Indiana Basketball: Hoosiers narrowing in on two prospects in 2021?

Indiana basketball is off to a great start in 2021 and looks to continue to add to it, but it could revolve around just two top prospects.

Archie Miller and the Indiana basketball program got an unexpected commitment from one of the most talented players in the 2021 class last week in Khristian Lander. Why was it unexpected? Not because he committed to Indiana, but because of the timing.

Lander, ranked No. 9 in the 2021 class, has been working to reclassify to the 2020 class, but up to this point there have been no final plans on which class he will ultimately end up in. Because of this, a lot of people figured Lander would pick his class, then make his announcement on which program he would join. But Indiana received the latter and now wait to see when he will arrive on campus.

So now that Indiana has its point guard of the future, it is about filling out the rest of the roster and positions around him. Because Lander is still in 2021 now, as currently constructed, if there are no early departures, the Hoosiers would have three more open scholarships to play with. So, who exactly will they fill the holes with?

According to 247Sports analyst Evan Daniels, there are two prospects that Indiana’s class revolves around moving forward.

"“Khristian Lander was a key get for Archie Miller and Indiana. Per the 247Sports Database, he’s the fourth highest rated recruit to commit to Indiana in the modern recruiting era. Indiana is strongly recruiting a host of guys. I think it starts with Trey Kaufman and Aminu Mohammed. Both prospects have been on Indiana’s campus…. It’s still early, but the Hoosiers are off to a solid start in the 2021.”"

Archie Miller has not only prioritized one of them, but both of them and sits in great shape for the duo. Not only do Trey Kaufman and Aminu Mohammed fit exactly what Miller is looking for, they are some of the best at what they do.

With Indiana losing De’Ron Davis, Justin Smith, Joey Brunk and possibly Trayce Jackson-Davis all in the next two seasons, adding depth to the frontcourt is a major priority. Kaufman, at 6-foot-8, provides that.

He not only fits the mold of a versatile forward, something the game of basketball continues to trend towards, but he also has the ability to stretch the floor, shooting 40 percent from three as a sophomore. Kaufman is one of the more skilled stretch forwards in the high school game and would open up Indiana’s offense to a new style it has yet to play.

For Mohammed, however, he is someone who could take Indiana’s offense to the next level. With the news about the position that Indiana is sitting in with the five-star wing, it shouldn’t be a surprise that joining forces with Lander in the backcourt could be a real possibility. Mohammed is able to get his shot whenever and wherever he wants, something the Hoosiers’ offense lacks now. A true ‘bucket getter’, Aminu Mohammed would be one of the best true scoring wings for Indiana in the past decade.

Indiana is still in the mix for a handful of top prospects but so far the 2021 recruiting class is looking like it could be one of the most talented in recent year.