The change in Indiana’s off-season roster regains the annual tradition of scrutinizing players who are expected to return to the program.
Next up is Jordan Jeronimo, who has been training in IU basketball for the third year.
2021-22 numbers
Jeronimo played 34 games off the bench and was unable to play in the big tent tournament semi-final against Iowa after being injured the day before. New Jersey products averaged 4.4 points and 3.6 rebounds, playing 12.6 minutes per contest. He finished second on the team with 24 block shots.
Perhaps most notably, Geronimo was 7th in the number of blocks in the Big Ten and rebounded every 40 minutes.
Geronimo also showed the highest offensive rebound rate on the team and the second highest defensive rebound and block rate.
Jeronimo scored the team’s third highest effective field goal rate (55.9 percent) after achieving 59.1 percent of 2-point shots and 31 percent (9/29) from 3 shots.
What worked
Jeronimo has always had high ceilings and a long-term view, taking a positive step later in the season. He scored 10 points in 13 minutes in Minnesota, averaging 12 points and 6.5 rebounds in two NCAA tournament games. tournament.
Geronimo’s game name is Hustle, and as the numbers around 40 show, there are many ways to look at the floor, from rebounds and blocks to those that are more difficult to measure aspects such as deflection and soaring. I was able to influence with. Out, and he had at least six offensive rebounds in free throws.
Something else we liked about Geronimo that was difficult to measure — the moment never looked big. He only made nine threes, but he seems to have come to a big moment in the second half, when he played against St. Johns to defeat Thailand and another Ohio State University to draw the match.
Off-season developmental needs
1. Develop more boundary skills. Indiana has a crowded and talented front court with Trace Jackson Davis, Race Thompson, Maricle Nou and Logan Duncom mixed in 4 or 5 spots. Up to this point in his career, Jeronimo has primarily acted as a power forward, but to truly maximize his playing time, he played 3 or 4 with the talented freshman Caleb Banks. It’s a good idea to develop a skill set that you can play.
Indiana has launched three mirror cups throughout the 2021-22 season, one of the main reasons for its ability to shoot. Jeronimo can overtake him if he can improve his career by 33.3 percent mark from long distance to more volume. Cops aren’t particularly strong from dribbling, so it’s another area where you can reduce your playing time as Jeronimo grows. It would be of great help if he could dribble drive with both hands and complement it with a series of counter moves.
Already Geronimo is a better lateral defender than Kopp and a much better rebounder, so there’s a foundation to build from it, but skill development is the name of the game.
2. Extend beyond doing “things about Geronimo”. Last season, Jeronimo said he was asked to “thing about Jeronimo” to stay on the floor, including causing havoc with rebounds and defenses. IU needs everything from him again. But it’s not the first five, but “scattering sparks from the bench.”
The Indiana attack is carried out via Xavier Johnson and Trace Jackson Davis, but the Hoosiers require an additional consistent scoring threat. I’ve seen Geronimo’s ability hints from three in the midrange, but he has the power of retreat. He had four double-digit scoring games during the season, including the 15 career bests against Wyoming.
Can Geronimo be the one who can consistently score more points within the range of the attack against Jackson-Davis and Johnson? Is there anyone who can pay in multiple ways to overemphasize defense to others? It’s tied to borderline development, but there’s a clear opportunity for someone to step into a consistent volume scoring role from the wings. It was missing last year when both Parker Stewart and Copp averaged about 6 points per contest.
3. Polish the details. Geronimo’s game has holes that he has to clean up. At 4.6 per 40 people, he is fouling too much. He frequently made bad passes and had a turnover rate of 21.3 percent. This is the best forward of the team. Jeronimo also has the lowest assist rate on the team, shooting only 56.8% from the free throw line. None of that was a big deal for anyone who played for 12 minutes and sparked off the bench, but when it comes to opening up a much bigger role, these are all limiting factors.
Success in 2022-23
This is not a decisive season as Geronimo still has three years of qualifications. But he arrived at IU because he was hoping someone would actually start appearing by the third year.
One thing is certain: the road to the Geronimo floor is competitive. He won’t watch the game for 15-20 minutes unless he wins it. He will have to do better than both the veteran Thompson and the five-star Renault, or will be able to act as a modern three at both ends and surpass the cup.
If Jeronimo could reach 20 minutes in the game, averaging 8 efficient points and 5 rebounds, his junior season would be a big step forward and even greater chances for front court veterans to move forward. You can get it.
Previous edition
Day leaf jar – “A place where Indiana fans get together when they’re not at the rally”
Related
