There usually aren't many surprises in a five-star player's recruitment, but on Tuesday, 2021 point guard Khristian Lander turned heads with his commitment to Indiana. Things were trending in the right direction for the Hoosiers, but the timing surprised many fans. On Sunday, he was at IU's win over Penn State. Apparently, that put Indiana over the top. (Pictured: Khristian Lander in 2018)

Lander's commitment to Indiana is big for the Hoosiers for a few reasons. One, it is always a good idea to land a five-star prospect. Two, IU wasn't thought to be the leader for most of his recruitment. He always had the Hoosiers high, but Michigan and Louisville were thought to be the pace cars. Three, Lander solidifies the point guard position for Archie Miller. IU has been looking for a point guard with size and quickness throughout Miller's time in Bloomington. He has secured those attributes with Lander.

Lander is a six-foot-two lefty that mixes scoring and distributing. For Reitz, he carries the scoring load like most D1 prospects do for their hometown team. On the club circuit, he looks to be more of a facilitator. That was displayed with Indiana Elite last year, and it should be the same this season with Indy Heat on the EYBL circuit. Under Archie Miller, Indiana hasn't had a point guard that can take over a game while still making good decisions. It has been one or the other. Lander will patch that weakness.

Recently, Lander turned his ankle early in a game against Jeffersonville. He returned a week later against Southport to score 22 points as the Panthers beat the Indy school. Reitz has a big game against Bosse before the state tournament begins. Lander and Reitz have a chance to win the sectional although they lost to Castle earlier in the season.

At this point, Lander is considering an early graduation to move to the 2020 class. That decision involves a lot of planning and execution. It would also mean that Lander would get on campus later than most freshman because he would be finishing his high school credits. So, there are pros and cons for each side with the possible move to the 2020 class. Either way, Lander will make an impact Indiana early in his career.