There's no denying that the Indiana basketball program has been in a rut over the past decade. The Hoosiers have made the NCAA Tournament just twice over the last 10 years, which is simply unacceptable for such a storied program.
In terms of recruiting, Indiana has historically been the top program that the best players in the state want to go to. The Hoosiers have landed blue chip prospects on an annual basis, but sometimes those prospects don't pan out as hoped.
Here is a look at three promising Hoosier recruits who didn't quite live up to their lofty expectations.
Bryson Tucker: 5-star, No. 30 nationally
In a 2024 recruiting class that was headlined by Cooper Flagg, Indiana commit Bryson Tucker was also regarded as an elite prospect. He was heralded as a 5-star prospect and ranked as the No. 30 overall player in the 2024 cycle by 247Sports. Tucker's choosing of Indiana over the likes of Michigan State, Duke, and Kansas gave Hoosier basketball fans hope that brighter days may be around the corner. The Arlington, VA native came to Bloomington with plenty of hype, but his time with the Cream and Crimson would be short lived.
During his freshman season, Tucker appeared in 23 games with zero starts and averaged 5.4 points and 2.9 rebounds per game. It was an underwhelming rookie campaign, and head coach Mike Woodson woud be fired after the season. Tucker then hit the portal and landed at Washington, where he averaged 5.7 points over 21 games.
Khristian Lander: 5-star, No. 26 nationally
Khristian Lander was the headliner of Indiana's 2020 recruiting class. Hailing from Evansville, Lander was rated as a consensus 5-star prospect and re-classified from 2021 to 2020 heading into his collegiate career. Lander averaged 2.1 points and 1.2 assists per game over 26 appearances in his freshman season, and initially entered the transfer portal following the firing of Archie Miller. However, Lander would return to Indiana for his sophomore season when IU hired Mike Woodson.
Stock already rising for Indiana's freshmen following first exhibition game
In February 2022, Lander was one of five players suspended by Woodson for violating team rules. He missed one game, and ultimately appeared in just 13 games that season while averaging 2.9 points and 0.9 assists. Lander then hit the portal again, and this time ended up at Western Kentucky. The 5-star prospect ended his Indiana career with 39 appearances and zero starts while averaging a measly 2.4 points and 1.1 assists per game.
Tamar Bates: 4-star, No. 30 nationally
Rated as a 4-star recruit and the No. 30 overall player in the 2021 recruiting cycle, Tamar Bates made headlines when he flipped his commitment from Texas to Indiana in June 2021. It was the first big recruiting win for Woodson's tenure in Bloomington, but unfortunately, Bates' impact for the Cream and Crimson was minimal.
Bates would spend just two seasons with Indiana before transferring to Missouri. During his time with the Hoosiers, the former IMG Academy star averaged just 5.1 points and 1.2 rebounds per game over the course of 67 games. His career with Missouri was much more successful, as he put up 13.4 points and 2.8 rebounds per game over two seasons and 66 games with the Tigers.
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