Hoosier State of Mind
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Indiana Basketball: Five question marks for 2019-20

By Trevor Gersmehl

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 15: Indiana Hoosiers celebrate after Rob Phinisee hit the game-winning shot against the Butler Bulldogs in the second half of the Crossroads Classic at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on December 15, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Indiana won 71-68. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 15: Indiana Hoosiers celebrate after Rob Phinisee hit the game-winning shot against the Butler Bulldogs in the second half of the Crossroads Classic at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on December 15, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Indiana won 71-68. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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BLOOMINGTON, IN – NOVEMBER 20: Rob Phinisee #10 of the Indiana Hoosiers steals the ball from Brian Warren #0 of the UT Arlington Mavericks at Assembly Hall on November 20, 2018 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
BLOOMINGTON, IN – NOVEMBER 20: Rob Phinisee #10 of the Indiana Hoosiers steals the ball from Brian Warren #0 of the UT Arlington Mavericks at Assembly Hall on November 20, 2018 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

1. Who will be the leader?

A thoroughly addressed problem with this team is that there is no clear leader on the roster. The roster has been nearly entirely overhauled from the departure of nine players, and the new additions desperately need a veteran to step up and set the tone for the year. However, there is no clear candidate for this position at this point in time.

Devonte Green will be a senior, but he is known for playing out of control and making rash decisions. He also faced a suspension during the middle of last season that was handed down by the team. Not a great leadership resume.

De’Ron Davis will be the only other senior, but last season didn’t convince anyone that he was ready to take over the reins.

He has faced injuries throughout his career, some serious and some mild, but it is imperative that the team leader is actually on the court. These injuries mean that he isn’t quite as battle-tested as some other players on the roster. Don’t get me wrong, I’m about as big of a De’Ron Davis fan as you’ll ever encounter, but I don’t think of him as a leader.

When you look at the younger players, Al Durham and Rob Phinisee are names that jump out.

Durham is more vocal than Phinisee and has more experience, but I think it is likely that Phinisee will be the backbone of this team in his junior and senior years. Perhaps one of them will become the leader IU needs.

We will have to wait and see who takes the step this offseason to fill the leadership void on the roster. If no one claims this title, it could seriously hinder the Hoosiers’ chances at success.

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