Indiana Basketball: How current landscape impacts reclass of Khristian Lander
By Alec Lasley
With the NABC putting a hold on all recruiting activities, Khristian Lander’s possible reclassification decision could have just been made for him.
In the span of 48 hours the entire college basketball landscape has been altered and the history of the game has been forever changed. Seniors around the country and for the Indiana basketball program have had their careers ended unexpectedly.
While seniors are leaving, it is the incoming freshmen that will look to take the game by storm next fall. One of those players who could potentially be in the 2020 recruiting class for Indiana is five-star guard Khristian Lander.
Lander has been open about his desire to join the 2020 class and reclassify from 2021. While a lot of the talk has been about him eventually making the move, one obstacle stands in his way.
According to Rivals Indiana analyst Nick Baumgart, Khristian Lander has expressed his interest to play in Peach Jam, one of the highest regarded tournaments on the AAU circuit.
IU-commit Khristian Lander says if he stays on track, he could be done with his high school requirements by the end of May, and there's a possibility he could be a June arrival. Expect him in 2020.
— Nick Baumgart (@Nick_Baumgart) March 8, 2020
Will play AAU this spring and if Indy Heat advances to Peach Jam. #iubb
While Peach Jam takes place in July, as of today there are restrictions put on recruiting that could alter Lander’s decision-making process. Announced earlier on Thursday, the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) put a freeze on all on and off-campus recruiting activities. This would include any and all AAU basketball events if the freeze were to last for more than just this upcoming month.
Because players cannot be enrolled in a college and still play in an AAU event, the freeze could force Lander’s hand earlier than he wants and see him make the move to the 2020 class. If the NABC does not lift the ban before the summer, AAU events will be non-existent meaning no Peach Jam, most likely.
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The Hoosiers, who will gladly take Khristian Lander and even prefer to have him in 2020, will have a lot of time to wait and process his potential decision. In the end, however, the current landscape of the country and college sports could make this decision ‘easier’ for both sides.