The only Hoosier who won’t be able to participate will be Josh Newkirk, who needs to sit out the 2015-16 season after transferring to IU this summer.
That means sophomore James Blackmon Jr., who had to sit out most workouts this summer as he was recovering from a torn meniscus, will be back on the court.
“James has been going full-tilt. He missed a lot, but he’s out there ready to go full-go,” IU Coach Tom Crean said. “He’s just still got a ways to go in building his body back up.”
Though the sophomore guard was able to improve in some areas during his injury, including getting stronger in the weight room, the time missed has still hurt, Crean said.
With a shooter like Blackmon, any extended time away can be detrimental.
“His shot has been not normal James Blackmon shooting at this point, and I think that’s a product of him being out for as long as he was,” Crean said. “But I don’t have any concerns about that.”
For Blackmon and the rest of the Hoosiers working their way back from injury, Crean said he plans to let them recover before pushing them.
Every player’s recovery and situation is different, and he said doesn’t want something to happen in September that can damage the player’s availability later in the season.
“With James and with the other guys, it’s a matter of building them up. It’s a long season, it’s a long process,” Crean said. “Taking it every day for what it is.”
New Hoosiers getting acclimated
With practice starting Friday, Crean mentioned three freshmen who have improved since arriving in Bloomington this summer.
He said forward Juwan Morgan improved his squat by 130 pounds, his bench press by 80 pounds and his vertical jump by three inches.
Forward O.G. Anunoby has also improved in the weight room, Crean said.
“O.G. had the second strongest legs on the team and made the biggest jump of the summer and is learning to play more away from the basketball,” Crean said.
Crean praised the work ethic of both Anunoby and Morgan, even comparing Anunoby to former Hoosiers Victor Oladipo and Will Sheehey in terms of his always being in Cook Hall trying to improve some aspect of his game.
Crean also said center Thomas Bryant has improved his vertical jump by nine inches since arriving this summer.
“They’re getting better athletically, and they’re getting better with their skills, but then they’ve got to play that way,” Crean said. “They’ve got to play that way with their decision-making and all the things that come into that and building that shared responsibility we’re trying to have on the court and off the court.”
Crean said he hopes Assembly Hall is ready for Hoosier Hysteria.
In years past, about 95 percent of team practices have taken place in Assembly Hall.
This year, however, with the ongoing renovations the team has practiced and worked out exclusively in Cook Hall.
Crean said the team is lucky to have a facility like Cook Hall to fall back on, and he said a situation like this raises the awareness of how nice the facility actually is.
There was also some concern about the team not being able to practice in an arena setting at this point in the year.
“My hope is that we’re ready to be in there when Hoosier Hysteria comes, but things can change,” Crean said.
On Tuesday, Crean said he walked through the construction site and noted the amount of work going into preparing Assembly Hall for Hoosier Hysteria. It seems like there is work being done around the clock, he said.
That doesn’t mean Crean isn’t preparing for what might happen if Assembly Hall isn’t ready by Hoosier Hysteria on Oct. 24.
“We have to have a contingency plan for it is what I’m saying,” Crean said. “As a coach, that’s what I think about. But these guys, they’re just happy they can be in here 24/7.”
