Hoosiers Now

Indiana Freshmen Buying In, Seeing Benefits of Clif Marshall's Training Program

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.

Jack Ankony

Kaleb Banks has had a fairly simple daily routine since arriving in Bloomington. Wake up. Work out. Spend the majority of the day in the gym. Go home. Go to sleep, and wake up ready to do it all over again. 

This has led to Banks and the rest of Indiana's top-10 freshman class – Jalen Hood-Schifno, Malik Reneau and CJ Gunn – spending multiple hours each day with Clif Marshall, Indiana's Director of Athletic Performance. And after about a month's worth of work with Marshall, the freshmen Hoosiers have already seen noticeable improvements.

Gunn reported to campus at 186 pounds, and Marshall set a goal for him to reach 200 by the time he headed back home in August. On Thursday, Gunn weighed in at 199 pounds, already adding 13 pounds of muscle to his 6-foot-6 frame. Banks has seen similar gains through his work with Marshall, going from 200 to 215 pounds in his first month at Indiana.

Marshall is entering his sixth year at Indiana after working for 10 years as the Performance Director at Ignition Athletics in Cincinnati, where he trained over 10,000 athletes, including talent from the NBA, MLB, MLS, and NFL. 

Marshall has also worked as a strength and conditioning assistant for the Cincinnati Bengals, as well as a Fitness Ambassador for the NFL from 2015 to 2016. In this role, he wrote training articles for NFL.com and produced video content for the NFL Network. Marshall's workout curriculum has also been published in Muscle and Fitness Magazine, on ESPN and in USA Today. 

"I've known Clif Marshall since my rookie year in the NFL," A.J. Green, a seven-time NFL Pro Bowl wide receiver said. "I've used him as my personal trainer because he believes in training the Total Athlete. His performance program focuses on improving fast twitch muscle which is exactly what I need to continue to play at a Pro Bowl level each year with the Bengals. I have appreciated his wisdom as it has made me more of a complete athlete."

Since coming to Bloomington, Marshall redesigned the Cook Hall weight room into what is now called "The Lab," which is packed with state-of-the-art workout equipment and technology. He also collaborated with team doctor Larry Rink and athletic trainer Tim Garl to establish the IU Excellence Academy, which contains the Tobias Nutrition Center.

Gunn has realized the importance of nutrition and sleep since dedicating himself to Marshall's program, which emphasizes the need for proper workout recovery. Gunn said college basketball has been more like a job compared to his time at Lawrence North, which has shown him how vital it is to be in top shape in order to adjust to the speed of the college game.

"It's all really important to the process," Gunn said. "You have to take in all the factors and really lock in and key in and stay disciplined."

And perhaps what has paved the way for players' buy-in to Marshall's approach is how easy it's been to connect with him. Hood-Schifino noted that Marshall often sends motivational messages to the team to make sure they're staying dedicated to workouts and nutrition. 

Marshall took the incoming freshmen fishing during their first week on campus, and recently, a group attended the Monroe County Fair with Marshall. 

"Aside from him being a strength coach, he's just a great guy outside of being in the weight room," Hood-Schifino said.

Related Stories on Indiana basketball:

  • HULLS EXPLAINS APPROACH TO RECRUITING: As Jordan Hulls takes over team and recruiting coordinator for Indiana basketball, he's keeping a close eye on the intangible traits that he possessed as a Big Ten Champion. Hulls is working to build strong relationships with recruits, and he believes his Indiana roots and overseas experiences will help in all facets of his new job. CLICK HERE
  • GUNN WORKING TO BE 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
  • BANKS' JOURNEY TO INDIANA: Kaleb Banks received 10 stitches over his eye during the state championship game, and he's gone head-to-head with Jabari Smith, the third pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. The versatile freshman is quiet, humble and might not realize how good he is — or how good he can become — but surrounded by talent in a basketball-crazed environment at Indiana, Banks is right where he needs to be. CLICK HERE
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Jack Ankony
JACK ANKONY

Jack Ankony is a Sports Illustrated/FanNation writer for HoosiersNow.com. He graduated from Indiana University's Media School with a degree in journalism. Follow on Twitter @ankony_jack.

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