Indiana Basketball: Could Hoosiers be possible suitor for top grad transfer?

The Indiana basketball program is still in the middle of its 2020 recruiting class and could be going in the transfer portal to add another name to the class.

While Archie Miller is getting ready to gear up for the heart of Big Ten play, recruiting still plays a major role in his day-to-day responsibilities and there could be another name to add to the mix for the 2020 class.

After missing out on Dawson Garcia during the early signing period, Indiana seemed all but done with its 2020 recruiting class. With Anthony Leal, Jordan Geronimo, and Trey Galloway already signed with Indiana, two positions still remained an emphasis for Archie Miller. Being very vocal about wanting to add another ball handler to the class, that may be something on the wish list rather than a real probability. The second position though is of high importance and could have met its match.

Despite not being involved with multiple bigs in the 2020 class, one name that just showed up in the transfer portal could be one to follow.

Earlier this week, Harvard forward Seth Towns announced he would enter the transfer portal as a graduate transfer, with the ability to have two years of eligibility left in his college career.

Towns, the 2018 Ivy League Player of the Year, has averaged 14.2 points and 5.0 rebounds while shooting 41.9 percent from deep in his two seasons for the Crimson. Despite his success, the Ohio native hasn’t played in nearly two years as he is currently sitting out his second straight season due to injury.

As a stretch four, Towns would immediately fill a need for Indiana as there is not really an effective hybrid forward on the roster. While filling the same role that Justin Smith is in currently, with his ability to play on the wing or the block, Towns’ ability to shoot the three is something Indiana hasn’t had from a front court player since Christian Watford. Making 101 threes in two years, he far exceeds all of the output from Indiana’s front court players since the 2016-17 season. Going back that far, the forwards for the Hoosiers have combined to make just 137 threes in three and a half seasons.

Though not playing in a power conference, Towns has always been one of the best players on the floor during each game against top competition. In four games against Power 5 opponents while at Harvard, Towns averaged 15.5 points on 44.6 percent from the field, headlined by a 25-point performance against Kentucky during his sophomore season.

There is no initial report connecting Indiana and Towns, but because of the need and Indiana’s recent effectiveness in getting commitments from forward grad transfers (Brunk, Fitzner, Bielfeldt), the Hoosiers are a program to watch for as Towns gets into his recruitment.

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