It is Indiana basketball media day and the Hoosiers put out some good news in regards to Jerome Hunter and his availability.
In what is the “official” start to college basketball season with media day and the first day of fall practice, the Indiana basketball program continues to get good news when it comes to freshman forward Jerome Hunter.
From the IU athletic department, Hunter is ‘participating in all basketball related activities’ for Indiana and while he is still closely monitored by the Indiana training staff, he isn’t limited in any way.
The former top-60 recruit missed all of the 2018-19 season due to a leg injury, but it was never disclosed publicly what the injury was.
While this is a great step forward in not only his recovery but also Indiana’s outlook for the upcoming season, Hunter missing an entire season of basketball is not something to easily come back from.
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.
During media day, Hunter had this to say about the past year,
"“Being out a year, being back, I’m excited to be back with my teammates. Seeing them practice last year, and seeing all the hard-fought games they went through last year. I was motivated, and now I’m excited to be back.”"
The top-10 recruiting class that came to Bloomington in 2018 now has one of its most versatile and exciting pieces back on the court and the wildcard ability that he could bring this season could change the outlook of Indiana’s year altogether.
Expectations do need to be tempered however, but this is a great sign for the Hoosiers and the upcoming season.