Jordan Geronimo Working on Perimeter Skills to Expand Role for Hoosiers
Jordan Geronimo cut sharply across the baseline, receiving a pass from Trey Galloway in the short corner. With just under 10 minutes to go in Indiana's 2022 NCAA Tournament game against Wyoming on March 15, Geronimo took one dribble then glanced at the rim.
He hesitated for a moment and considered pulling up for a jump shop, but powered his way toward the paint, instead. Geronimo spun to his right hand, bumped into the chest of Wyoming's 6-foot-10 Hunter Thompson and laid the ball softly off the glass.
This crafty play not only contributed to Geronimo's career-high 15-point night and Indiana's first March Madness win since 2016, it also added to Geronimo's confidence and comfort to find his shot.
“That game was needed," Geronimo said. "I feel like it told me, ‘Hey, I can do this.' And I just kind of used that game as a foundation to just work on my game."
Geronimo opted to return to Bloomington for his junior season, citing his trust in head coach Mike Woodson and the Indiana program. With the return of Trayce Jackson-Davis and Race Thompson, coupled with the addition of five-star freshman power forward Malik Reneau, Geronimo and the Hoosiers could build one of the top front courts in college basketball.
This depth and talent at forward means there will be a true battle for minutes, which has translated to a competitive spirit at practice this summer as players push to get the best out of each other. Geronimo said Indiana's Director of Athletic Performance Clif Marshall uses the phrase "iron sharpens iron" to describe the result of competition.
"It’s bigger than myself, really," Geronimo said. "I want the program to be successful and we’re fighting for a championship ... Seeing other players that came in, everybody that’s coming back, I feel like it’s something that I want to be a part of."
And building off his performance against Wyoming in the NCAA Tournament, Indiana's versatile 6-foot-6 forward has strived to expand his skillset this offseason. In particular, Geronimo is looking to improve his decision making on the perimeter, ball-handling and jump shot in order to play both small forward and power forward.
On Tuesday, Geronimo said he brought up the idea of also playing small forward this season because he wanted to expand his role on the team. If Geronimo can succeed as a small forward, this would allow Woodson to play him in lineups alongside Thompson and Jackson-Davis.
So far, Geronimo has worked on offensive spacing, and he believes he has a better understanding of when to attack the rim versus when to shoot the ball or pass to a teammate. And off the ball, he's noticed a stronger grasp of when to cut and set down screens or ball screens, which has contributed to his overall decision making. When it comes to ball-handling, improvement comes with repetition for Geronimo.
"I’m not going to say I’m Kyrie Irving, but [my ball-handling] is just better," Geronimo said. "It’s getting better, and seeing improvement is a good sight.”
Throughout this process, Geronimo said the hardest part is learning the responsibilities of both positions. For example, he was used to protecting the rim during transition defense when playing power forward, but he also has to focus on stopping the ball as a small forward. He's now fighting over ball screens instead of defending ball screens, which has added to the transition.
Geronimo has spent many hours in the film room this summer, studying the intricacies of playing small forward and power forward. He said film can be as helpful as practice sometimes, and watching himself play is a useful learning tool.
He also watches film of other players, particularly small forward De'Andre Hunter of the Atlanta Hawks. Hunter helped Virginia win the National Championship in 2019, and he has averaged double-digit points in each of his first three season in the NBA. Geronimo has kept an eye on the development of Hunter's game as a two-way forward who contributes in a variety of ways.
"He can bring the ball up, he can defend, get a bucket. I like his game a lot," Geronimo said. "That’s somebody I watch a lot on the NBA.”
During his first two seasons at Indiana, Geronimo's raw physical tools were obvious, even in limited minutes. With a vertical leap to contend with taller opponents for rebounds, strength and footwork to defend multiple positions and a smooth shooting stroke, Geronimo is a candidate to take a junior-year jump.
And while fine-tuning these skills will take physical work, Geronimo's effort to provide positional versatility for Indiana can be seen as a mental transition, too. He said the next step of improving his game is sometimes as straightforward as keeping a positive attitude. He's known the value of his physical attributes since his freshman year, and now Geronimo feels ready to tap into his full potential.
"If I was to always just be consistent and keep pushing myself and play hard every single time, the athleticism is going shine," Geronimo said. "The next step into improving my game or showing my actual game is just being positive, always having a battery, always just trying to, you know, make the extra play, you know what I mean. I feel like that would really show my potential."
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