Welcome to my team preview series for 2024-25. Each day between now and the start of the college basketball season, I will preview one team or conference, both on Instagram (@collegehoopsoutlet) and through an article here. The preview will go in-depth on the roster build of the team, my expectations for their upcoming season, and the state of the program under their current head coach.
Indiana (Projected: 2nd in B1G)
Year four of the Mike Woodson era at Indiana should garner the attention of every college basketball fan. Back at his alma mater, Woodson has reached two NCAA Tournaments in three seasons, but the overall feeling is that he hasn’t gotten the most out of the talent he’s had. In 2024-25, he might have his most talented roster yet, and another year falling short of expectations could see Woodson out the door.
The two most important returners for Woodson both reside in Indiana’s frontcourt, with Malik Reneau (15 ppg, 6 rpg) and Mackenzie Mgbako (12 ppg, 4 rpg) both back for another season. Reneau blossomed into a star in the Big Ten last season as a sophomore, an efficient scorer from the field and a good all-around forward. Mgbako gives the Hoosier lineup some extra height, standing at 6-8 and predominantly playing the three. Mgbako had a handful of great performances as a freshman, but his three-point shooting hasn’t been as consistent as many would’ve hoped. Neither Reneau nor Mgbako may see huge jumps in their production this year with plenty of new pieces coming in, but I think both will become slightly more efficient in their efforts.
Four guards return to the backcourt for Indiana on top of Reneau and Mgbako returning to the frontcourt. Trey Galloway (11 ppg, 5 apg) took a jump last season as a true senior, although is three-point shooting numbers fell off a cliff. Now back as a fifth-year guy, he should be one of the vocal leaders of this team and have an important role once again in the backcourt. Gabe Cupps (3 ppg) started 22 games as a freshman for the Hoosiers last year due to other injuries, and while he likely slides down in the rotation due to the incoming transfers, he’ll be a solid backup point guard for Mike Woodson. Anthony Leal (2 ppg) is back for a fifth season with the Hoosiers, although he’ll likely be deep in the rotation once again. Redshirt freshman guard Jakai Newton could be an interesting piece in the backcourt, suiting up for the first time in his Hoosier career after coming in as a four-star in the class of 2023.
Six players left Indiana this offseason, highlighted by star big man Kel’el Ware (16 ppg, 10 rpg). Veteran point guard Xavier Johnson (8 ppg) and sophomore guard CJ Gunn (4 ppg) are the two departures from the backcourt, while forwards Anthony Walker (5 ppg), Kaleb Banks (3 ppg) and Payton Sparks (2 ppg) depart from the frontcourt.
As mentioned earlier, this Indiana roster could be the most talented Mike Woodson has had, and that is in large part due to the incoming transfer class. Myles Rice (15 ppg, 4 rpg at Washington State) should step in and become the Hoosiers’ lead guard, coming over from Washington State after helping lead the Cougars to their first NCAA Tournament in 16 years and winning the final Pac 12 Freshman of the Year award. Rice will be just a sophomore next season but has already been through so much in his college career, missing what would’ve been his redshirt freshman season in 2022-23 due to a battle with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. One of the more inspirational stories in the sport, Rice will have neutral fans like me tuning in to Indiana games to cheer him on. Next to Rice will be another young, former Pac 12 guard in Stanford transfer Kanaan Carlyle (12 ppg at Stanford). Carlyle wasn’t the most efficient scorer as a freshman, but his 28-point performance in a win over #4 Arizona in his fourth career college game sets the tone for his potential.
On the wing, Luke Goode (6 ppg, 4 rpg at Illinois) could quietly be one of the more important guys on this Indiana roster, by far the best shooter on the team according to the numbers (38.9% 3P). Goode will likely come off the bench, but his shooting will be necessary for Indiana to compete at the top of the Big Ten. Another incoming wing is freshman Bryson Tucker (4*, NAT 20) who will almost certainly have an impact as a freshman. Tucker doesn’t have a three-point shot like Goode, but his athleticism should allow him to be a solid option on the wing, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
The newcomers don’t stop there for the Hoosiers though, with three incoming forwards into the frontcourt. Oumar Ballo (13 ppg, 10 rpg at Arizona) is the big name to watch for, a dominant option in the paint for Arizona over the last two seasons. Ballo does exactly what he needs to as a center, defend the paint, rebound the basketball, and put away anything within six feet from the basket. Langdon Hatton (11 ppg, 7 rpg at Bellarmine) doesn’t have the eye-popping numbers for an incoming Big Ten transfer but should be another guy to battle down low and give Ballo some much need breathers throughout the run of play. Dallas James (1 ppg at South Carolina State) also joins the Hoosiers, although I don’t see a world where he has a big impact other than giving Ballo a physical battle during practice as another 7-footer.
Year four will be a proving year for Mike Woodson, and if things go south with this talented roster, we may be discussing a new coach for Indiana at this time next year. I’m willing to see this Indiana team in a positive light and cut Woodson some slack for not having his starting point guard for much of last season. The only thing I’m worried about for this team is the fit. Shooting was the problem for Indiana last season, and outside of Luke Goode, none of the newcomers really address that issue. If Woodson can get the pieces to mesh, props to him, and we’ll likely see him still on the sidelines come the final weekend of March.
Malik Reneau is back for Indiana and could be an All-Big Ten player. Mackenzie Mgbako is back for his sophomore season and should take a jump. Oumar Ballo, Myles Rice, and Kanaan Carlyle should be highly impactful transfers for the Hoosiers. The problem is that Reneau was the best three-point shooter of the bunch last season at 33.3%. I believe in the sophomore trio of Rice, Carlyle, and Mgbako to take a step up in that category, but it remains to be seen just how much they improve. My X-factor for this team is Myles Rice, as I think his role at point guard will be important to get all of these other guys involved and hopefully there will be a lot of open shots that guys can actually knock down this season. The wave of the 2024-25 campaign for the Hoosiers will rest on the shoulders of whoever can start making three-point shots in their primary rotation.
The top of the Big Ten is insanely even, and talent-wise Indiana may have the rest of the conference beat. I’m very worried about the three-point shooting for this team though, as that was one of the main flaws last season. Talent alone I have to buy into what this team has though, and guys like Carlyle, Rice, and Mgbako could defintely make a jump in their sophomore years. As of now, I’ll take the Hoosiers to finish second in the Big Ten, just behind their archrivals Purdue.