IU junior forward Hanner Mosquera-Perea is expected to return to the court in mid-February, IU Coach Tom Crean told Jim Rome today.
Mosquera-Perea has been out indefinitely since suffering a dislocated kneecap in practice on Jan. 12. He started every game for IU prior to suffering the injury. He had been averaging 7.4 points, five rebounds and was shooting 62 percent from the floor.
“We’re going to get healthier with Hanner Perea probably in the middle of the month somewhere,” Crean said. “(Mosquera-Perea's return) will help us certainly around the basket and bring that presence that we’ve got to have on the defensive end and the offensive end.”
With Mosquera-Perea out, sophomore Collin Hartman has started at center. Crean said he elected to play Hartman over freshman forward Emmitt Holt because he wanted to avoid starting three freshmen at once.
The Hoosiers are 3-0 since Mosquera-Perea was ruled out with Hartman averaging just shy of 10 points per game in that span.
He had 15 points in IU’s 89-70 win against No. 13 Maryland on Thursday night. He made all four shots he took—including three 3-pointers—and hauled in five rebounds while dishing out three assists.
“(Maryland) will be a great confidence builder (for Hartman), but it also turns him on the next team’s scouting report,” Crean said.
That next team will be Ohio State on Sunday. The Hoosiers (15-4, 5-1) will travel to Columbus, Ohio, to play the Buckeyes (15-5, 4-3) at 1:30 p.m.
Sam Beishuizen
