Photo by Can Indiana Turn the Corner and Become a Relevant Team in the Big Ten?
With roster movement around college basketball settling down and summer workouts beginning, it’s time to take a closer look at the Indiana men’s basketball team’s fourth season under coach Mike Woodson. After a busy spring of roster transformation, the Hoosiers are projected to be a consensus top-25 team and a Big Ten title contender, according to preseason rankings by the national media.
Indiana lost six players - Xavier Johnson, Anthony Walker, Kel’el Ware, CJ Gunn, Kaleb Banks, and Payton Sparks - and replaced them with Myles Rice, Kanaan Carlyle, Luke Goode, Bryson Tucker, Oumar Ballo, and Langdon Hatton. Returning Hoosiers from last season include Malik Reneau, Trey Galloway, Mackenzie Mgbako, Anthony Leal, Gabe Cupps, and Jakai Newton.
A Look at the Starting Lineup
Four of the five starting spots seem pretty much set in stone: Myles Rice at point guard, Mackenzie Mgbako at small forward, Malik Reneau at power forward, and Oumar Ballo at center. The starting shooting guard spot is where it gets interesting. Indiana added Stanford transfer Kanaan Carlyle, who’s more of a combo guard or a scoring guard. Another top candidate is Trey Galloway. By necessity, Galloway shifted into more of a point guard role last season, and he averaged a career-high 4.6 assists per game.
The Indiana Hoosiers are looking to turn the corner and become a relevant team in the Big Ten
The Frontcourt and Lineup Rotations
The addition of Illinois transfer Luke Goode and Bellarmine transfer Langdon Hatton, who can both knock down threes, give Woodson some versatile options and interesting lineup combination possibilities. The challenge for Woodson is getting a roster with six new players to operate as a cohesive unit, but as of now, I’d put Indiana safely in the top three among Big Ten teams.
Injury Updates
Woodson mentioned on May 29 that Galloway is still going through rehab and not on the floor yet, but Woodson is hoping and thinking he’ll be ready when the season starts. Galloway had surgery in April to address a meniscus injury he suffered on March 10. Jakai Newton is recovering from a meniscus injury that kept him out of part of his senior season of high school and all of the 2023-24 season with Indiana. He’ll still have four years of eligibility.
The Play Style
Indiana certainly should be able to play at a faster pace after bringing in Rice and Carlyle. Both are dynamic guards that can get to the basket, create their own shot, and make plays for their teammates. At the same time, it’d be silly not to utilize Reneau and Ballo, who shot 59% and 65.8%, respectively, on 2-point attempts last year. Woodson mentioned last week that Ballo doesn’t need the ball in his hands as much as former Hoosier Trayce Jackson-Davis did.
The Indiana Hoosiers are looking to turn the corner and become a relevant team in the Big Ten
Three-Point Shooting
This is certainly an area where Indiana must improve after ranking 273rd out of 363 teams with a 32.4% 3-point percentage last season, and there are feasible paths to get there. Internally, Mackenzie Mgbako shot 32.7% on the season but 40.9% across 44 attempts in his final seven Big Ten regular season games. With a year of college under his belt, it wouldn’t be surprising to see his percentage rise. The most important source of 3-point improvement relies on the transfers. Goode is a career 38.8% 3-point shooter on 219 attempts in three seasons at Illinois, and he’s the reliable, veteran spot-up 3-point shooter Indiana lacked a year ago.
The Indiana Hoosiers are looking to turn the corner and become a relevant team in the Big Ten
Conclusion
With a new lineup and improved guard play, the Indiana Hoosiers are looking to turn the corner and become a relevant team in the Big Ten. They have a strong frontcourt and a deep bench, and they should be able to play at a faster pace this season. While there are still some questions about the team’s three-point shooting, there are feasible paths to improvement. With a year of college under their belt, the Hoosiers should be able to rise to the challenge and make a deep run in the Big Ten tournament.
