Indiana Basketball: Juwan Morgan to be cleared sometime in two weeks
Without Collin Hartman, Indiana basketball will be pleased to have Juwan Morgan back.
Indiana’s run to a second consecutive Big Ten title will mainly revolve around the play of their ‘Big Three‘, O.G. Anunoby, James Blackmon Jr. and Thomas Bryant. However, the Hoosiers will need depth at the power forward position given that senior Collin Hartman is out indefinitely with a knee injury.
That makes Monday’s news a positive development for Tom Crean and company. Sophomore forward Juwan Morgan (shoulder) will be cleared for all basketball activities sometime in the next two weeks, according to Jon Rothstein of FanRag Sports.
The 6’8″, 230 pound forward from Waynesville, MO averaged just 2.4 points, 2.1 rebounds and 0.4 blocks in 9.1 minutes per game. He shot 51 percent from the field overall, 46 percent from beyond the arc and 80 percent from the free throw strike.
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Obviously these numbers are in a small sample size, but Morgan played his best basketball at the end of the season, showing drastic improvements. He scored 12 points in 11 minutes in a blowout win over Nebraska, dropped six points and grabbed four boards in 19 minutes versus Maryland and added six points in Indiana’s first round NCAA Tournament win over Chattanooga.
Also, Morgan clearly has the potential to have a breakout season. He was a four-star recruit out of high school and was the second best player in the state of Missouri in the class of 2015.
With more minutes, Morgan could continue to show off his skills and the full arsenal of his game. He operates best when scoring around the basket, however, he is also capable of knocking down threes from the perimeter. On defense, Morgan is very active, grabbing defensive boards and protecting the rim due to his length and instincts.
Indiana has just three true forwards on their roster besides the injured Hartman and Morgan. Anunoby will play both the three and the four, De’Ron Davis (6’10”) has good size for a freshman and Freddie McSwain Jr. may be the most underrated player on the roster.
However, the Hoosiers won’t get by in a brutal Big Ten with just three forwards. Remember, Anunoby can play only one position at a time, Davis is still a first year player and McSwain is still battling his own knee injury.
Indiana needs Morgan to break out. It’s not something that Crean wants, it’s something the program needs.