If there is one thing that Indiana’s three class of 2020 signees have in common, it might just be their tenacity.
When IU head coach Archie Miller has watched New Hampshire based wing Jordan Geronimo, that competitive fire, especially on the defensive end, is something that has really stood out to the third year head coach.
Coupled with Geronimo’s great length and athleticism, Miller sees the potential for a high level defender at the next level.
“The thing that I love about Jordan is that he’s so multidimensional defensively,” Miller said on Monday night on his radio show. “I’ve watched him guard 6-foot-10 guys in the summer that are going to North Carolina, and I’ve watched him switch on to little point guards in the summer time, and he has an unbelievable tenacity and motor defensively as a young kid. I think he’s going to be one of the more versatile defenders inside and out.”
Geronimo is blessed with physical gifts that Miller won’t have to coach, and when coupled with his tenacity, they create the versatile defender he has become.
“He’s about 6-foot-6 right now and he’ll have the longest wingspan on our team,” Miller said. “He’ll be over 7-foot-2 maybe on his wingspan.”
Geronimo combines that wingspan with an elite vertical leap.
“He’ll give a guy like Justin Smith a run for his money in terms of off the floor jumping,” Miller said.
Indiana bound Jordan Geronimo & his @spsmbb squad make their #SRC debut this weekend! pic.twitter.com/teY0UiNLGj
— NERR (@NERRHoops) December 9, 2019
While he emerged as a high major talent late and is often thought of as raw, there have been signs of clear progress during his senior year at St. Paul’s.
“Jordan is having a terrific year,” Miller said. “He’s really evolved as a player and he’s got a terrific high school coach and he’s playing in a good league and he’s played good competition. His coaches are really pleased with him. He’s developing more of a perimeter game more so than just being a great athlete and as we’ve watched him go through the course of his season he’s played against some of the best prep school teams and he’s had really good games (against those teams).”
The Daily Hoosier caught up with Geronimo’s head coach Max Gordon last month, and he was very pleased with his senior’s in-season progress in many aspects of the game, including his three-point shot.
Over his first six games Geronimo shot just 22 percent from behind the arc, but he has been around 40 percent since then and he has worked his season average from distance back up to around 35 percent.
Miller has taken note of the improvement, while also noting that more development will be needed to become as versatile offensively as he is defensively. Geronimo played center at times early in his high school career, but he has handled the ball as a senior and will clearly be more of a wing in college.
“Jordan has a developing three right now, he has a really good shot,” Miller said. “He’s not the perimeter player that he’ll have to be.”
With his competitive spirit and positive attitude, Miller is enthusiastic about working with Geronimo when he arrives in June.
“He is a super kid,” Miller said. “That’s the one thing about Jordan. He’s a super kid. He’ll be a 17 year old freshman at IU. He’s very, very young, and his developmental potential down the road is very, very bright.
NOTE: Geronimo will take part in the Iverson Classic on April 22 in Philadelphia.
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