They were not on the ground when Armaan Franklin swung in front of his defender. They were not in the lineup when Franklin’s kick cut the net to win the game. Or when he jumped through the wood, pointing at his family.
For the last three minutes of the game, they sat on the bench.
But those last three minutes squatting on foam seats, are not where the four freshmen from Indiana were defined.
Throughout the game, they created the opportunity for Franklin’s kick with his energy and intensity. They kept the Hoosiers in the game after falling into a double-digit hole in the first half. Then they lit Indiana again in the second half, finishing with 19 points combined.
All four have followed different paths in their careers, with varying roles this season. But on Sunday, Indiana needed not just one, but all four to win the 67-65 turn over number 8 in Iowa.
“They changed the game,” said Indiana coach Archie Miller after the game. “They did this several times.”
It was late July 2019, the summer before the last year of high school, when this recruiting class began to take shape.
It all started with Trey Galloway, who was the first to commit to Indiana. A diehard guard from the Culver Academies with a pit bull mentality. He was, however, a little-known perspective on radar, with only three stars next to his name.
Galloway was eager to start a domino of engagements. Less than a month later, the next piece fell into place. Galloway’s friend Anthony Leal announced his commitment to Indiana instead of Stanford. The two played together on the AAU base program Indiana Elite in the previous spring and summer.
Leal was the hometown boy, watching Indiana as he grew up and playing for the local Bloomington South High School. He was also a sniper, the number one player in the state and eventual winner of Indiana Mr. Basketball.
In September, the pair became a trio when New Hampshire striker Jordan Geronimo committed to the Hoosiers. Like Galloway, Geronimo was overlooked for much of his preparatory career.
At that point, it looked like Indiana’s 2020 class was over.
But months later, in May, the five-star Khristian Lander became the jewel studded with stars to close the group. Lander was originally the No. 1 point guard in the 2021 class and committed to Indiana in February, but decided to reclassify and apply for the 2020-21 season. He had played on the same Indiana Elite team with Galloway and Leal and was friends with them.
“The combination of all these guys, IU will have an extremely competitive group that I think will fit more and more into Archie,” said Jordan Basye, a Bloomington coach, to Inside the Hall ahead of the season. “And that culture is going to fade more and more that way in the years to come.”
During the summer, all four became roommates when they moved to campus. Geronimo, Leal said, fit the group perfectly and they continued to develop their relationship.
When the season started, each had its highlights and low points.
Somewhat surprisingly for some, Galloway was the first to make a significant impact with his creation. He won a spot on the starting line-up in late December. But recently, a back injury kept him off the pitch for two games.
Leal struggled in the first months of the season and at times seemed shy to shoot. He shone, however, in the double loss in Indiana’s overtime in Wisconsin, hitting three points out of 3.
Geronimo’s role was similar to that of Leal, not seeing much time on the ground at the beginning of the season. But in the first fight against Iowa, he made a great defensive effort against Luka Garza.
Finally, Lander was one that many believed could be an instant dynamic star. Instead, he often looked sulky. Bad passes and wild shots. Miller often put his hands on his head in frustration. Lately, however, Lander has been looking closer to the five-star recruit.
“Normally, every freshman who comes to Indiana will be a highly regarded player who has had a lot of opportunities for them, and the minute they step on campus, it really is the first time in the lives of young adults that things get really tough,” said Miller .
And that brings us to Sunday, where the Indiana head guards agreed to shoot 4 out of 26 from the field. If Indiana had a chance, they would need a lot of help outside the bank.
Enter the freshman.
Indiana was down 13 points in the first half. But in the last three and a half minutes, Leal dropped two of three points. Lander added another. The Hoosiers had a series of 12-2 to gain a two point advantage at halftime. Geronimo added four points. Galloway scored one point and two assists.
In the second half, Indiana fell into another hole. Not long after, the freshmen returned.
Lander did not score, but gave two assists. Galloway hit a 3-point ball. Leal had a theft. Geronimo contributed two points, an assist and a rebound, continuing to bother Garza. In general, the movement of the ball and the offensive flow were much clearer with them in the game.
“Watching those guys come in, get beaten up, knocked down, is not easy,” said Miller. “Some guys just get up and go. Some guys never come back. These four guys put up with and made us better. “
In the end, they all played double-digit minutes. Three of the four had positive positive minute numbers with Geronimo recording a zero. Leal ended with three steals. His move put Franklin in a position to hit the winning streak and Indiana in a position to win.
“I mean, if you look at Khristian Lander now, I mean he is saving us in a few games this week,” said Miller. “To his credit, as a young man, to be able to come and train every day, to be able to lift extra weights to enter the extra gym with the coaches, to care so much about staying with it, you see those rewards that you so want to happen for them. “
This was not a normal transition from college to the group either. There is adaptation for college. And then there’s college adaptation during a pandemic while playing on a famous basketball program.
“In particular, if you’re talking about freshmen, you see them at their worst, really in the youngest part of their young lives,” said Miller. “And when they can see something good about the work they’ve done, it’s really rewarding.”
It was rewarding. For freshmen. For Miller. And for Indiana.
In an imperfect team in Indiana, freshmen are a perfectly imperfect group, doing everything they can.
Filed under: Anthony Leal, Jordan Geronimo, Khristian Lander, Trey Galloway