Freshman Tracker- Minnesota

1. Thomas Bryant

Bryant has show he can hold his own against competition in the Big Ten and his performance Saturday afternoon against Minnesota was no exception. After recording his first career double-double against Ohio State last weekend, Bryant was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week for the second time this season.

Against Minnesota, Bryant finished with 10 points, seven rebounds and one block. Bryant also shot 5 of 7 from the field and is leading the Big Ten, making 72 percent of his field goals. I’m not sure why Bryant didn’t play the last seven minutes of the game when the Hoosiers could have used his presence, but he was still effective on matchups down low.

Bryant proved again he has the ability to dominate in the paint. He can score and get rebounds, which is what the Hoosiers need. If Bryant continues to be able to handle his own, IU should be feeding him the ball more. Especially if they are struggling from the outside, giving Bryant the ball down low can be an effective way to keep the Hoosiers in a game.

By now, Bryant is recognized as an emotional and energetic player and more than once, he showed he was frustrated with the refs against Minnesota. He was called for two fouls away from the basket, when he really had no business being up that far.

After a dramatic flop on the floor, I was reminded that Bryant is still a freshman, playing in his first handful of Big Ten conference games. He is shooting over 70 percent for a reason, so why not give him the ball more? It’s not all his fault, though. If he isn’t getting the ball, he really can’t do anything with it.

2. OG Anunoby

Anunoby has been seeing an increase in playing time over the past few games due to James Blackmon Jr. being out from knee surgery. Anunoby had 14 minutes of play against Minnesota with two points, one rebound and two steals. He plays with hustle and has shown that he deserves to be a contender for IU’s sixth man.

He is the sort of player who has a big impact on the court, even if it is not represented in the box scores. He does all of the little things right, and always seems to be in the right place at the right time to get a key rebound or steal for the Hoosiers.

Anunoby’s two points came after he got a steal and drove in for an easy dunk. He is a player that looks consistent and calm on the court, both on offense and defense. For a freshman, Anunoby hasn’t had necessarily a lot of experience at this level of play, but he has shown he can keep his composure in a variety of situations.

Anunoby left the game to be examined in the locker room, after taking an elbow to the head, and according to coach Tom Crean, he is fine.

I expect Anunoby to continue to improve over the course of the Big Ten schedule for the Hoosiers, and his contributions to the team will only become more significant with the absence of Blackmon Jr.

3. Juwan Morgan

In just nine minutes of play, Morgan didn’t have his best game against Minnesota. Morgan had two fouls and struggled some on defense. I think he has some trouble getting into a rhythm on the court because his playing time is so sporadic. Anunoby started out the same way, being inconsistent and he improved over time, in the same way Morgan will with more experience.

4. Quentin Taylor and 5. Harrison Niego did not play against Minnesota.