Indiana University commitment Khristian Lander officially moved to the 2020 class today. For the past few months, it has been the plan for Lander to move from 2021 to 2020, but he had to complete the school work. On Monday, he announced via Twitter that he will be joining Indiana's 2020 class with Anthony Leal, Trey Galloway, and Jordan Geronimo. (Photo via Twitter.com/khristianlander)
The point guard will be leaving Evansville Reitz a year early. Lander helped the Panthers win a sectional title this year. It was the first title for Reitz since 2016. He had 16 points in the victory.
In nine games that Indiana Basketball Source tracked this season, Lander averaged 20.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, and three assists per game. He did a great job of drawing fouls and converting 81 percent at the free throw line. His outside shooting was up and down, but his release mechanics instill confidence for his shooting going forward.
He has been ranked the 24th best prospect in the 2020 class by 247sports.com. With that ranking, Lander is the top-rated player entering the Big Ten next year. He bumps Adam Miller out of that position. For the third straight year, Indiana will have the top-ranked incoming freshman in the Big Ten - Romeo Langford and Trayce Jackson-Davis.
For Indiana, Lander is a big addition. Robert Phinisee was the only ball-handler last season, and he battled an injury the entire year. Lander will alleviate that burden. His presence will also add another playmaker and scorer to the lineup. For a team that struggled to score, that is a welcoming sight.