Indiana Basketball: Six goals for Archie Miller moving forward

Short term: Focus on player development

This is a crucial year for Miller that hasn’t gotten off to a great start; he whiffed on many of his high-priority recruits, leaving the Indiana recruiting class at a dismal No. 54 national rank on the 247Sports team rankings.

Indiana has talent, but this is a team that finished a rocky 19-16 season by losing its two best players. They are depleted and are going to have to work to exceed last season’s mediocrity.

Archie Miller has not particularly been known for player development during his time at IU, but if it doesn’t happen this year then there is a lot at stake for him in terms of job security. There are scattered pieces of potential on the roster that Miller must mold into a coherent basketball team, and quickly.

Rob Phinisee is one of these important pieces who must come back next season a much improved player. He could be the rock for this team for years to come and his poise and skillset at his young age make him a prime candidate for an key role next season.

Justin Smith is another guy who oozes potential because of his athleticism and, at times, defensive aptitude, but his inability to thrive on offense and low basketball IQ hold him back from being the best player he can be. If Archie Miller makes the improvement of Justin Smith a priority this offseason, then it could be a tremendous asset this upcoming season.

When you don’t bring in a great crop of talent, you have to work with what you’ve got. It’s a scary reality for a team which finished 19-16 and lost its two best players, but there is simply no other option if Archie Miller wants to succeed next year. The current roster must be greatly improved by November.