Last Year: 23-12; Second (12-8) in the Big Ten Conference, lost in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament
Head Coach: Mike Woodson (Third Year; 44-26 at Indiana, with two NCAA Tournament appearances)
Projected Starting Lineup
| PG Xavier Johnson – 6’3″, 200 – Senior (5th) |
| SG Trey Galloway – 6’4″, 210 – Senior |
| SF Mackenzie Mgbako – 6’8″, 210 – Freshman |
| PF Malik Reneau – 6’9″, 233 – Sophomore |
| C Kel’el Ware – 7’0″, 242 – Sophomore |
Projected Starters’ 2022-23 Stats
Xavier Johnson: 9.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 4.9 apg, 1.2 spg – 37.0% 3FG in 11 games played
Trey Galloway: 6.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.1 apg, 0.7 spg – 46.2% 3FG
Mackenzie Mgbako: 5-star prospect
Malik Reneau: 6.1 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 0.8 apg, 0.5 spg – 55.3% FG
Kel’el Ware: 6.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.3 bpg, 0.4 spg – 45.7% FG @ Oregon
Experienced Reserves
| C Payton Sparks – 6’10”, 258 – Junior |
| G Anthony Leal – 6’5″, 200 – Senior |
| F Anthony Walker – 6’8″, 215 – Senior (5th) |
| W CJ Gunn – 6’6″, 198 – Sophomore |
| F Kaleb Banks – 6’8″, 220 – Sophomore |
Experienced Reserves’ 2022-23 Stats
Payton Sparks: 13.3 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 1.9 apg, 0.9 bpg – 58.8% FG @ Ball State
Anthony Leal: 0.2 ppg, 0.2 rpg, 0.1 apg, 0.1 spg – 100.0% FT
Anthony Walker: 2.8 ppg, 1.2 rpg, 0.3 apg, 0.3 spg – 42.3% FG @ Miami (FL)
CJ Gunn: 2.0 ppg, 0.6 rpg, 0.4 apg, 0.5 spg – 30.9% FG
Kaleb Banks: 2.0 ppg, 0.9 rpg, 0.3 apg, 0.2 spg – 55.2% FG
Freshmen
| G Jakai Newton – 6’3″, 203 – Freshman – Consensus Top 150 recruit |
| G Gabe Cupps – 6’2″, 175 – Freshman – Consensus Top 150 recruit |
There have been a lot of incredible players in Indiana basketball history. As a program, thus, the Hoosiers have experience in developing a new identity after one of the greats has graduated and moving forward.
With All-American big man Trayce Jackson-Davis having departed – and with him steady forward Race Thompson, sharpshooter Miller Kopp and outstanding freshman scorer Jalen Hood-Schifino – Indiana gazes on towards a new horizon this fall.
In their absence, and in a departure from much of IU’s history, this year’s team will play a bit differently. A bit quicker, with a bit more of a focus on the perimeter, and a whole-hearted investment in the more positionless, versatile style of basketball which has become so popular at the sport’s highest levels. The Hoosiers’ head coach, Mike Woodson, feels deeply familiar with the dynamic approach he’s now getting to implement. After all, he was in the NBA when attitudes were beginning to shift.
“In Atlanta I caught a lot of hell early on when we built that team. It was basically 6’7″, 6’8″, 6’9″ players…I think you gotta always build a defensive system first and then figure it out offensively, and that’s what we did in Atlanta. We switched a lot and became a pretty good defensive team,” Woodson said this summer. “I caught a lot of hell for our team switching and hell, now everybody switches. I’m not saying I set the stage for it, but I look at high school, I look at AAU ball, I look at college, I look at the pros, everybody switches and then basically forces you into making a decision based on the switch.”
This year, Indiana has long, longer and longest athletes all over the court. Coach ‘Woody’ has worked both the Transfer Portal and recruiting ranks to build a modern model team – and their coach is excited to unleash what he’s built.
With so much being new, it’s a good thing that Woodson has a familiar ‘old man’ coming back to run the show. Xavier Johnson has already taken the floor for the start of five collegiate seasons, but he is back to guide the Hoosiers one last time anyway. He received a hardship waiver from the NCAA to play this winter after breaking his foot only 11 games into last season and missing the rest of the year. Now, Woodson has one of the nation’s most experienced playmakers around to ensure that the new guys understand how things should be done. And, if Johnson can turn in the most consistent season of his career, one of the nation’s better lead guards.
When he’s at his best, Johnson is smoothly running the pick-and-roll, choosing his spots to drop in timely triples, and hounding the other team’s best guard with fierce defense. Sometimes, though, Johnson has gotten mired in clusters of turnovers and missed shots which he really could have chosen not to chuck. Johnson has been a fairly streaky player, but he can virtually win a game on his own sometimes, and Woodson is looking forward to Johnson being his best self.
Johnson is one of the Big Ten’s top defensive guards and can disrupt both his man and the rhythm of the other team’s overall attack. Combined with Trey Galloway, he gives IU a pair of big, quality defensive guards who can take on a variety of assignments. Though Johnson can fall in love with the jumper, he generally mixes his offensive approach well, and owns both a 38.0% 3FG rate from deep and a 35.8% assist rate in an Indiana uniform.
It’s tough to say exactly which player was the more hyped recruit between 2023 5-star big man Kel’el Ware and 2024 5-star forward Mackenzie Mgbako. Happily for Woodson, both of them are now Indiana Hoosiers, and together, they’ll cause plenty more excitement this season.
Ware arrived at Oregon last year with as much fanfare as any big man the Ducks had landed in years. And, though he was one of three talented centers on the roster, Ware acquitted himself fairly well, flashing all of the skills which continue to keep NBA scouts keenly interested in him. Ware looks like an archetypal NBA center; he’s big and long, runs the floor smoothly, has real range on his jump shot, and possesses both soft hands and the desire to stuff anything within arm’s reach of the rim. As with many of the most talented young post players, Ware needs only to develop his strength, patience and motor in order to become a monster. In Eugene, where star senior N’Faly Dante and Nate Bittle – who owns a similar skillset to Ware – are continuing to establish themselves, Ware was seen as the least committed craftsman of the trio. The word lazy was even tossed about.
“When I recruited that young man, I told him, ‘You cannot go back to what happened the year before. You can’t. The word’s out. They knocked you. They said you were lazy. And if you commit to me, that’s got to change,’” Woodson told 247 Sports this summer. “He made the commitment to me, and I’m going to push him to play at a higher level to help us win basketball games.” Now, Woodson – who has coached in the NBA, where Ware aspires to soon play, will develop Ware with an eye towards featuring the budding center as a featured part of the IU attack. Ware injured his shoulder during fall practices, but it is nor expected to be a significant issue for the youngster. Ware knocked down 15 triples last year, and though he did so at just a 27.3% rate, looks confident stepping into a jumper. He’s got good form, and as he finds consistency from the outside, Ware should worry opponents enough with his perimeter skill to allow him tremendous opportunities to score inside. Likewise, Ware’s defensive potential is off the charts. He moves easily for such a large player, can block shots while hardly leaving the ground, and has rare burst and quickness in tight corners around the paint. When the light goes on for Ware, he should become one of the best frontcourt players around.
With the height and length of a young post player, Mbako is also blessed with the fluidity and grace of a guard
One of the most pursued prospects of the past recruiting cycle, Mbako is another player that pro scouts esteem highly. With the height and length of a young post player, Mbako is also blessed with the fluidity and grace of a guard, and is tremendously comfortable handling and shooting the ball. “His shot-making from behind the arc is his best asset,” said Adam Finkelstein of 247 Sports when evaluating Mbako. “He can also make the types of shots that translate to the next level – pick-and-pop threes, slipping out of ball screens to make shots on the move, or creating space with a series of side-step or step-back shots.” Mbako is one of those rare youngsters who just makes playing high level basketball look simple. Though not the most extraordinary athlete of his class, Mbako is graceful running the floor and has a compact, repeatable release which seems to come very naturally to him.
“Mackenzie is a dynamic player,” Woodson said upon winning the race for Mbako’s commitment. “He has the chance to have an immediate impact on our program. He’s a tremendous offensive player who gives us athleticism, length and the ability to be an inside/out threat. He can beat people off the dribble, rebound, run the floor and guard multiple positions.” Last year, Hood-Schifino was fantastic, and took over games for stretches. Mbako has a similar ability to heat up and carry his side. He is also quite unselfish and understands when to give the ball up. He also has good vision, awareness, and passing skills which should lead to no shortage of quick looks for his buddies inside. If Mbako is ready to consistently be the player he’s hinted at becoming – and can avoid the craving for late night tacos – he may be one of the better players in the Big Ten during his one year of college.
On a lot of other teams, players like Malik Reneau and the aforementioned Galloway might be featured options. For these Hoosiers, they will be the fourth and fifth starters, respectively.
Reneau had a very solid rookie year, emerging as a quality #3 big man, and he’s shown looks of becoming a future stalwart. Despite averaging just under 15 minutes per game, Reneau scored nine points or more nine times in his first season, proved that he could fight grown dudes in the Big Ten for rebounds, and even step out to the three point arc. Reneau has continued that momentum into the offseason. He’s added strength and gotten into better shape in anticipation of playing the 4 spot, and partnered with a local restaurant to sell a burger which in equal parts benefits local charities and befuddled his coach. “I hope Race ain’t here to hear this, but you know, [Reneau is] a guy that he’s more skilled than Race, honestly,” Johnson told Hoosiers Now this fall. “He’s a guy that has followed in Race’s footsteps and has seen what Race did at the four, and he’s a guy that can honestly grow.” Renau has good mitts and is generally coordinated with the ball in his hands. While his 59.8% mark on attempts near the cup was great in his rookie year, even more exciting was Reneau’s 52.5% rate on 61 mid-range tries, per Bart Torvik. If he and Ware can join Mbako in worrying the opposing bigs with their jumpers and disorder their ranks, IU’s offense should be a model of proper spacing and opportunity.
Galloway enters his fourth year in Bloomington with 35 career starts already on his resumé. Over the past two campaigns, he’s averaged 25 minutes per game, handed out two assists for every turnover, played stout defense against a host of quality scorers, and shot 38.7% from the land of…trey. There are lots of players who will be called a ‘glue guy’ this season, but Galloway has proven to be one of the most deserving of that title. Named team co-captain along with Johnson, Galloway plays very hard, is plenty physical, communicates and keeps his guys organized, and leads by deed. On a team which will feature plenty of young and new faces, Galloway is a vitally important steady presence. “My dad was a coach in high school, so I kind of learned a lot from him as a leadership standpoint because I was with him so much,” Galloway told reporters at Indiana’s Media Day this September. “But I think just kind of trusting my instincts and trusting myself…I think it’s going to really be important for me to be vocal and help those younger guys.” Woodson trusts Galloway as the offense’s secondary facilitator, and hopes to see Galloway’s strong second half shooting the ball last winter become his new standard. As has been the case for years now, the Hoosiers will be better when Galloway is on the floor.
| Five Stats Which Tell The Tale (with national ranks) |
| 15.2 – Assists Per Game (33rd) |
| 7.5 – Opponent 3FG Made Per Game (221st) |
| 5.7 – 3FG Made Per Game (327th) |
| 5.1 – Blocks Per Game (12th) |
| 48.7% – Team Shooting Per Game (7th) |
The Hoosiers also welcome Anthony Leal back to provide tremendous hype on the bench, as well as some spot minutes off of it. Leal, who won Mr Basketball in Indiana as a high school senior and is from Bloomington, pledged to the previous coaching staff and has largely played a reserve role as a Hoosier. He’s a terrific practice player and is emblematic of yhe enthusiasm there is for the Hoosiers in their state. He won’t play much, but IU enjoys Leal’s contributions all the same.
There is real, quality depth to this group, and lots of the talent is young. One exception is former Miami Hurricane Anthony Walker. A four-year contributor in Coral Gables, Walker transferred to the Hoosiers for his final season after seeing his role diminish on loaded Miami squads which made deep runs in the NCAA Tournament each of the past two seasons. Now, Walker is bringing that experience to Indiana. He actually saw the Hoosiers last year, and scored four points with a steal as Miami knocked Woodson’s squad out of the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen. There, Walker posted seven points and a pair of blocks as the Canes romped all over #1 seed Houston. Walker is a versatile forward who fits in a perimeter-oriented lineup or can play as a stretch-4. Though he owns just a 20.6% career rate from distance, Walker has knocked down 29 career triples, and has made 51.0% of all his attempts inside the arc. Walker can be a very effective defender, and uses his reach well to disrupt opponents’ shot attempts. If he can put it all together as this group’s experienced and productive first big guy off the bench, it will give Woodson very useful lineup possibilities.
| Five Out-of-Conference Games to Keep an Eye on |
| vs Kansas – December 16 |
| N – UConn – November 19 |
| N – Auburn – December 9 |
| vs Maryland – December 1 |
| @ Michigan – December 5 |
A pair of sophomore with intriguing size and skill will vie for prime minutes off of the IU bench. Kaleb Banks and CJ Gunn each averaged two points per game as deep reserves last year, but each youngster has previously shown that he can fill it up. Gunn, a lanky 6’6″ shooter, has projectible potential as a 3-and-D wing. He shot it poorly from the outside as a rookie, but Gunn’s form is smooth and he knocked down deep balls consistently in high school, so it’s hoped to be just a matter of time before Gunn’s light comes on. “He’s got some of the most confidence I’ve ever seen,” Galloway said this summer of Gunn. “He’s always looking for his shot, and he can make shots. He’s done a great job of staying in the gym and working on his game.” Gunn is also quick and has long, active arms on the other end. Banks is the bigger player, but possesses perimeter skills of his own and should contribute whether Woodson wants to go big or small. IU will be able to comfortably field multiple lineups where only one player stands shorter than 6’6″ for stretches this year, and Woodson will be able to switch to his heart’s content. “I’m expecting some big things,” Woodson declared when speaking of his sophomores this summer. “I can’t wait on them. I need them to be ready to play this season.”
Ware may have the most potential of IU’s bigs, but Ball State import Payton Sparks is an experienced inside player who will push the 5-star talent for prime minutes in the post. In two All-MAC seasons with the Cardinals, Sparks posted nearly identical stat lines. He averaged about 13.5 points and just under nine boards each season while starting every game of his career thus far and shooting 56.0% from the floor. “We brought him in because he bangs. He gets after it, and that’s what I like about him. I mean, I don’t care who’s on the floor, he rebounds, he hits you,” Woodson said after landing Sparks, who grew up in Winchester, IN, and has been a Hoosiers fan since childhood. “He does all the little, dirty stuff that nobody wants to do. So I mean, that should help us in the long run I think.” Sparks has made more than 60% of his shot attempts near the rim over his first two years with 50 dunks, per Bart Torvik. He ranked third in the MAC in offensive rebounds in each of his seasons at Ball State, and provides a rock-solid #2 option at the pivot.
Mbako isn’t the only freshman Hoosiers fans are excited to see this year, but the IU faithful may have to wait another year to get a proper look at one member of their class of 2023. Jakai Newton is a 4-star wing with explosive athleticism and tremendous physical strength. Unfortunately, he’s already dealt with knee injuries in his young career, and may miss the upcoming season following a microfracture procedure. No certain timeline has yet been established for his projected recovery, but after he reinjured himself heroically trying to come back a d play hurt for his high school team, Indiana is far more focused on Newton’s long-term healing than his ability to play right now.
The team’s other freshman, and one who figures to play a significant role, is Dayton, Ohio product Gabe Cupps. Like Newton, Cupps has been rated just outside of the national Top 100 rankings, but Woodson and his staff know that they’re getting a far better player than can be measured height or timing. Cupps, named Ohio’s Me. Basketball, is just that: all about the game. He’s a special young kid,” Walsh said. “He loves the game, and he does not cheat the game,” IU assistant coach Brian Walsh told the Hoosier Hysterics! Podcast this summer after becoming familiar with the habits which are natural to Cupps. “If he has to catch a flight at 4:30 in the morning, he will work out before the flight at 4:30. And he’s done that for 10 years straight, and that’s why he is where he is.” Cupps is a highly capable distributor and composed ballhandler who should prove a strong option to run Indiana’s second unit right out of the box. Cupps isn’t a tremendous athlete, but possesses all of the intangibles that coaches look for in a point guard. If he can handle the physicality and athleticism of the Big Ten in the years to come, IU may have just found its new maestro.
Woodson has a team this year like he might design in a lab, if given the chance. The look of the Hoosiers will be very professional; they’re long and athletic at each spot, and every player can make shots.
“We’ll be more athletic than last year,” Johnson told the Indianapolis Star this fall. “It’s hard to compete with Trayce’s athletic ability, but I think Kel’el (Ware) is up there. He’s seven-foot and he can actually jump out of the gym as well, and he can spread the floor out and shoot. Mgbako, he can shoot, he can score at all three levels. I mean, I can go down a list. I’m not gonna name all of ’em, but I think we have some pretty solid pieces coming in.”
If the Hoosier can get all of their talent healthy and rolling in the same direction, this team could be very hard to stop. There are some excellent teams at the top of the Big Ten, but the Hoosiers shoukd be able to match up with them physically. The can also play to their coach’s ideals, and should be able to really run when they choose to. It’s may take a bit to get everything humming, but the Hoosiers will have vast potential this season.
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