Jerome Hunter Stepping up
Jerome Hunter is beginning to come into his own recently and is building trust with Archie Miller. After playing his best career game two matchups ago versus Maryland, Hunter continued his solid play against the Buckeyes, playing 28 minutes and racking up nine points and four boards.
In what was mostly a hard game to watch, Hunter was exciting to see out there. It seems like after a year-long hiatus, where it was unclear if he’d ever even play a game in an Indiana jersey, that Hunter is beginning to get some court feel again.
Hunter projects to be a very good player for the Hoosiers in the long run. He’s got a beautiful stroke, a great frame, good defensive upside, and some good groundwork for a solid offensive skill set. He has some work to do on the defensive side of the ball, which was apparent when he let an Ohio State player dart behind him for an uncontested backdoor layup. However, it is not uncommon for freshmen to have some issues on defense, and I expect Hunter to eventually become a very solid wing defender.
It speaks volumes that Archie Miller played Hunter 28 minutes in an important road game. It’s important that coaches have players whom they can trust, but it’s equally important for a young player’s confidence knowing that their coach trusts them.
It feels as if Hunter improves a little bit on nearly every possession; getting a feel for the college game takes time, but he’s a smart player who seems to be able to learn on the fly. Hopefully, we see more Jerome Hunter 20+ minute games, because it’s fun to watch him getting better with time.