Sitting in a press conference after IU’s blowout victory Friday night, IU Coach Tom Crean admitted even he was surprised by his final lineup.
“Did not go into the game thinking that Max Hoetzel would play the point guard at any point,” he said.
IU’s starting lineup included four guards Friday night. The Hoosiers played the final five minutes with four forwards and a center on the floor.
Freshman forwards Hoetzel, Tim Priller and Nate Ritchie, freshman center Jeremiah April and junior forward Ryan Burton took the floor for the game’s final five minutes and 19 seconds.
Four forwards, one center. No guards.
Somebody had to handle the ball. Hoetzel eagerly stepped up.
The game was over – the Hoosiers stretched their lead to as many as 53 points – but IU’s point guard was a 6-foot-8 freshman forward.
“I’ve never really played point guard,” Hoetzel said. “I love to handle the ball though, and Coach Crean knows that. Any time I get a chance, I’m going to jump on it.”
With the ball in his hands, Hoetzel transformed from a spot-up shooter into the Hoosiers’ primary scoring option. He scored 10 points in those final five minutes to bolster an already diverse stat line in his debut.
In his first collegiate game, Hoetzel finished with 19 points, 9 rebounds, an assist and a steal in 19 minutes.
Hoetzel’s reputation is as a shooter. His Twitter biography reads, “Max Hoetzel – 6’8 with a flamethrower,” but Crean said it’s Hoetzel’s all-around ability that drew his attention.
“We felt he could be a good rebounder and we felt he could move well without the ball when we recruited him,” Crean said. “Certainly his shooting gets your attention, but he’s got some athleticism. He’s just going to get better and better.”
Hoetzel doesn’t seem likely to play point guard again, and he won’t play extended minutes when IU is at full strength. The return of sophomores Troy Williams and Stanford Robinson will almost assuredly push him down in the lineup, Crean said.
Despite that, Crean said he’s looking forward to watching Hoetzel’s development.
“He’s loose and carefree, he’s a fun young man, but at the same time, he’s very, very serious about getting better,” Crean said.
“We’ve done that a couple times in practice. He loves it. This is Indiana, where dreams come true. You get Max Hoetzel, 6-8 point.”
