Final Grades: Armaan Franklin Fights Through Freshman Growing Pains

Indiana guard Armaan Franklin had some magical moments during his freshman year with the Hoosiers, but there is still plenty of room for improvement going forward.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — There was no learning curve, no time to get comfortable for Indiana freshman guard Armaan Franklin. He was thrown right into the fire from the first day of practice.

Projected starting guards Rob Phinisee (abdominal) and Devonte Green (hamstring) couldn't even practice in October, and that went on all month. Even Al Durham, Indiana's only other guard, battled an ankle injury for a while as the season was about to start.

Franklin, not a true point guard, did it anyway, and did it well enough. He started the first nine games and played well at times, but he was still a freshman learning his way. "He didn't even know the plays,'' Miller said of the early days with Franklin at the point. His playing time diminished as the others got healthy, but he still had his moments through the course of the season.

Let's take a look at Franklin's season.

By the numbers

• Games played: 32
• Games started: 9
• Minutes per game: 13.8
• Points per game: 3.7
• Assists per game: 1.6
• Rebounds per game: 1.3
• Field goal percentage: 34.8
• 3-point percentage: 26.6
• Free throw percentage: 61.5

Best game

Indiana 62, Notre Dame 60 on Dec 21, 2019 in Indianapolis: This was homecoming day for Indianapolis native Armaan Franklin when Indiana played Notre Dame in the second game of the annual Crossroads Classic. And with dozens of friends and family members in the stands at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Franklin put on a show.

Franklin scored 17 points in just 14 minutes of playing time, coming off the bench in Game 12 after starting the first nine games. He made 4-of-5 three-pointers, including the game-winner in the closing seconds. It was a bit of a shock, because Franklin had been just 4-for-27 (14 percent) from three-point range prior to the Notre Dame game.

"He needed to stop walking around with his head down and acting like nobody knew who he was," Indiana coach Archie Miller said. "When he shoots it, everybody on the team knows he can make it. For him to stick some shots for us, finally, is a big deal."

Things I liked

This is an easy one, no doubt about it. What I loved the most about Franklin's freshman season was how well he performed on the big stage in his hometown. He played two games in Bankers Life Fieldhouse, and they turned out to be his two best games of the season.

The December game was a classic, and it's one of those game-winning shots that will help define Franklin's career forever. And the fact that it game at the end of a huge game — 17 points in 14 minutes — was even sweeter. And to end the season back there with another big game — 13 points against Nebraska in the first round of the Big Ten tournament — helped set the stage for some good feelings heading into the offseason. 

He showed enough for all of us to see that he's going to be a big part of the Hoosiers' success going forward.

Indiana freshman Armaan Franklin (2) hits one of his four three-pointers against Notre Dame in December at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. 

Things I didn't like

Franklin had some moments shooting the ball, but those few big games did mask a lot of his struggles from the field. His shooting numbers (34 percent, 26 from threes) simply need to be better. He was 4-for-27 from three before the Notre Dame game, and then missed 10 straight three-pointers afterward. There were too many long stretches of ineffectiveness.

Part of it might have been a lack of playing time. He averaged only 8 minutes a game from Feb. 1 on prior to that Nebraska game in the Big Ten tournament, and when he got in the game, maybe he forced things a bit. A year of maturity is certainly going to help, a full summer of shooting would be big, too. Even that 61 percent average from the free throw line has to get much better.

Best video

This is an easy one, because that was some pretty heroic stuff in the big win against Notre Dame in December in Indianapolis. He hit four three-pointers, including the game-winner, in the 62-60 win, one the Hoosiers really needed.

Here's Archie Miller talking about it after the game:

Final Grade: C-plus

There's no question in my mind that Armaan Franklin is going to be a good player for the Hoosiers. He did some nice things this year and, most importantly, he really learned a lot. He's going to be a guy who can play both guard spots going forward. 

He needs to shoot better, for sure. And he needs to become a lock-down defender, too. He has the athletic ability and acumen to do that, and that should be part of his natural progression as a sophomore. It's a C-plus for now, but I fully expect those shooting numbers to go up in 2021.  

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Related content on Armaan Franklin

• PUTTING ON A SHOW: Freshman guard Armaan Franklin has a happy homecoming in Indianapolis, hitting the game-winner to beat Notre Dame. CLICK HERE
• GUARD ROTATIONS: Grading the performances of Indiana's four guards through the nonconference portion of the schedule. CLICK HERE

Previous 'Final Grades' story

• PART 1, DEVONTE GREEN: Breaking down the season for Indiana senior guard and co-captain Devonte Green. CLICK HERE
• PART 2, DE'RON DAVIS: Indiana's senior big man battled injuries throughout his career, but he stayed healthy in 2020 and played a small role. CLICK HERE
• PART 3, AL DURHAM: The junior guard leads Indiana in three-point shooting percentage and carries a big load. CLICK HERE
• PART 4, JUSTIN SMITH: The junior forward was second in scoring and rebounding for the Hoosiers, but there seemed to be something missing. CLICK HERE
• PART 5, JOEY BRUNK: The transfer from Butler added a lot to the Indiana roster, both on and off the court. CLICK HERE
• PART 6, ROB PHINISEE: The sophomore point guard never was the same after a lengthy abdominal injury. CLICK HERE
• PART 7, JEROME HUNTER: It was great to see Jerome Hunter back out on the floor after missing entire freshman season. CLICK HERE
• PART 8, RACE THOMPSON: The redshirt sophomore was productive off the bench for the Hoosiers, and had a happy homecoming in Minnesota. CLICK HERE
• PART 9, DAMEZI ANDERSON: We take a deep dive into what happened to Damezi Anderson, whose offensive game completely disappeared. CLICK HERE
• PART 10: TRAYCE JACKSON-DAVIS: The standout Indiana freshman was Indiana's best player all season, and it wasn't even close. CLICK HERE