Indiana Basketball: Class of 2020(1) Breakdown – Khristian Lander
By Zach Breton
What will Lander bring to IU?
Khristian Lander is a hyper-athletic, lefthanded, speedster of a point guard who loves to play in transition. He has tremendous fast-twitch muscles that enable him to blow by a defender or posterize a big who is eight inches taller than him.
He is an electric scorer but also a magic playmaker. Lander’s good handles allow him to get into a position to find a teammate or score himself. He scores using a variety of pump-fakes, jab steps, and crossovers that work his defender’s into a tizzy. He also finishes very well at the rim and within ten feet. While Lander’s jump shot is still a work in progress, he has made excellent progress and projects to be a decent three-point shooter in college.
If Lander arrives in Bloomington in 2020, I don’t expect him to be a day one starter as there is already some depth in the backcourt with Rob Phinisee and Armaan Franklin. I do expect him, however, to play significant minutes early on in the season and maybe work his way into a starting job. I believe that as Lander works on his body and adjusts to the college game, he will become a crucial member of this team year one.
One thing that has been whispered about in the dark corners of IU basketball forums is the potential of a three-guard lineup for the 20/21 season. A Phinisee-Lander-Durham backcourt would be very entertaining at the very least. This lineup would open up significant minutes for Lander.
Year two is where things could get interesting for him. Lander will walk into assembly hall his sophomore year with a starting job secured after the graduation of Al Durham. Scouts and coaches around the country will expect Lander to become an NBA-level prospect during his sophomore campaign and he’ll have to.prove his worth.
I, for one, fully expect Lander to have a big second year. His pick and roll game with Trayce Jackson-Davis (who will still be around) will have NBA executives drooling on their polos. Lander will likely be declaring for the draft in 2022 and will be expecting to hear his name called in the first round.
Pro-player Comparison: De’Aaron Fox
Watching Lander play always reminds me of former Kentucky product De’Aaron Fox. Fox was a super highly rated recruit who has found tons of success as a speedster point guard in both college and the NBA.
Fox runs up and down the floor at 1000 mph and uses his great vision and inside scoring ability to put up huge numbers for the Sacramento Kings. Fox is excellent at using his agility and acceleration to fool defenders and get to the bucket. Fox is also one of the rare lefty point guards in the league right now.
Overall, Fox and Lander have a very similar game and as Lander grows up and starts to become himself, I think we’ll see that he will find great success playing a very similar style as Fox.
Big Ten Transfer would be great fit for Hoosiers. dark. Next
Khristian Lander was a recruiting victory of mass proportions and many Indiana fans will be expecting Lander to be part of a squad that puts Hoosier Basketball back on the map.