Indiana Basketball: Jerome Hunter to have expanded role in 2020-2021

Indiana basketball has a potential breakout star in Jerome Hunter

When I played high school basketball, I usually didn’t get much playing time. When I did, I would sometimes hit a three and the parents in the crowd would go crazy. You see, I had dealt with a lot of knee injuries which completely hindered my progress as a player. I hated the applause. It was more out of pity than anything else. I wanted to be seen as a player who was expected to hit those shots every time. Instead, I was seen as the feel-good story to cheer on every once and awhile. I knew that if I hadn’t been injured I had more to give the team than just the occasional three.

Jerome Hunter’s freshman season felt very similar to my high school years. Most of the time when a top-50 recruit comes in, you expect them to make an immediate impact and become a key cog in the program. Hunter was no exception to this.

However, Hunter’s career was put in jeopardy from a leg injury before he even played a game. Thankfully, it didn’t end his career, but it still forced him to miss a whole year. When he finally did take the court for the first time in college, it was clear he had some catching up to do.

Hunter got better every time he played, but he lacked confidence and was often a step behind where he should be. Whenever he did anything minorly impressive, people would treat him the way the same way you would treat a child who gets the gumption to jump off a diving board for the first time.

Archie Miller addressed Hunter’s confidence in his media day press conference.

"“From a confidence perspective, he finished the year on a high — almost a sense of relief, like ‘Wow, I did it. I got through it.’ And now it’s, ‘Alright, I’m ready to take a bite out of the apple a little bit bigger.'” — Archie Miller"

Hunter is a year behind where he should be, but we are past his pity party days. He is no longer a player whom fans are pleased just by seeing on the court. It is time for him to step up and be a major contributor, and, according to Miller, he is ready to do that.

"“He’s going to play a big role on this team. He has to play a big role … I think he has confidence that he’s out there every day right now that he feels like a good basketball player again, not a player that is learning how to be a good basketball player.” — Archie Miller"

I recently posted a question on Twitter, asking what people’s boldest prediction was for this basketball season. Mine is that Hunter is Indiana’s second-leading scorer. He has all the tools on offense and is finally to a place where he is ready to thrive instead of just trying to survive. Look for this season to be a huge leap for Hunter.