Limbo, hope and anxiety lingered for Xavier Johnson and Hoosier fans last winter.
When the senior point guard went down at Kansas with a broken foot — which required surgery — there was a chance he could come back towards the end of February and play in the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments.
That never happened. Initially, the Woodbridge, Virginia native didn’t want to come back for a sixth season of college hoops, but his mind changed — in large part due to name, image and likeness.
Losing Johnson right before Big Ten play was a double-edged sword for the Hoosiers.