IU announced Thursday that sophomore Bawa Muniru will seek more playing time and seek it at another institution. Muniru, a 6-11 center from Ghana, averaged 0.6 points and 0.7 rebounds in 3.3 minutes per game.
In one regard, Muniru's transfer is bad for IU. He had such an impact in his one year in Bloomington and, along with Tijan Jobe, he was a fan favorite. There was a belief amongst the IU media contingent that Muniru was much more talented than Jobe and simply needed time and teaching.
But in many other ways, Muniru's transfer is very good for Tom Crean and the IU basketball program. Crean had virtually no scholarships to offer over the next couple of years and, with this move, he now has a big one. What if Tyler Zeller wants to transfer from North Carolina? What if Cody Zeller or Jeremiah Davis or Kellen Dunham wants to commit?
This is a very good thing for Crean and IU because it gives them options. I think Crean may have realized, throughout the year, that Muniru was a much rawer talent than he thought. The Hoosiers are trying to get back to that national stage and Muniru, while a great person, did not fit into that plan.
What are your thoughts, Hoosier Nation? Good, bad for the program?
