might be good. I'll take my two points.' Oh well, I'll just go back on defense. That's the reason I smacked the ball. If I can't fully grab it, I'm just going to try to create an opportunity for my teammates or myself, regardless of how it happens.''
Indiana's oft-animated bench exploded. It was the wildest two points any of them have seen, but it was also vintage Geronimo, all hustle, all energy, all whatever-it-takes.
"That was crazy. It was nuts,'' Indiana guard Anthony Leal said. "And I'm pretty sure the next play right after that, Maryland had a three (by Hakim Hart) that bounced way up and pretty much did the same thing.
"I remember, we were all on the bench saying, did that just actually happen? That was unbelievable. That's the kind of thing you would practice playing H-O-R-S-E or something. I really don't think he meant to do that, but it works.''
It was shocking that his spike actually went in, but it didn't surprise anyone at all that Geronimo got to the ball in the first place. He was credited with an offensive rebound and the basket. It was his sixth offensive rebound off a missed free throw this season.
(You can insert your joke here that he gets so many rebounds off of missed free throws because Indiana MISSES so many free throws. The Hoosiers are dead last in the Big Ten at 68,4 percent. That's bad but, sadly, that .684 percentage is actually their best in six years.)
Geronimo averages 12 minutes a game, usually the first guy off the bench when Race Thompson needs a break at the power forward spot. Despite the limited playing time, he's third on the team in rebounds, averaging 3.6 per game. He is averaging 3.1 points, shooting 48.7 percent from the field and 30 percent (6-for-20) from three. He's just a 50 percent free throw shooter (17-for-34).
Geronimo hasn't had years of basketball experience at a high level, so he's still growing into the game. First-year coach Mike Woodson and his staff often preach player development, and Geronimo is a poster child for that. Even though he has a long way to go still, he's far better than he was a year ago as a freshman.
He gives a lot of credit to his teammates for being great mentors, especially Thompson.
"Race has thought me a lot of things about basketball, and he's really good at telling how to move and read a defense, because I didn't really have that in my bag,'' Geronimo said. "But he's also helped me controlling my emotions and staying poised. That also helped a lot because that was something I struggled with when I first got here.
"Every time we're in practice and a play happens, he never takes time off or sits out. He's always ready to compete not matter how he's feeling, and watching that as an underclassman is really inspiring. I definitely learn from that and want to be like that myself.''
Geronimo is still a work in progress on the perimeter, and doesn't sub much for the wing guys. He's an average shooter at best from out there, and his ballhandling still has a long way to go.
"What I'm focusing on is more ball-handing, because that never seems to not help, and just the IQ aspect of it from learning how to move at the guard,'' Geronimo said. "When we were shorthanded at Northwestern and I was playing the three, I found it hard to maneuver like off-ball.
As a guard, I couldn't be in the paint and it causes confusion, so I had to get that mentality right. That comes from watching film and studying our three-man plays. I've been working on the ball-handling and the mid-range pull-up, which is something I've been working on a lot. For sure, the footwork is different. All my life I've been guarding one through five, so I feel like my footwork is good, but I need to keep working on it, and make sure I get it right.''
Geronimo gets plenty of motivation from his coaches as well, with the primary message being able to focus on things he does well
"One thing Coach (Dane) Fife always tells me before the game when we are stretching is to 'go do Geronimo things,' rebound, play defense, you know, make plays,'' Geronimo said. "I'm not really worried about the playing time. I know when I do the things I'm supposed to, I'll get out there.''
Doing "Geronimo'' things, that's a good thing. He's still just scratching the surface, too, and he has a high ceiling. Being able to improve his perimeter game is the next important step in his growth, because it would be nice if he could be on the floor with Thompson and Trayce Jackson-Davis at the same time.
But those perimeter skills aren't there yet, and he's a liability out there. You even see it on the defensive end, where quicker guards blow right by him. That ''north-south'' athletic explosiveness he has doesn't really translate to ''east-west'' explosiveness as a perimeter defender.
That can move in time though, and it will come. And then we'll see even more ''Geronimo things.''
Watch Jordan Geronimo's interview
Here is the full video interview with sophomore forward Jordan Geronimo, who talked about his crazy shot, the role Race Thompson plays as a mentor and the areas in his game that he wants to improve on.
Related stories on Indiana basketball
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- WHAT WOODSON SAID: The Hoosiers' 5-game losing streak is over thanks to a huge effort from point guard Xavier Johnson who put up 24 points in Indiana's 74-64 win over the Terrapins. Indiana head coach Mike Woodson addressed the media following the victory. Read his full transcript, or just watch the attached video of the entire press conference. CLICK HERE.
- WHAT JOHNSON AND THOMPSON SAID: Indiana senior guard Xavier Johnson led the Hoosiers to victory putting up 24 points in the 74-64 win over Maryland. Redshirt senior forward Race Thompson was second in line with 19 points and nine rebounds. Read their full press conference transcript, or just watch the attached video. CLICK HERE.
- JOHNSON'S NEAR-PERFECT NIGHT SNAPS LOSING STREAK: Indiana point guard Xavier Johnson has been struggling of late, but he snapped out of it in a big way on Thursday night, scoring a season-high 24 points in the Hoosiers' 74-64 win over Maryland. CLICK HERE.
