Indiana Basketball: Jerome Hunter continuing to work his way back

One of Indiana basketball’s star recruits in the 2018 class continues to work his way back to full health after missing all of last year.

The Indiana basketball program had a top-10 recruiting class nationally in 2018 headlined by Romeo Langford and three other four-star prospects. Rob Phinisee was part of that class and after a terrific freshman campaign looks to be the point guard of the future for Archie Miller. One member of that class that has been somewhat forgotten is Jerome Hunter.

Hunter was a top-60 recruit and was recruited by the likes of Michigan, Ohio State, Pittsburgh and Xavier but ultimately chose the Hoosiers and immediately got fans excited about his potential. Unfortunately he has yet to play a second of college basketball.

After missing all of last season with a lower leg injury that resulted in a condition that has caused his rehab to be very slow and cautious, nobody really knows if Hunter will ever be the same player that was recruited two years ago.

Hunter has been making good progress and has had no real setbacks over the past couple of months, allowing him to increase his basketball activities.

This past week, new pictures were posted on his instagram with him participating in drills in practice and it may be a good sign for his future in the program.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bz0q3aTHTFn/

Of course these are just pictures in practice and there is no news regarding his ability to play high level basketball. Regardless though, this is a good sight to see for Indiana fans.

At 6-foot-7 with a long wing span and solid athleticism, Hunter is a versatile forward who can play and guard multiple positions. He is able to create shots for himself on all three levels of the court and was expected to be a pivotal player for the Hoosiers in 2018.

For fans however, expectations need to be tempered. Even if Hunter is able to make a full recovery and return to the floor this upcoming season, after missing an entire year of live action and practice, his ability to contribute will be minuscule. But, with the skillset and talent that he has, any ability to contribute, even being in practice, would be crucial for the development of the roster.

There is still no timetable for his return to the court, or if he ever will, but all signs are pointing in the right direction when it comes to Hunter’s health.