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Indiana Basketball: Best Hoosier big men since 2000

By Trevor Gersmehl

BLOOMINGTON, IN - JANUARY 26: The Indiana Hoosiers cheerleaders perform during the game against the Maryland Terrapins at Assembly Hall on January 26, 2020 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by G Fiume/Maryland Terrapins/Getty Images)
BLOOMINGTON, IN - JANUARY 26: The Indiana Hoosiers cheerleaders perform during the game against the Maryland Terrapins at Assembly Hall on January 26, 2020 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by G Fiume/Maryland Terrapins/Getty Images) /
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Indiana Basketball: Juwan Morgan
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – DECEMBER 15: Juwan Morgan #13 of the Indiana Hoosiers looks to the basket against Nate Fowler #51 of the Butler Bulldogs in the first half of the Crossroads Classic at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on December 15, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Indiana won 71-68. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

Indiana Basketball: Top 5 big mean since 2000

#4: Juwan Morgan

Juwan Morgan never got to play in an NCAA Tournament as a star, but it doesn’t diminish his impact on Indiana history enough to keep him off this list. A four-star recruit from Waynesville, Missouri, Morgan struggled with shoulder dislocations throughout his first two seasons but was tough enough to play through the pain every time.

As a junior, Morgan ascended to another level. He went from averaging 7.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, and .9 blocks per game as a sophomore to 16.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks as a junior. He made this jump averaging just seven more minutes per game than the previous season.

Morgan stayed the course as a senior. He and Romeo Langford made for a lethal one-two punch on offense. Morgan tallied 15.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. That team may have missed the tournament and lost 12 out of 13 games during the season, but if anyone were to pin it on Morgan, it would be a sure sign they’re delusional. Morgan had as good of a two-season stretch as any other IU big man this century, but the wins just didn’t follow for a variety of reasons. Still, he makes it at number four on this list.

#3: Kirk Haston

Kirk Haston barely makes his way onto this list. He played one season in the 2000s (obviously in the year 2000). Haston had a monster season that year. He averaged 19 points and 8.7 rebounds per game of the course of the year for a team that went 21-13.

In three total years as a Hoosier, Haston averaged 14.6 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. He also showed the ability to stretch the floor by his senior season, shooting 2.1 threes per game his junior year.

Haston was selected 16th overall in the NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets but only played 27 career games in the NBA. Although his talent didn’t transfer to the NBA, it doesn’t lessen his impact at Indiana, which speaks for itself statistically.

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