Jaeden Mustaf is Ready to play any Position for Indiana

Jaeden Mustaf transferred from Georgia Tech this past offseason. The 6’6″, 210-pound junior from the DMV took his talents to Indiana after two very productive seasons. Heading into head coach Darian DeVries’ second season as the Indiana men’s basketball head coach, Mustaf will play a pivotal part in getting Indiana back into the postseason.

He has a unique skill set, along with his size and speed, that allows him to fill multiple different positions. He can be an on-ball player while also being an off-ball winger. He is a talented defender and also a very capable jump shooter, even if he hasn’t shot a ton of volume from three. The main strength that he brings to this Indiana team is as a rim runner and slasher. He is a physical finisher down low and will help Indiana increase its paint touches.

“I’m kind of doing a lot of everything,” Mustaf said. “Being around other ball handlers, I’m not going to be on the ball a whole bunch, but definitely had times where I had the ball… I’m so versatile that I can play so many positions”.

He is naturally going to be a forward for Indiana, but he can play some combo guard if needed. Mustaf can also guard positions one through four, which makes him a valuable defender, especially if Indiana wants to utilize switches. This is what DeVries saw out of Mustaf this past offseason.

In year one of DeVries at Indiana, the team shot a high volume of threes, being 29th in the country with 28.3 attempts per game. Mustaf hasn’t been a high-volume shooter in his collegiate career, but he shot it 38.9 percent from three last season.

“DeVries and the coaching staff give me confidence, saying, ‘Hey, if you miss one, shoot it again,’ and so for me that’s one thing in my college career is becoming a much better shooter, and it’s something I’m ready to do,” Mustaf said.

It is likely that Mustaf will see an increase in his three-point volume this season, even if it isn’t what he was brought to this team to do.

There will always be pressure on Indiana basketball to perform at a high level, whether it is from the fans or from the team itself. Mustaf believes the team has what it takes to win at a high level.

“I think we have everything we need to win at a high level, and I think that’s what we’re gonna do,” Mustaf said.

Mustaf certainly will be a contributor to Indiana’s success this season as he brings his ACC experience to the Big Ten. Mustaf is a player who is primed for big moments, but also takes the role player title and serves it well. His athletic ability will give Indiana’s depth a much-needed rim scorer, but it isn’t all he is. His versatility is his true number one weapon for DeVries in year two.