Indiana’s Xavier Johnson out for season

Indiana fifth-year senior Xavier Johnson will miss the rest of the season after breaking his foot in December, this system introduced Saturday. Right here’s what it is advisable to know:

• Johnson underwent surgical procedure after struggling the harm in a Dec. 17 loss to Kansas.
• Previous to the harm, Johnson had appeared in 11 video games, averaging 9.9 factors and 4.9 assists.
• Johnson mentioned that after therapeutic his foot, his focus will flip to pursuing a medical hardship waiver with a purpose to return to the Hoosiers subsequent season.

Backstory

Indiana is 20-10 general this season and 11-8 in Large Ten play. The Hoosiers had been ranked fifteenth within the newest AP Prime 25 ballot.

Final season, Johnson earned honorable point out All-Large Ten honors, averaging 12.1 factors and ending third within the Large Ten in assists per recreation with 5.1.

What this implies for Indiana

Now we all know for positive precisely what Indiana is shifting ahead with in March. Johnson’s potential return was a serious query mark, each in how he might enhance the Hoosiers and if his reintegration might mess with the rotation. Properly, that’s now settled.

So what’s Indiana? It’s a group with one of many premier weapons within the nation in Trayce Jackson-Davis, a licensed alpha as a No. 2 in Jalen Hood-Schifino and numerous good, supplementary elements.

However Indiana can be a group that ranks eighth within the Large Ten in effectivity margin and, statistically talking, doesn’t significantly wow you in any means. It sits at No. 29 on Kenpom for a motive. The Hoosiers usually really feel like a pleasant group that occurs to have a First Workforce All-American able to completely dominating. Not precisely the worst recipe come March.

Whereas Johnson’s season being lower brief was a serious blow for the Hoosiers’ backcourt depth and play-creating, it did open the door wider for Hood-Schifino’s emergence. He very a lot walked by means of it. On the time of his harm, Johnson ranked sixteenth within the Large Ten in utilization (25.2), whereas Hood-Schifino ranked twenty sixth (22.5). Since Jan. 14, as IU has gained 10 of its final 14 video games, Hood-Schifino ranks twelfth in utilization amongst Large Ten gamers (26.0). — Quinn

Required studying

(Picture: Trevor Ruszkowski / USA Right now)