Might not.....Then again, he might. Plus, he doesn't have to win the Big 10....But IMO anything outside of a Top 3 or 4 finish, would be a disappointment..Pieces are there. So we shall see.
Indiana's Justin Smith
- Thread starter IndyCat1995
- Start date
Could have, TBH. Most his points came off rebounds and transition. He was a train wreck in the h/c offense, and his shooting was awful. TBH, with his jumping ability, his body, he should have been more of a 15ppg type. BUT....he wanted to shoot jumpers and three's. Which is great if you can----Problem was----he couldn't. Soft. Missed a ton of 5-footers....Little floaters...One hand push shots. His touch was terrible.
You are looking at his stats, brother. I am telling you I have seen for 3 years.
As already said----He averaged 10ppg basically b/c he played 32mpg. Miller had to play the kid. Wasn't going to be the case this season. Smith saw that----And well, now we have what we have.
If he’s a terrible shooter, why does he have the second beat FG% on your team? Oh yeah, stats don’t mean anything, right?
Inside players typically have better FG percentages, he scored mostly on dunks and fast break points. Watch a couple games and what we are telling you will make sense.
Well, I mean yeah. I don't think you realize just how much stronger you made my argument with this post. First off, Smith didn't have the 2nd best FG%....He was 4th---TJD(56%), Brunk(53%) and Davis (50%), Now from 2PA? Sure. He was second. But, I mean, none of that came from being a good shooter. It came from being able to sometimes make a lay-up. Smith was awful from 5' and out----I mean he's a 6'7" wing, who wanted to play the "3". Great. Except well, he couldn't shoot. He shot 26% from "3". With no mid-range game at all...HIs 52% shooting from 2 is because of dunks and lay-ups.
So yeah....."Stats don't mean anything". Esp when it comes to shooting numbers. Percentages don't tell the whole story.
I mean, some on here gonna keep looking to debunk what we say about Smith. I mean, after all, this dude has the privy of his stats. Unfortunate for us that all we have is 3 years of watching this kid play.
Here's some scouting on Smith:
"Smith is an exceptional athlete and IU’s most versatile defender, but inconsistency with his perimeter shot and a limited off hand have been shortcomings with his game throughout his college career."
"Smith became one of Indiana’s best defenders over his three years at IU, but he struggled on the offensive end to develop a reliable perimeter shot. Smith converted at a 25 percent rate from behind the arc for his career in Bloomington. Although he is a dynamic athlete, Smith’s offensive repertoire was also limited by his inability to consistently drive and finish with his left hand."
If you’re an Indiana fan, you probably agree with me when I say that Justin Smith is one of the most frustrating offensive players to play for Indiana in recent memory (it’s a battle between him and teammate Devonte Green).
First of all, he has no three point shot. He shoots a dismal 25 percent on three’s this season, with most of them coming off of wide open looks due to the fact that other teams beg him to shoot it. Right now his jumper looks rigid and lacks fluidity. A summer of hard work with a reliable trainer could easily fix this, and hopefully Smith decides to invest his time in that way.
I could go on and on.....For 3 seasons its all we complained about: His shooting. Its why he couldn't play at the "3". His form, as mentioned, is awful.
Plain and simple, Smith is not a good shooter.
My man, you keep missing my point. Your team is not good enough to lose any type of production. You’re not Kentucky, where losing Johnny Juzang stings, but is otherwise irrelevant to our success next season.
I have not once hyped this man up other than to say he is a serviceable, experienced player. When your bar is just making the tournament, you need all the help you can get.
I’m not suggesting this will break your season by any means. Just don’t see how this could strictly be construed as a positive.
To be fair to IU fans, there’s been a couple fans here and there that have popped up and said that they’re disappointed in the news, and it will hurt a little.
Not doubting what the Hoosiers say. They know their players better than any of us.
Having said that, you Hoosiers are making it sound like he stood on the perimeter and jacked 3’s, but the stats say he shot less than 1 per game for his career at IU. 80 attempts in 98 games in 3 years. Last year he only took 38 in 32 games, or just over 1 per game.
I am not arguing that you guys don’t know what you are talking about or anything, but I can see why some would question your assessment of this kid.
Statistically speaking, he sounds like a solid undersized 4 or a decent undersized 5 man.
To be 6’7, it looks like he finishes pretty well around the rim.
Not saying it’s sour grapes, but it sounds like you guys were upset that the kid never developed into a prototypical SF.
Having said that, you Hoosiers are making it sound like he stood on the perimeter and jacked 3’s, but the stats say he shot less than 1 per game for his career at IU. 80 attempts in 98 games in 3 years. Last year he only took 38 in 32 games, or just over 1 per game.
I am not arguing that you guys don’t know what you are talking about or anything, but I can see why some would question your assessment of this kid.
Statistically speaking, he sounds like a solid undersized 4 or a decent undersized 5 man.
To be 6’7, it looks like he finishes pretty well around the rim.
Not saying it’s sour grapes, but it sounds like you guys were upset that the kid never developed into a prototypical SF.
The issue with having him in the game is that since he is a non shooter the defense would sag on anyone in the post. Since our best player is TJD and that is his work area, that’s an issue. Having Hunter in there instead would prevent that. It would have helped Smith’s cause if he was physical and bang inside but that isn’t him so he would float a lot and again the defense would just crowd others since he wasn’t a threat out there. He just never developed any outside shot like others on the team. Devoted student more than devoted baller.
I think they would because there a large portion of the fan base who spin it as he finally had his own team and he improved year after year. We made the tourney.
idk why IU fans are enamored with Geronimo. He ranked where so many other IU players have been that were supposedly the future and every one turned out bad and transferred.
IU is just fine at his spot. As I have said over and over. It is seen as a positive because the kid was a cancer....He was terrible offensively, and ok defensively. He played soft. The two guys who will benefit are just as good, if not better: Jerome Hunter and Race Thompson. Jerome is a Top 50 player who missed an entire year due to blood cots. He came back last year, and as his legs got under him, he played really well: Shot 42% from three over the final 14 games. He will be one guy who gets Smith's minutes. Race was aTop 60 recruit, before getting hurt...Fell to around 75th. last year was the first year he was 100%---or close to it. He played solid ball for IU. I look forward to those two getting extended minutes, and feel quite comfortable in their ability to replace Smiths 10ppg...MOF, I think Hunter does that on his own. Kids a baller.
It obviously will hurt. Will lose his experience....very athletic, and was a decent rebounder. If he just would have adapted his role as a "4", kid would have been really good. But he wants to play the "3",and have the ball in his hands. Not good when you shoot as bad as he does, and your ballhandling is very suspect. But again, with Hunter and Thompson, I just dont think it hurts to the point of "missing the tournament".
Also, just getting to the tourney for me and probably for most IU fans---isn't the bar. I don't think that;s the issue at all with Milller, as well.
IU is in more of a position to lose a kid like Smith, than they were...Two years ago yes...Last year, no. Or this year...
A rotation of Phinisee(Jr), Durham(Sr.), Brunk(Sr.), TJD(So), Hunter(So), Thompson(RS-Jr), Lander(Fr.), Franklin(So), Leal(Fr)....is just fine with me.
A line-up of Phin, Lander, Al, Hunter and TJD is much better than a line-up with Phin, Al, Lander, SMITH and TJD.
I think he could eventually turn into a good player. Little concerned with his competition. He is athletic a ****, though. But we just got rid of "athletic as ****"....I expect much more out of Leal and possibly Galloway. More so with Leal. Kid is a dynamite shooter. If he can defend at this level, he could help IU a lot.
I’ll be honest I don’t know his exact ranking but watching him it is obvious the physical tools he has. Great athlete with very good length (7’+), developing outside shot and late bloomer to took off last summer before committing to IU. He was a inside player to developing wing skills. He went from total unknown to the 4 star rankings he has now on the sites. He is a raw, high potential guy at this point so I don’t expect big things his first year or two.
Tidbit: He was named after MJ because his mom played at UNC at same time as Jordan.
I mean there is some truth to that....IU has improved. Esp defensively. When Miller arrive, IU was terrible defensively----114th in Kenpom. Last year, IU was 26th. Another side is his 2nd year. A ton of injuries: Phinisee missed over a month with a concussion, and truly never recovered. Just wasn't the same....Jerome Hunter , Top 50 kid, never played a game...Langford played with a torn ligament .....Morgan was hurt...Davis got was hurt. Just a mess.
This season, only one dude left from the Crean era---Durham. So this is trully Millers roster/team. So no excuses.
A year like this year----20-12, 9/10 seed, won't get him extended.
He's ranked 87th....Good shooter. Athletic. Very raw, with a crazy wing span. He's 6'7. Just needs to get consistent....
Here's Eric Snows take:
A true July brA true July breakout performer, Geronimo again showed why he is reeling in high-major offers at a high rate. While he can be inconsistent, Geronimo has all the physical tools you could want in a hybrid forward. He stands around 6-foot-6, has excellent length, is a very good athlete, and then also has the ability to make shots from deep. The next step for Geronimo is to be more consistent with his production, and that definitely seems like an attainable goal. With back to back impressive showings, look for Geronimo to make a huge leap in the next batch of rankings."eakout performer, Geronimo again showed why he is reeling in high-major offers at a high rate. While he can be inconsistent, Geronimo has all the physical tools you could want in a hybrid forward. He stands around 6-foot-6, has excellent length, is a very good athlete, and then also has the ability to make shots from deep. The next step for Geronimo is to be more consistent with his production, and that definitely seems like an attainable goal. With back to back impressive showings, look for Geronimo to make a huge leap in the next batch of rankings."
Who knows with kids. He could come in, and be dynamite. Or he could be what he is----A raw talent.
TBH Richie, I think there are two IU fans in this topic....Maybe it seems like more since I'm posting like a damn fool...
Leal and Galloway are both very high energy, hard nosed types. They will fit well with how Archie wants to play.
Galloway is a tough SOB. Plays hard. He'll be a really good 4 year player. Leal is one of the best shooters I have seen. Reminds me a ton of Hulls, with his ability to shoot. No surprise, since both played at South.
Leal shoots kind of similar to Hulls too, very consistent shooting motion. Might need to speed it up but I have no doubt he will do that.
haha yeaTBH Richie, I think there are two IU fans in this topic....Maybe it seems like more since I'm posting like a damn fool...
Why would Jackson-Davis leave after this year when he still can only shoot within two feet of the basket?
Do you see him extending his range into a knockdown perimeter shooter this season? If not, which league is Trayce going to leave early for?
Smith is a decent scorer on the interior. Decent. His minutes would likely go down this year. I'd say Bloom over at The Hoosier described Justin Smith perfectly: "He rebounds well for a SF. His offensive skill set hasn't translated or evolved to that position yet. He can guard the 3, but he's not very good off the ball. He's a good small ball 4, but he likes to have the 3 next to his name".
His loss will hurt in regards to depth. IU is pretty thin up front now. Smith isn't a guy you shed a bunch of tears because he's leaving. He just isn't. If losing Justin Smith kills your team, you likely sucked anyway.
The last sentence speaks volumes and is kind of the point of the whole argument from a UK fan’s perspective.
seems like Anderson, Forester, Franklin type ranking. That’s just off the top of my head for Archie recruits. Rob P is the only one around those rankings who actually contributes at a high level.
Anderson was recruited for his shooting/scoring. Just never materialized. He seemed to play to fast. Just never found his niche for IU. He was lost on defense. So when you arre recruited to score and shoot, and you are 1-18, and your defense is meh----you are not going to play.
Forrester transferring was a bit of a surprise.. He didn't play a lot as a freshman...MOF, hardly at all. I felt Miller kinda of dropped the ball with him. IMO, should have played him more early in the year. But, he again was a liability on defense, and it led to very little minutes. I liked his motor. He played hard. Just happened to be buried behind Juwan Morgan, De'Ron Davis and Evan Fitzner; Firz early play probably led to limited minutes for Jake. Seems to have a nice spot at Temple----Avg 8ppg/4rpg. Hated to see this kid leave. I think he could have been a solid contributor this year. Likely evem this past season.
Franklin--Not sure why you mentioned this kid. I felt he had a solid freshman season for IU. No his stats are not eye popping, 3ppg, 1.6rpg and 1.7apg---in 13mpg. Hit the game winner vs Notre Dame, and basically led IU to the win, scoring 17. Early he was off and on--shaky at times...solid at times. But as the season went on, he became more comfortable. Seemed to adapt to the speed of the game. He played behind Green, Durham and some with Hunter. Needs to shore up his shooting. Does that, and I feel he will, I look for arman to have a nice career at Indiana.
Geronimo is a different story, so to speak. Kid went from not even being ranked, to a 4*---in a span of about two months. Adidas AAU circuit shot him waaaaay up. Very athletic...nice shot. Good bounce. And at 6'6", he's is very long---7' reach. Solid defensive player. I think this kid will surprise. Reminds me a ton of a then incoming freshman, Victor Oladipo. No, not comparig this kid to the JUNIOR, Victor. But as an incoming freshman. I think this kids floor is that of a Will Sheehey. I like this kid a lot.
franklin just in the same rankings, he has had some moments but isn’t a huge contributor yet. Maybe he will be. I watch all IU games as well. Just others in his range.
Franklin was shaky early....Was really good vs Notre Dame. Just felt it was a game speed, confidence thing with him. I expect by the he;s a junior, that he'll be a solid contributor for IU. I like his game.
Anderson IMO was a flat out miss...I never liked the offer. Felt we should have went after Newman.
As I said, really disappointed in how Miller used Forrester..I think the kid would have been really solid here.
what’s your opinion on indiana’s uniforms you guys took off the jersey piping and the IU on the shorts is huge now.
I really like Race Thompson. He has a bright future. Rob P is okay but he always is hurt. I’d say Lander has a great chance to be a starting guard.
Race was a Top 60 type of player....Got hurt. Fell in the rankings. Then has been hurt at IU. Finally last season, he was able to get close to 100%. I really like that kid.
Rob just needs to stay healthy. He's solid. Just needs to stay healthy. He might be a better option at the "2".
Lander is terrific, BUT, I don't how much to expect from him. Should be a senior in HS...No summer ball. No conditioning..That's hard for a freshman----much less a kid that should be a senior in HS.
Kid I am HUGE on is Jerome Hunter. I look for a big jump from him.
Meh....Bro I don't care if they wore skirts---i just wanna win. I did like the "cream" version for our home uni's. Wore these in 2014...I liked them.
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As for lsat years uniforms---I liked the look.
I’ve seen plenty of elite guards that are ready and while Lander is small, he has the talent to do it. Half a season in college weight training and he will be good to go.