Busting Brackets
Fansided

Indiana Basketball: 2018-19 season preview for the Hoosiers

By Lukas Harkins

BLOOMINGTON, IN - NOVEMBER 29: Indiana Hoosiers players react from the bench in the second half of a game against the Duke Blue Devils at Assembly Hall on November 29, 2017 in Bloomington, Indiana. Duke won 91-81. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
BLOOMINGTON, IN - NOVEMBER 29: Indiana Hoosiers players react from the bench in the second half of a game against the Duke Blue Devils at Assembly Hall on November 29, 2017 in Bloomington, Indiana. Duke won 91-81. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 5
Next
NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 01: Morgan #13 of the Indiana Hoosiers works. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 01: Morgan #13 of the Indiana Hoosiers works. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /

Starting Lineup

Projected starters: Green, Langford, Smith, Morgan, Davis

In my opinion, finalizing the starting point guard slot will be the most heavily contested position battle heading into this season. Lead guard play projects as one of the IU’s only roster weaknesses this year so seeing someone step up and post a strong season would be huge for Coach Miller. In my opinion, though, returning junior guard Devonte Green will snag the starting job at least early on in the season.

Incoming freshman Robert Phinisee and Al Durham (more on them in a bit) will compete all year long for the spot but I think the coaching staff will lean towards the proven veteran. As a sophomore last season, Green averaged 7.6 points (.364/.337/.705), 1.9 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 22.5 minutes per game. He also started 12 of Indiana’s 31 games. While his playing time may not see a massive increase this season, Green will take on a bigger role within the offense.

Next, the clear starting shooting guard this season will be Romeo Langford. One of the most hyped players in the entire country, Langford joins the Hoosiers as one of the top recruits in program history. Ranked at No. 7 in the 2018 class, Langford is extremely talented and should be one of the focal points of the team right away.

In the frontcourt, all three projected starters (in my opinion) are returning players from last year. Leading this group off will clearly be star senior Juwan Morgan. One of the best players in the entire Big Ten, Morgan is coming back after averaging 16.5 points (.579/.302/.631), 7.4 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game last season. A dominant 6-foot-8 power forward, Morgan will be one of the offensive leaders this season.

Also, rising sophomore Justin Smith looks poised for a breakout season. A top-100 recruit in the 2017 class, Smith posted a strong freshman campaign a year ago, starting nine games along the way. While there are a few players who could compete for this starting spot, Smith has the potential to emerge as a stud this season. He averaged 6.5 points (.550/.300/.673) and 3.2 rebounds in 15.2 minutes per game last year.

Finally, the healthy return of De’Ron Davis will be HUGE for Indiana this season. A true anchor in the paint, Davis was having a great sophomore campaign prior to going down with an injury. He only competed in 12 games last season but made his mark. At 6-foot-10 and 255 pounds, he brings plenty of size to the frontcourt and operates very well within his role. Davis averaged 9.6 points (61.5% from the field), 4.3 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in 18.8 minutes per game.

Home/Indiana Hoosiers