Georgetown, Indiana, is located just over 10 miles north of the Hoosier state’s southern border. It’s also the hometown of Indiana men’s basketball senior center Langdon Hatton.
The former three-star recruit’s collegiate career has been anything but straightforward, now playing with his third program. After spending his freshman year at the College of William & Mary, Hatton hit the transfer portal and landed at Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky.
Fast forward two seasons with the Knights and Hatton once more entered the portal, this time with eyes set on a long-awaited homecoming. He needed a team, and head coach Mike Woodson needed post depth in Bloomington — a perfect match.
Despite Bellarmine’s closer proximity to Hatton’s hometown of Georgetown, he quickly made it clear what Indiana meant to him.
“Just being from Indiana, there's no place that I would rather be,” Hatton said during Indiana basketball’s institutional media day Sept. 18. “There was really no other choice.”
During the Hoosiers’ first 12 games of the season, Hatton was used sparingly, tallying only 42 total minutes. That quickly changed in Indiana’s 77-68 win over Winthrop University on Sunday afternoon at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
After suffering an undisclosed lower body injury, sixth-year center Oumar Ballo couldn’t suit up for the Hoosiers’ final non-conference test. Still, Hatton remained on the bench as Woodson elected to go small ball, replacing the sidelined Ballo with senior forward Luke Goode.
It wasn’t until junior forward Malik Reneau picked up his second foul of the afternoon that Woodson looked to the Bellarmine transfer.
Hatton’s name was called. He answered.
The Hoosier proceeded to score 7 points, grab 11 rebounds, block three shots and play 26 minutes — all season-highs.
In the first half alone, Hatton brought down five offensive rebounds which contributed to 8 second-chance points. His production before the half even grabbed the attention of the broadcast crew on the Big Ten Network.
“Where would Indiana be right now without Langdon Hatton?” play-by-play announcer Connor Onions said.
“Probably behind,” analyst Shon Morris said in response.
It’s likely true, since Hatton was one of the few bright spots in the Hoosiers’ win. Indiana had its worst shooting performance of the season from beyond the arc, draining just one in 20 attempts from the 3-point line. The poor perimeter performance prevented the Hoosiers from pulling away from Winthrop, and despite leading for the entirety of the second half, they never held a double-digit advantage.
With just over three minutes left in the game, the Eagles’ graduate senior guard Nick Johnson sank a 3-pointer in transition to cut the score to 69-68. On the following possession, Winthrop had an opportunity to tie or take the lead with a driving layup.
While senior forward K.J. Doucet’s shot attempt deflected off the rim, it was fittingly Hatton who rose up and wrestled away the rebound. Additionally, he was fouled and made the subsequent free throws to contribute to an 8-0 Indiana run to close out the game.
“Thank God for Langdon,” Woodson said postgame. “I thought he played his butt off. Gave him the game ball. Here is a guy who never complains. He works in practice. He came and gave us a big lift when we needed it. That's all about (the) team. That goes a long way with me.”
Indiana’s coach has stressed the importance of playing with heart numerous times throughout an up and down early season. After an 82-67 win over Minnesota on Dec. 9, Woodson emphasized players making the most of the minutes they are given.
Indiana showcased numerous issues in its less-than-convincing win over Winthrop, but one positive that was hard to overlook was the effort Hatton showed in Ballo’s absence.
While it’s unlikely that Hatton will see similar minutes moving forward, his performance against the Eagles was one that Woodson will think back to if the veteran center is needed later in the season.
As for Hatton, his long journey since leaving the Hoosier state came full circle Sunday —the kid who dreamed about suiting up in the Cream and Crimson finally had his chance to shine.
“Being from Indiana, it's just a dream to even be on the team,” Hatton said postgame. “So, when your number gets called and you get to play, it's like a dream come true.”
Follow reporters Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) and Quinn Richards (@Quinn_richa) and columnist Mateo Fuentes-Rohwer (@mateo_frohwer) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s basketball season.
