Indiana Basketball: 3 things to watch for in final month of season

3. Growth Of Jerome Hunter

One of the lone bright spots for the Hoosiers over the past two weeks has been the growth and development of Jerome Hunter. Not only is he starting to make shots and look comfortable with his shot and form, but he is actively seeking scoring opportunities.

In the first 17 games of the season, Hunter had made just 18 field goals and played 20 or more minutes in just one game. In the last two outings for the freshman, however, he has made seven field goals, averaging 10.5 points per game, and playing 27.5 minutes a game.

When Hunter was working his way back from injury, the main talking point around Hunter was with his ability to stretch the floor at his size, proving invaluable to an Indiana roster that had struggled to shoot the ball a season ago, especially on the wing and frontcourt. Though he is shooting just 27 percent on the season, it is again the past two games where his development has been seen the most, making 5-of-11 from deep.

Because of the recent injury situation with Race Thompson, and the subpar play of Joey Brunk, Hunter’s ability and aggressiveness on the offensive end is something that the Hoosiers have needed, despite it not showing in the win/loss column.

If Hunter can continue to build on this most recent stretch of aggressive and confident play, it will be crucial, not only for the rest of this season but also for his future in Bloomington.