Indiana Basketball: Important season ahead for Damezi Anderson

An inconsistent year saw Damezi Anderson lose minutes, but a big summer needs to be in store for the Indiana basketball sophomore.

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A top in-state prospect in the 2018 class, Damezi Anderson struggled to get adjusted to the college game and his Indiana basketball season was a bit of a rocky one.

Seeing time in the non-conference slate, Anderson’s minutes dwindled come conference play and saw his role become more on the sidelines instead of on the floor.

Anderson’s ability to become an important role player for the Hoosiers is crucial for not only his time in Bloomington, but also Indiana’s success moving forward.

Here’s a review of his season and what’s next for the South Bend native.

2018-19 Season in Review

The 6-foot-7 forward came into Indiana with high expectations and got lost in the shuffle a bit towards the middle of the season.

Averaging 1.5 points and 1.1 rebounds on the season, he shot just 27.9 percent on the year and failed to make much of an impact while he was on the floor.

Playing 19.6 minutes per game in his first five games of the season, the lowest total being 17 minutes, he surpassed that total just once over the remaining 30 games and saw double-digit minutes five times after the month of November.

His best game coming against Jacksonville, Anderson scored a career-high nine points and grabbed four rebounds in 15 minutes.

Not logging a single point in Big Ten play, Anderson scored just 31 on the season in his 21 games played.

What’s Next?

It is an important summer for Damezi Anderson, as he looks to become part of the rotation once again.

The former four-star recruit, Anderson has a versatile skillset that would prove vital on the defensive end and as an energy boost off the bench.

With his size and length on the wing, Anderson has the skills to be a lockdown defender, something the Hoosiers lacked at times last season.

Though his offensive game is a ways away from being consistent, he is definitely someone who could provide important minutes for Miller and co. next year on the wing, especially if Jerome Hunter’s health stays in question.