Indiana basketball commit Logan Duncomb is worth getting excited about
Wednesday was signing day for college basketball, and Logan Duncomb is officially a Hoosier. In celebration of his signing, we look at who Duncomb is as a player and how he will help the Hoosiers win.
Blessed to sign with @IndianaMBB. Excited to be a Hoosier!! #iubb pic.twitter.com/c3HLdmQIF4
— Logan Duncomb (@LoganDuncomb) November 12, 2020
Logan Duncomb is a classic Big Ten Big Man
Duncomb is a player for those who long for the old school days of skilled post play. He thrives in situations where he is close to the basket, where he can use his 6’9” 235 lbs frame to finish. Duncomb has a variety of ways he can score from down low. He has great footwork and can maneuver his way around a defender with relative ease.
It often seems like Duncomb doesn’t even feel his defender when he is scoring from the post. He doesn’t usually have to resort to moves like the drop step or pump fake with his back to the basket. Many times Duncomb is able to catch, keep high, and finish through or around his defender with minimal effort.
He will need to add a little bit of size for this skill to translate to college basketball, but that holds true for almost any recruit. The Hoosiers will receive an automatic upgrade in their low post scoring once Duncomb is on the roster.
Duncomb has an underrated ceiling
Many players who fit the mold of Duncomb have limited potential, but the Ohio native has broader horizons than most others like him. His mechanics need to be refined, but Duncomb already can stretch the floor from three-point range. That skill will need to be honed once he gets to IU, but the fact that he can already space the floor is a good sign.
Duncomb has also progressed athletically beyond what many people thought he could be. He is a prime candidate to ascend in the high school rankings after working on his body and athleticism over the offseason. He will never be the most graceful runner on the court, but he is becoming increasingly less lumbering.
By the time he is a senior, Duncomb could very well be a baby version of Frank Kaminsky: spreading the floor, scoring in the low post, and carrying the offense.
Duncomb will add much-needed depth
With Trayce Jackson-Davis likely leaving after his sophomore year, the frontcourt in 2021 will be made up of Duncomb and possibly Joey Brunk (with the new eligibility rules passed by the NCAA). Even with the new rules, it isn’t a sure thing Brunk does come back. There is still work to be done in the 2021 recruiting class, but Duncomb and Race Thompson are set to be the only sure-thing big men on the team next year.
Looking through an extremely short-term lens, Duncomb is at the very least a player who can immediately start and hold his own. Hopefully, Archie Miller will be able to add more depth in the frontcourt, but he has Duncomb as a security blanket as it stands now. We may see the young center flounder a little bit early on in his career as he is put in a large role, but that experience could very well grow him into a star down the line.
All in all, there is a lot to be excited about with Logan Duncomb. He is set to dominate in his senior season and make an instant impact once he arrives in Bloomington.