Indiana head coach Mike Woodson. Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Mike Woodson convinces key Indiana star to remain with Hoosiers

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated 4/5/21

Mike Woodson’s hire as Indiana basketball coach was greeted with initial skepticism, but he now has one big success to his name already.

Former five-star recruit Khristian Lander, who had announced last week that he would enter the transfer portal after one year at Indiana, announced Monday that he would remove his name from the portal and remain with the Hoosiers.

#pt2 pic.twitter.com/xqsvTOKMeW

— Khristian Lander (@khristianlander) April 5, 2021

Lander’s decision comes on the heels of former All-American Trayce Jackson-Davis opting to remain at Indiana for his junior season after initially planning to enter the NBA Draft. Junior guard Parker Stewart, a three-point specialist, also withdrew his name from the transfer portal last week.

Lander and Stewart had both entered the transfer portal after Archie Miller’s firing, so Woodson essentially had to re-recruit them. They, along with Jackson-Davis, are clearly sold on Woodson’s vision after initial talks. All are huge wins for the Hoosiers, and their presence ensures that Woodson will have significant talent to work with as he begins preparing for the 2021-22 season.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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