Indiana freshmen try to live up to their predecessors

Zak Keefer | USA TODAY Sports

BLOOMINGTON — The questions typically come right after the workout is complete, when Indiana's freshmen basketball players are out of breath, soaked in sweat and anxious to hear how they stack up.

"How many reps would Victor do?" one will ask.

"How many shots would Jordan make in a row?" comes another.

The new faces of these new-look Hoosiers — who officially began practice Friday afternoon — have heard the stories. Moving forward, it is the measuring stick they use.

They've heard of Victor Oladipo's weight room sessions, of the untold hours he spent building his body and honing a jump shot that didn't exist when he arrived on campus.

They've heard of Jordan Hulls' legendary shooting drills, of the former IU shooter missing only a handful of shots in a two- or three-hour session.

"It's mind-blowing, to be honest," said Stanford Robinson, a 6-4 freshman guard from Landover, Md. "I'm always asking the coaches, 'How did I compare to Victor at this stage? How many shots would Jordan make in this drill?' "

They've heard, too, about Christian Watford, about Cody Zeller. About the 5,322 combined points those four players scored during their careers in Bloomington. About the Sweet Sixteen runs. About the Big Tenchampionship.

That was the group that returned the Hoosiers to their spot among college basketball's elite.

This is the one tasked with sustaining it.

"It's preached to us every day," added fellow freshman Devin Davis, a Warren Central High School product. "It's 'Get in the gym every day, do what those guys did.' They really set the example. They really set the bar high."

That group — Oladipo, Hulls, Watford and Zeller — formed the backbone of a team that won 56 games over the past two seasons. Combined, they scored 67 percent of the team's points a year ago.

"It's a great measure of excellence that (the freshmen) are trying to supercede," IU assistant coach Kenny Johnson said. "Those guys were the foundation of this program coming back to where it's been traditionally. These players are here because they want to take it a step further."

They are learning. And it's not always easy.

Yogi Ferrell, entering his sophomore season at point guard, recalled a conditioning drill earlier this fall in which most of the freshmen were missing their times. Will Sheehey, a senior who worked alongside Oladipo, Hulls, Watford and Zeller for much of his career at IU, wasn't pleased.

He kicked them out of the workout.

"This team might take a little time for the guys to go at it like they did every day," Ferrell said.

Robinson, for one, aspires to be the next Oladipo.

"He's been my role model since day one," said Robinson, who like Oladipo was coached by Johnson on AAU teams growing up. "If I'm messing up a drill, I'll ask, 'How far behind am I than him?' Or if I do well, 'How does my best compare with his best?' "

Freshman hurt

Freshman center Luke Fischer sustained a sprained left shoulder earlier this week and will be out for "a few weeks," according to IU.

"Luke has made great strides and was playing with great confidence," coach Tom Crean said in a release. "He was being aggressive in his pursuit for the basketball when it happened."

As with an earlier injury to Troy Williams, the school offered few details. There is a media availability with IU players today, but the school indicated to reporters Tuesday that "injured players will not talk about their injuries. . . . Coach (Crean) will address injury questions at his first availability."

Fischer was a Parade All-American and Wisconsin Mr. Basketball and Gatorade Player of the Year after he averaged 21.3 points and 9.5.

Recruiting update

A week after landing prized Virginia shooting guard Robert Johnson, Indiana missed out a player that could have served as his backcourt mate of the future.

Indiana recruiting target Lourawls "Tum Tum" Nairn picked Michigan State over IU, Oklahoma and Minnesota during an announcement at his school on Thursday.

The 5-11 Nairn, ranked No. 61 in the 2014 class nationally by Rivals.com, attends Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kansas. The speedy point guard, who took official visits to all four of his finalists, including Indiana last weekend, is a native of the Bahamas.

Zak Keefer writes for The Indianapolis Star, a Gannett property