Starters
Trayce Jackson-Davis
Jackson-Davis was an absolute stud for the Hoosiers last year. Had it not been for some guy named Kofi Cockburn at Illinois Jackson-Davis would have been freshman of the year in the Big Ten. He averaged 13.5 points and 8.4 rebounds a game, which was team-highs in both categories.
He is only going to get better, but he does need to improve his midrange game. If he can do that he will be one of the best in the conference.
Jerome Hunter
If you are looking for a breakout candidate this year, look no further than Hunter. With the transfer of Justin Smith to Arkansas, Hunter is poised to take on a big role in the Indiana offense and he looks ready to do that. He is a big body who can knock down shots from the outside. He is the inside/outside player the Hoosiers need. If he can prove that he is ready the Hoosiers could be a tough team to guard.
Al Durham
Durham averaged just under 10 points per game last year and will need to provide more scoring for the Hoosiers this year. He shot well from deep last year at just over 38% and if he can improve that even more, he can be the dangerous outside threat the Hoosiers have been lacking. He has looked good in the offseason and with a bigger role, this year could be the go-to shooter for Indiana.
Rob Phinisee
Phinisee played well at the point for the Hoosiers, but he didn’t really have another guy behind him. This year he does in freshman Khristian Lander, who could very well be the starter. For now, we are going to give the nod to Phinisee because of experience, but don’t be surprised if Lander is starting at some point.
Phinisee wasn’t a big scoring threat for the Hoosiers and honestly, they don’t need him to be. If he can continue to facilitate the offense and provide a little scoring they should be in good shape. He does need to improve his assists per game, which was just 3.4 last year.
Joey Brunk
Brunk is another that might start just because of experience. He has the ability to have some big games but proved to be pretty inconsistent last year. If he starts to struggle this year then Trey Galloway or Race Thompson could take his place and the Hoosiers could go to a quicker or smaller lineup.
Brunk did average 6.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per game last year and does give the Hoosiers some production, but not a lot. He could end up being a better option off the bench this year.