Walk-ons remain vital part of team

It’s rare to have to rely on walk-ons on a basketball team.

It’s rare when one of those walk-ons starts 10 games.

And it’s even rarer when one of them has been there the longest.

But that’s Indiana.

Senior forward Steven Gambles, junior guard Brett Finkelmeier, sophomore guard Daniel Moore and sophomore forward Kory Barnett are the four non-scholarship players on the 2009-10 team.

Finkelmeier is the veteran of the team, having been at IU the longest. Gambles has four years of college basketball. Moore played in all 31 games and averaged 17.2 minutes last season.

At one point, eight non-scholarship players were on the team, including then-IU baseball players Eric Arnett and Kipp Schutz. What other NCAA Division-I men’s basketball program can say two of its players were taken in the MLB draft?

That’s Indiana.

What other program had a manager suit up at one point?

It’s hard to imagine that a school with five national championships, 20 Big Ten championships and 41 All-Americans would let Mike Santa don candy-striped pants and step onto Branch McCracken Court.

But this year could be different – a return to tradition.  

With a top-10 freshman class coming in – including Rivals’ No. 41 freshman forward Christian Watford and Indiana’s Mr. Basketball Jordan Hulls – the walk-ons will have to fight harder for playing time.

But Finkelmeier said the influx of new players – including junior guard Jeremiah Rivers being eligible to play – will force all the Hoosiers to prove themselves.

Ultimately, that’s a good thing.

“Since there’s all these guys here, now everyone’s going to have to elevate their game to get to play,” Finkelmeier said. “All the freshmen coming in will help us get better.”

Each of the walk-ons has a different story.

Finkelmeier is the most well-versed in IU basketball and has three years of experience with the Hoosiers. He started two games last year and averaged 7.5 minutes a game.

While the walk-on players hope to play more this year, they – like their teammates – just want to help the team improve.

“I’m just expecting to do a lot better for us,” Gambles said.

Gambles tried out for the team after playing for Lambuth University and redshirting for IU-Purdue University Indianapolis. The senior is one of three four-year players on the team, but as a walk-on and transfer, he doesn’t have any more experience than his teammates.

Of the four walk-ons, Moore has the greatest chance of starting and earning the most minutes.

“All I knew with what had happened last year was that there’d be a chance for me to play,” Moore said. “I thought there was time to be had.”

It’s uncertain how many minutes Moore will see this year. It will undoubtedly be more than his fellow walk-on Barnett.

Crean used Barnett as a practice player for the team, and he accepted his role. This year Barnett said he doesn’t expect to see more minutes. And that doesn’t bother him.

“It’s nothing like I need to play,” he said. “It’s all about the team.”