Indiana Basketball: Who will take over the leadership role next next season?
With the graduation of five seniors and the loss of top scorer Romeo Langford to the NBA, there are opportunities for players to arise as the team’s newest leader in the locker room.
An Indiana basketball program that is losing senior team captains Zach McRoberts and Juwan Morgan to graduation, has left a gaping hole for new leaders to take charge in the Indiana locker room.
With a number of players transferring out of the program, and new incoming players looking to become a part of the famed Indiana basketball program, there will be a much different look in the locker room for Archie Miller and the Hoosiers.
Joey Brunk enters as a viable candidate for a new leader, especially since he has been in a college program for three seasons already, but it will take time for him to adjust to a program that still has some upperclassmen.
Here are some of the potential suitors that could step up into a leadership role for the Hoosiers next season.
Option One: Devonte Green
As one of the two returning seniors-to-be, Devonte Green will likely be tasked with providing senior leadership for the Indiana basketball team.
His play in the final stretch of the season, in which he averaged 15.4 points per game in addition to 3.9 assists per game over the course of seven games, showed his potential and upside to become one of the team’s best players, and hopefully leaders next year.
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However, Devonte Green has declared for the NBA Draft, and while he is leaving the door open for a possible return to Indiana, it is still up in the air.
If Green does opt to return to Bloomington for his senior campaign, he will be the beneficiary of the feedback he would receive from NBA scouts and reports on his game. He would come into summer training focusing on the weaknesses the scouts found in his game.
There are some concerns with Devonte Green however, as he was suspended for three games at a point this season. This shows there may be some maturity issues with Green, but as a player in his final season, he may come into the year with a new and refined focus.
In the end, Devonte Green is most primed to become the Hoosier’s leader on the court next season, but it will come down to whether or not he returns to Indiana and if he accepts the responsibility of being a team leader in the locker room.
Option Two: De’Ron Davis
The only other senior on the team and another team captain candidate, De’Ron Davis also has a high likelihood of being the team leader for next season’s squad.
As a sophomore, Davis had a fairly large role for the Hoosiers, being the team’s third leading scorer at 9.3 points per game and 4.3 rebounds per game. However, he suffered a torn achilles that season and has struggled to get back into shape and form.
This past season, Davis was riddled by injuries constantly throughout the year and never seemed to get into a comfortable groove in Archie Miller’s rotation.
Davis showed up when the Hoosiers needed him most though.
In the team’s road win over Michigan State, Davis played 25 minutes against some of the best big men in the Big Ten, holding his own defensively while chipping in 12 points off the bench.
It’s games like those that the Hoosiers will look for more from him as a senior with the team losing its top two scorers from the previous season. Expect Davis to come into the year strong, healthy, and ready to lead the team.
My Pick: Aljami Durham
While not a senior, the soon-to-be junior is another likely option to rise up to become a team leader. As a regular starter, Al was fourth in the team in scoring as a sophomore, averaging 8.3 points per game.
It seems as if Archie Miller confides with his sophomore guard, as he regularly plays him for most of the game if he avoids foul trouble. He also trusts in Durham’s shooting ability, evident through the 40 made three-pointers he had on the season.
There were many examples of Al flashing emotion and leadership during the season, especially during the game against Michigan State, where he suffered from a finger injury mid-game and came back to finish the game with 14 points in the upset win.
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He was also one of the few Hoosiers on the team that showed emotion, energy, and hustle during their midseason losing streak. His emotions in the game often led to inspired Indiana runs that brought Indiana back in games.
While Al is primed to take on a larger offensive role for the Hoosiers, also look for him to step up on the court and in team huddles this season as one of the more experienced players on the roster.