CJ Gunn's Defensive Commitment Could Pave Path to Playing Time

Gunn arrives in Bloomington with a reputation built on 3-point shooting prowess, and he believes he can become that outside threat Indiana has missed in recent years. But a commitment to excellence on both ends of the floor could be Gunn's path to carving out a role as a freshman.

Pickup games in the Gunn family weren't for the faint of heart.

CJ and his older sister, Lauren Gunn, used to ride their bikes through Fishers, Ind. to a nearby elementary school playground. One-on-one games – battles, rather – between the Gunn siblings instilled a competitive edge as youngsters.

They'd scratch each other, leading to blood and tears. They'd argue over foul calls, competing for hours at a time. Older sister Lauren had the size advantage to beat her younger brother, but when CJ grew to about 12 years old, "that didn't happen anymore," CJ said.

The Gunn siblings built upon a playground foundation to fulfill Division I dreams – Lauren at Valparaiso and CJ at Indiana – and always a constant in their basketball journey was a competitive drive taught by their father.

"It really came from my pops," CJ said. "My pops, he's a really aggressive guy when it comes to sports, so he taught me and my sister growing up to always be competitive."

That mentality translated into Gunn becoming the all-time leader in points per game average in Lawrence North High School history, beating out NBA talent like Mike Conley Jr. and Greg Oden. It helped him score 23.5 points per game, shoot 37.4 percent from 3 and make an Indiana Class 4A state runner-up appearance in 2021.

Lawrence North Wildcats junior CJ Gunn (4) drives to the basket during the first quarter of the game Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021, at Lawrence Central High School in Indianapolis. Lawrence North won, 81-67.  / USA Today

And it's Gunn's mindset as he approaches his freshman year playing at Indiana under head coach Mike Woodson.

"That competitive drive ... It's definitely still with me to this day," Gunn said.

After being on campus for just over a month now, and Gunn said he has noticed Woodson taking the time to really understand his players. Certain players are motivated by trash talk, others need to be uplifted.

"I'm a hard-nosed guy," Gunn said. "Coach Woodson knows how to make me focus and make me dial in more."

Gunn, a borderline top-100 player in the class of 2022, joins a talented Hoosier squad where playing time will be earned, not given. Indiana returns four starters from last year's NCAA Tournament team and welcomes in a top-10 recruiting class. 

Xavier Johnson enters his fifth collegiate season established as Indiana's point guard, and freshman Jalen Hood-Schifino believes he'd fit well next to Johnson in the starting lineup. The Hoosiers also return potential breakout candidate Tamar Bates, spark plug Trey Galloway and 3-point shooter Anthony Leal.

CJ Gunn drives for a layup during Indiana basketball practice at Cook Hall / USA Today

Gunn arrives in Bloomington with a reputation built on 3-point shooting prowess, and he believes he can become that outside threat Indiana has missed in recent years. But a commitment to excellence on both ends of the floor could be Gunn's path to carving out a role as a freshman.

It became clear in year one of the Woodson era that players would only see consistent minutes if they could defend. Indiana finished with a 92.9 adjusted defensive efficiency rating according to KenPom – best in the Big Ten and 24th in the nation – and that will remain a strong focus of Woodson-coached teams.

For Gunn, it's always been important to be a two-way player. He prides himself on keeping his defender in front, being in the right position on help-side defense and guarding the other team's best offensive player. And order to crack the rotation as a freshman, defensive ability will be vital.

"I grew up always having that dog in me on both ends of the floor," Gunn said.

Related stories on Indiana Basketball:

• GUNN WORKING TO BECOME 3-POINT SHOOTER INDIANA NEEDS: Lawrence North High School product C.J. Gunn joins Mike Woodson and the Indiana basketball program with a reputation partly built on 3-point shooting prowess. It's an area in which Indiana has struggled recently, but Gunn is working to fill that void. CLICK HERE
• FRESHMEN BUYING IN TO OFFSEASON WORKOUTS: The Indiana basketball freshmen have been on campus for just over a month, and they're already seeing noticeable improvements through Clif Marshall's offseason training program. CLICK HERE
• GUNN WINS INDIANA-KENTUCKY MVP: C.J. Gunn scored 41 points across two games on his way to earning MVP honors at the Indiana-Kentucky All-Star Series. The Lawrence North product will begin his freshman year at Indiana University this fall as part of Mike Woodson's top-10 recruiting class. CLICK HERE