Indiana kept almost all of its players that entered the transfer portal, but the Hoosiers arguably lost the most important one.
Sophomore guard Armaan Franklin, who finished second on the Hoosiers with 11.4 points per game last season and led the team with a 42.4 percent 3-point shooting percentage, announced on his Twitter account on Thursday evening that he is transferring to Virginia.
“Excited about the next chapter in my hoops life,” Franklin posted on his account. “Still, have to say a big thanks to the IU community, fans and my teammates for all their support. Know that I appreciate you all so much!”
Since Mike Woodson was hired as the Hoosiers’ new coach, guards Parker Stewart and Khristian Lander and forwards Jordan Geronimo and Race Thompson withdrew from the portal to return. Senior guard Aljami Durham transferred to Providence after four years at Indiana. The Hoosiers added one player from the portal in Pittsburgh point guard Xavier Johnson.
Franklin, a Cathedral graduate, also averaged 4.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.2 steals per game. Reached by the Daily Hoosier on Thursday evening, Franklin said he and his family are not conducting media interviews at this time and have no other statement for the moment.
Even with Franklin added to the roster, the Cavaliers have just nine scholarships filled, and that could go down to eight if wing Trey Murphy III tests the NBA draft waters. Just two Virginia players, forward Sam Hauser (63) and Murphy (52) hit more 3-pointers last season than Franklin’s 36.
With Franklin’s departure, the Hoosiers are in desperate need of shooting for Woodson’s proposed four-out, one-in offense that will emphasize the 3-pointer. Stewart, a transfer from Tennessee-Martin who sat out all of the 2020-21 season, hit 71 3-pointers in each of his two previous college seasons. However, no one else on the roster hit more than 25 in 2020-21 with guard Rob Phinisee and forward Jerome Hunter having each hit 25 for Indiana and the transfer Johnson having hit 25 for Pitt. Hunter hit on 34.2 percent of his attempts, but Phinisee made just 26.0 percent of his. Geronimo hit four of his 10 attempts but Hunter had the best percentage of any returning player who took at least 20 3-pointers.