Indiana Basketball: Evan Fitzner provided leadership, depth in lone season

It’s that time again where we take a look at the Indiana basketball roster and break down the season of each player. Today is Evan Fitzner.

Previous Reviews: Juwan Morgan | Zach McRoberts 

The lone member of the senior class that saw consistent playing time was that of graduate transfer, Evan Fitzner.

The St. Mary’s transfer was a highly regarded three point shooter during his time out west, averaging 41.3 percent from deep.

Fitzner was also well experienced. As a 76 game starter in his three years at St. Mary’s, he brought another veteran to the Indiana lineup which had only one senior on the roster who was a consistent member of the rotation.

Though Fitzner didn’t play a huge role in Indiana’s season, he saw some good moments in Bloomington and was a great member of the locker room.

2018-19 Season in Review

Coming into the program after graduating from St. Mary’s (Ca.), Evan came off the bench for a majority of the season for Indiana. As a projected three-point sharpshooter, Fitzner came through with clutch three pointers when the team needed it most despite going through a rough spell.

Perimeter shooting was definitely Fitzner’s strength in his collegiate career and coming into the season this year, but some may say his numbers were underwhelming. On the year Fitzner averaged 3.5 points per game and 2.0 rebounds a game while shooting 31 percent from the three-point line.

However, Fitzner showed up in some of the Hoosiers most important games of the season, including in two of the team’s wins over ranked opponents.

During the season opener against Chicago State, Indiana fans got a first good look of what the graduate transfer was capable of, as he went 5-for-6 from the field and hit a three in 15 minutes to give the Hoosiers 14 points off the bench points.

His top shooting performance came against No. 24 Marquette at the beginning of the year, where he had 16 points off the bench, shooting 6-for-7 from the field and making all four of his three-point attempts.

However, his impact in the win at No. 6 Michigan State was much-needed, as he hit a three pointer early in the second half that kept the Hoosiers within striking distance and which ultimately led to the upset win in East Lansing.

In his first game in the Big Ten Tournament against Ohio State, he provided a spark off the bench and chipped in eight points, four rebounds, and two steals in 18 minutes.

While Fitzner’s impact may have not impressed casual fans in the box score, he provided leadership and valuable experience for a relatively young team with five incoming freshmen.

What’s next?

Having used up his remaining eligibility here at Indiana, Evan will move on from basketball and will use his graduate Educational Leadership to continue to use his life experiences to lead others to success.

Overall, he averaged 5.7 points, 3.1 rebounds and shot 38.7 percent from deep throughout his collegiate career.