Senior forward Collin Hartman will return next season, he announced in an IU press release Thursday.
Hartman suffered a non-contact knee injury and underwent surgery in September 2016 and missed all of last season. However, he provided leadership on the bench for the Hoosiers. Prior to senior night, he said he was unsure of whether he was coming back for another season.
“This is something that I had been leaning toward since before the season had ended, and I needed to make sure that I could fully dedicate myself both mentally and physically to the process,” Hartman said in a release. “It is important that I am able to come back and perform at the level I was at before the injury occurred.”
Hartman averaged 5.0 points and 3.1 rebounds per game during the 2015-16 season and helped the Hoosiers win the regular season Big Ten Championship.
New IU Coach Archie Miller said he is thrilled Hartman will come back to play next season.
“Having an individual who has won a Big Ten championship and had success in the NCAA Tournament gives our program a big lift," Miller said in a release. "He brings leadership and intangibles that can do nothing but help us achieve our goals.”
Hartman's mother, Melissa Compton, also said she is happy her son chose to complete his career next season.
“I’m so happy that Collin has made his decision to return to IU basketball to finish the last chapter of his basketball journey,” Compton said in a release.
