Indiana Basketball: 5 questions heading into 2019-20 season

4. Can IU Sustain An Injury To Rob Phinisee?

Last season we saw what happened when Phinisee went down with a concussion, and while that wasn’t the sole reason for the huge losing streak, it was a major reason why it happened.

Despite having a solid backcourt rotation, it wasn’t very deep and moving Devonte Green into the starting lineup as the point guard made the Hoosiers take a big hit when it came to depth, but also consistent decision-making.

This year, things should be different. Despite losing Romeo Langford, Armaan Franklin enters the program as much more of a ball handler than Langford was when it comes to getting the offense into their sets. Having the freshman able to play spot minutes at the point guard spot as a third alternative is crucial and something Indiana didn’t have a season ago.

Secondly, Devonte Green, while I don’t expect him to see a ton of minutes as the ‘true point guard’ this season, adds a veteran ball handler if need be.

The biggest reason why Indiana may be better off this season than last is because of Al Durham. His move to become more of a ball handler this year will be tremendous for the Hoosiers.

Though not a true point guard per say, Durham has had four games of more than three assists in a game, but in those outings, he didn’t turn the ball over once, showing his ability to be a consistent playmaker for his teammates.

If Durham is forced to make the move to the point guard slot due to an injury to Phinisee, it hopefully shouldn’t be for an extended period of time, but if so, he has proved he can be a dependable option.