Indiana Basketball Preview: Meet the Players
This is the second part of a three-part series previewing the Indiana basketball season.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Indiana's roster goes 11 deep this year, and Archie Miller loves that about his third team in Bloomington. He's expecting contributions from all of them.
They all will get a good look, that's for sure.
"I could see us here early in the season maybe playing a lot guys early,'' Miller said Monday. "Maybe we'll slim that down as we go through the game, but early in the game, you'll seeing different rotations.
"That could mean runs of good and bad, but I like going into a game knowing we have 10 or 11 players that are capable of getting in there and helping you. That's a strength. We have to accept that — and our team has to accept that. With that being said, there is going to be some sacrifice on that.''
With everyone involved, the dynamic through fall camp has been excellent, Miller said. This is a close group, and they've all been working hard in the battle for playing time.
"There is nothing more fun than winning with a group that is committed to it, and you have a lot of different guys impacting the feeling about themselves,'' Miller said. "That's the positive, and that's what we have to be able to bring to the forefront, that our team looks at different rotations and lineups and minutes in games.''
Here's what you need to know about the 11 scholarship players on the Indiana roster:
Damezi Anderson, sophomore forward
Where he’s from: Anderson was a 4-start recruit in the Class of 2018 out of South Bend (Ind.) Riley, a five-man class that was ranked No. 10 in the country according to the 247Sports.com composite. Anderson is the all-time leading scorer in South Bend and St. Joseph's County history with 2,210 points. He is 6-foot-7 and 225 pounds.
What he’s done: Anderson played in 21 games a year ago in limited duty. He scored 31 points on the season.
What’s expected : They say the best thing about freshmen is that they become sophomores, and that's certainly the case with Anderson. He's long and we know he can score the ball, and much more is expected of him this season now that he's more comfortable on the college level. He started Indiana's exhibition game at the two-guard spot because of injuries and did well. He made 2 of 4 shots from 3-point range.
Joey Brunk, redshirt junior forward
Where he’s from: Brunk was a 4-star recruit in the Class of 2016 out of Southport High School in Indianapolis, and he chose Butler. He played for the Bulldogs for three seasons and came to Indiana this spring as a graduate transfer. He is 6-foot-11 and 245 pounds.
What he’s done: He redshirted as a freshman, and played in 21 games for Butler as a sophomore. Last year, he played in all 33 games for the Bulldogs and made 13 starts. He averaged 7.6 points and 3.6 rebounds per game and led Butler with a .617 shooting percentage.
What’s expected: Indiana needed help desperately on the interior, so Brunk was a welcomed addition. He's been great in the locker room so far and has melded seamlessly with his teammates. He started the exhibition opener and will be relied upon to score inside, rebound well and protect the rim. He makes this team much better inside.
De’Ron Davis, senior forward
Where he’s from: Davis played at Overland (Colo.) High School, and was the No. 1-ranked player in the state and No. 40 overall in the Class of 2016. He was part of a five-man class at Indiana that ranked No. 23 in the country.
What he’s done: Davis' career at Indiana hasn't been what many expected. He's battled injuries (torn Achilles' tendon, ankle) and has had a hard time staying out of foul trouble when he's played extended minutes. He's played in 79 games at IU, starting 22. He has 503 career points.
What’s expected : Davis will be part of a four-man rotation at the 4 and 5 spots for the Hoosiers, more than likely coming off the bench. As a senior and a leader on this team, he needs to play well when he gets the chance and be a force on the block without fouling a lot.
Indiana's Al Durham (1) was named a team captain this year. (USA TODAY)
Al Durham, junior guard
Where he’s from: Durham played at Berkmar (Ga.) High School and was an all-Metro selection in the Atlanta area. He was a 3-star recruit in the Class of 2017 and part of Indiana's No. 32-ranked class. He is 6-foot-4 and 185 pounds.
What he’s done: He played in 31 games as a freshman, averaging 4.7 points per game, but really came on as a sophomore a year ago. He played in 34 games and started 30. He finished fourth on the team in scoring (8.3), and led the team in free throw percentage (.740).
What’s expected: Durham was selected as a captain by his teammates and he's going to be relied upon to play big minutes this year. He banged a knee in the Marquette scrimmage and missed some time, but he's 100 percent for the opener and will be a key piece to the Indiana attack. He will get plenty of playing time at both guard positions and will be counted on to pressure the ball defensively.
Armaan Franklin, freshman guard
Where he’s from: Franklin is a true freshman who played at Cathedral High School in Indianapolis a year ago. He was a 3-start rercruit according to the 247Sports.com composite. He is 6-foot-4 and 195 pounds.
What he’s done: Franklin has been thrown into the fire as a freshman with so many injuries at the guard spot in fall camp. He's been forced to learn the point guard position quickly, and played 35 minutes in the exhibition game against Gannon. He played well despite some turnovers.
What’s expected: Franklin is going to have to play a lot of minutes early, but he seems up for the challenge. Miller loves his coachability and athleticism and will play a key role on this team from the first night.
Devonte Green, senior guard
Where he’s from: Green is from North Babylon, N.Y., and played at Long Island Lutheran High School. He was a 3-star recruit. He is 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds.
What he’s done: Green is Indiana's most experienced player. He's played in 91 games and has 641 career points. He averaged 9.4 points per game last year and is Indiana's leading returning scorer. He was the team's best player late in the season a year ago after Romeo Langford went down.
What’s expected: Green was expected to be Indiana's top scoring option, but a hamstring injury has kept him off the court nearly all of October. He has already been ruled out for the Tuesday night home opener against Western Illinois, and it's unknown how long he will be out. For Indiana to be an NCAA Tournament team this year, it's going to need Green healthy, hopefully by Dec. 1. He's a terrific 3-point shooter, making 41 percent of his long balls a year ago.
Jerome Hunter, sophomore forward
Where he’s from: Hunter came to Indiana from Pickerington, Ohio. He was a 4-star recruit and the second-ranked player in the state of Ohio, according to the 247Sports composite. He is 6-foot-7 and 220 pounds.
What he’s done: He missed all of last year after undergoing surgery on his leg. He was redshirted, but also wasn't able to practice all year either as he recuperated from major surgery.
What’s expected: Miller really considers Hunter a true freshman since he wasn't able to do any team activities a year ago. He's been cleared to practice and play since the summer and everyone involved is looking forward to see what he can contribute this season. He is long and athletic, and is great at attacking the basket. It will be interesting to see how long it takes him to get comfortable on the floor again.
Trayce Jackson-Davis, freshman forward
Where he’s from: Jackson-Davis was Mr. Basketball in Indiana a year ago and a 4-star recruit out of Center Grove High School in Greenwood, Ind. He was the No. 30-ranked player in the country. He is 6-foot-9 and 245 pounds.
What he’s done: The true freshman has been the best player in October workouts, according to Miller, and has outscored everyone in team scrimmages by more than 100 points.
What’s expected: Especially with the injuries at guard, it's very likely that a lot of Indiana's offense will go through this true freshman, who has a ton of skills in the lane and out on the perimeter. His versatiity will help a lot, and he's very mature for a freshman, so nothing should be too big for him. There are a lot of people who think he will be Indiana's next great player, so we'll start to see that as soon as Tuesday night.
Rob Phinisee (10) is Indiana's first player from Lafayette since 1948. (USA TODAY)
Rob Phinisee, sophomore junior guard
Where he’s from: Phinisee was a 4-star recruit out of McCutcheon High School in Lafayette, Ind., and was first IU recruit from Purdue's hometown since 1948. He is 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds
What he’s done: Phinisee stepped right into the point guard role last year as a freshman and played well. Concussion-like symptoms slowed him down for part of the season, but he still played in 32 games, starting 29 and leading the team in assists.
What’s expected: Everything! Phinisee needs to be the guy to run the show for the Hoosiers this year. He's been slowed through camp with a lower abdominal injury and his missed most of Indiana's 25 practices. He got 14 minutes in during the exhibition game and played well, but his work load will have to be monitored closely, especially in November. If he's healthy, he's one of the top point guards in the Big Ten.
Justin Smith, junior forward
Where he’s from: Smith was a 4-star recruit out of Stevenson High School, and he's from Lincolnshire, Ill. He was ranked No. 78 nationally in the 247Sports.com composite rankings. He is 6-foot-7 and 230 pounds.
What he’s done: A tremendous athlete and leaper, Smith has already played in all 66 games during his two years with the Hoosiers. He averaged 8.2 points and 4.2 rebounds a year ago.
What’s expected : His growth this season might be the determining factor in how much better this Indiana team gets. He's explosive with a great vertical leap, and can dominate games at times. He's tough around the rim, and is a prime-time slasher. He shot only 23 percent from the 3-point line last year and that has to get better. Look for a huge year from Smith.
Race Thompson, redshirt sophomore forward
Where he’s from: Thompson is from Plymouth, Minn., and came to Indiana after reclassifying and moving up a year. He was a 4-star recruit. He is 6-foot-8 and 235 pounds.
What he’s done: He redshirted his first year as planned, but then missed all but nine games in an injury-plagued season a year ago with a concussion. He only played 63 minutes all year, and scored 6 points.
What’s expected: Miller considers him to be a new player as well because he missed so much time a year ago, but he's feeling great now and looks to get plenty of minutes off the bench in the frontcourt rotation. He's waited a long time to play at Indiana, so look for him to contribute a lot once he gets his feet wet.
