Indiana Basketball: Will Khristian Lander start his freshman season?

The Indiana basketball team brought in highly-touted Khristian Lander who will fuel Indiana Basketball’s success, but will he start?

When Khristian Lander committed to Indiana on a Tuesday night in May, I was in the middle of a break during a premarital counseling class. I checked my phone, saw the notification and uncontrollably belted out in excitement, throwing my arms in the air and dropping my jaw on the floor. I frantically explained to my fiance that a big-time recruit committed to Indiana, and she just understood. She didn’t even condemn me for not paying any attention to the rest of the class as I scribbled potential lineups on my workbook.

While it may not be quite as fresh, that feeling of excitement to see Lander play is still present in the minds of many Hoosier fans. However, the full realization of that excitement may require some patience.

It is currently up in the air whether or not Lander will start in his freshman season in Bloomington. CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein predicted Lander would start alongside Rob Phinisee and Al Durham after Justin Smith decided to transfer to Arkansas. While Lander is a very talented player, I’m not sure that is entirely realistic.

By reclassifying to the class of 2020, Lander not only forfeited numerous accolades he would have earned in his senior year of high school; he also lost a whole year of development. He is coming into Bloomington with a skinny frame and potential that must first be untapped before we see the full force of his skills.

That is not to say he won’t contribute as a freshman. Lander will certainly play decent minutes and will improve as the year goes on. However, it is far more likely he comes off the bench due to his youth and inexperience.

Add that to the fact that he is going up against a two-year starter at point guard in Phinisee and the team’s senior leader in Durham. Durham could always play small forward, but Lander isn’t a combo guard — he’s a bonafide point guard (as is Phinisee). Even though his talent and potential outweigh the two returning guards, Lander is majorly outdone in the experience category.

Ultimately, Lander’s chances of starting are contingent on his performance in pre-season practices. However, Archie Miller has shown a pattern of not promoting players to a bigger role unless he is positive they can succeed. For this reason, I’d bet that Lander will come off the bench as a freshman and won’t start for the foreseeable future. Stay patient, IU fans.