While Maryland was in the mix to bolster its frontcourt through the portal, head coach Kevin Willard was able to dip into the portal to round out the rotation as former Indiana forward Jordan Geronimo announced his intentions to stay in conference and transfer to the Terps last weekend.
Jordan Geronimo, who spent his first three seasons in Bloomington, averaged 3.8 points and 2.7 rebounds in 82 total games for the Hoosiers and will provide immediate front court depth.
He started six games in the 2022-23 season due to a knee injury to starting forward Race Thompson but was inactive for the January 31 matchup against Maryland and only saw three minutes of action when the teams met again in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten tournament.
Geronimo scored only 11 total points over his final 10 games as a Hoosier, playing over 10 minutes in only two of those games.
He entered the transfer portal following his freshman season after Indiana fired head coach Archie Miller, but ultimately returned to the school after Mike Woodson was hired.
He scored a career-high 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field in Indiana’s victory over Wyoming in the first four round of the 2022 NCAA tournament. He chipped in nine points and six rebounds in the Hoosiers’ next game in the tournament against Saint Mary’s, which they lost by 29 points.
He is the second transfer portal pickup of the offseason for head coach Kevin Willard and staff, joining Loyola Marymount guard Chance Stephens. His versatility now gives Maryland the experienced front court option to pair with the two young centers off the bench.
With seniors Jahmir Young and Donta Scott having announced their return to Maryland, Geronimo will provide another veteran presence on the court and in the locker room. He has two years of eligibility remaining.
A four-star coming out of St. Paul’s School in New Hampshire, Geronimo weighed only 195 pounds and was looked at as someone who needed to add strength and muscle if he wanted to compete in the Big Ten.
In his three years in Bloomington, he has added nearly 30 pounds, which has helped him fare well against other formidable conference forwards. Although he is a capable 3-point shooter, his ability to carve zones and pick his spots on the offensive interior is where he has shown glimpses throughout his career.
He gets 69% of his field goal production at the rim, where he has taken 62% of his shots. For Maryland, the bulk of his offensive production will come inside the paint as Geronimo gives Willard an athletic piece off the bench.
Now with a fresh slate, something Geronimo cited as he begins a new chapter out of the portal, Geronimo has a chance to take the reign of a clear role after inconsistent playing time in Bloomington last season. The bouncy forward started in six game but fell out of the rotation as conference play progressed and played more than four minutes in just one of Indiana’s final nine games.
For Geronimo, the newest transfer who fills Patrick Emilien’s role off the bench, his seven-foot wingspan and ability to impact the board is why he fits as the first option at the four next season.
“The kind of play they run up and down, 4-in, 1-out, and they kind of like play through their fours kind of. I feel like being in that system where I’m kind of in that position to make plays is going to help showcase my perimeter skills that I have, that I know that I have, that I’ve been working on,” Geronimo said on Friday during a show with GCR.
On the defensive end, his 7.5% block rate is a major strength that he possesses, which will be sure to aid Willard’s interior defensive presence alongside Scott and big-man Julian Reese.
His addition has put Maryland over the limit of allocated scholarships for the upcoming season, but another transfer departure within the team is likely, which will then officially set the roster for the 2023-24 season.
Jordan Geronimo and Chance Stephens are two of the six current newcomers for the 2023-24 season, alongside freshmen DeShawn Harris-Smith, Jamie Kaiser, Jahnathan Lamothe and Braden Pierce.
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