Hartman return ahead of schedule
After missing all of last season due to a knee injury, senior forward Collin Hartman was cleared earlier this week for contact.
However, Hartman will continue to take things slow in his recovery from surgery.
“There is no real reason to speed him up,” IU Coach Archie Miller said. “But I think confidence-wise, mentally and physically, he feels as good as he’s felt in a long, long time. We’ll continue to take him slow, but he’s ahead of schedule just in terms of where he’s supposed to be, doing what he’s going to do, and the way he’s handled things in this off-season, he’s given himself a chance to kick off October, November, full go.”
Miller discusses upcoming schedule
Miller said that the full nonconference schedule should be released in the coming weeks. During late November and December, IU will be tested, playing at Seton Hall and Louisville, Duke at home, Notre Dame in Indianapolis. Due to the Big Ten moving its conference tournament up one week to allow the conference to play at Madison Square Garden, each team will play two conference games in early December.
“When you look at the early stretch, we’re really going to be taxed by a three- or four-week period, Miller said. “Not only are we going to be jamming games away, but we’re not going to be home as well. So it’s going to be very, very taxing in terms of getting through November and early December. It will be as many games played at a high level for us in that period of time, maybe upwards of five, to six, seven games played against top 15 or top 25 teams.”
Having two Big Ten games in early December will bring excitement he said.
“So I think you have games in early December that have a whole new meaning regardless of who you played before or what you’ll do right after,” Miller said. “So there is a real importance in December to be ready. Those two count. I think it will be a good statement for the league at that time to
Along with moving some conference games up to early December, the Big Ten teams will have a week off following the Big Ten Tournament and the start of the NCAA Tournament.
Miller said he hasn’t settled on what he’s going to do during that period, but it will likely be a period of recovery.
“I think as we look at it for the first time here, that week in between or whatnot, we use it as a time to regroup, refresh, and hopefully get a little better at a time of the year when you don’t get much,” Miller said.
