5 questions on Indiana basketball heading into summer workouts

Indiana basketball will have its roster on campus by this time next week with summer workouts getting underway the first week of June. There is a lot of excitement surrounding the roster this year with the combination of returnees in addition to the No. 2 transfer class and No. 14 overall class. The roster will have a much different DNA than in previous years but this is likely to be the best roster from a talent perspective since Mike Woodson has arrived in Bloomington.

Woodson and the entire Indiana basketball staff answered a lot of questions this offseason with the work it did in the transfer portal but there is still a lot of work do to this summer and in the fall before IU takes the floor in November.

With that, here are some initial thoughts, questions and takeaways thus far and what’s ahead for Indiana.

Does Indiana bank the 13th scholarship this year?

I think the answer is yes on this one. This situation is much different than a season ago when Indiana went into the year with 12 scholarship players. That number dwindled down to 11 when freshman guard Jakai Newton got inured and missed the entire season. The depth heading into 2024-25 is much more talented than any other season under Mike Woodson, so if an injury were to occur, the ability to replace that player could be done.

If you’re looking at two spots that IU could theoretically use another body, you look at the front court and potentially a hybrid forward type piece. Indiana added needed depth to its roster with the 12th scholarship when Bellarmine forward Langdon Hatton committed, but he’s not a very potent three-point threat, much like the rest of the Indiana front court. If someone becomes available, or there’s even a late potential 2024 prospect who opens his recruitment, then maybe you look at that spot just for added depth. But, outside of that, Indiana can realistically already go 11 deep if it wants. That’s a very far cry from years 1-3 for Mike Woodson.

How does McDonald’s All-American Bryson Tucker fit into the rotation?

It’s not everyday when you’re questioning exactly how a McDonald’s All-American would fit into a roster. Typically it’s more along the lines of, ‘how many points will he score’ or ‘can he be a one-and-done player’. That’s not the case with Tucker. Tucker committed to Indiana following the de-commitment of Liam McNeeley. It was a much-needed addition before the transfer portal opened up to have some idea of incoming players.

Related: Quick Observations — Thoughts on new Indiana basketball commit Bryson Tucker at McDonald’s All-American Game

With the return of Co-Big Ten Freshman of the Year Mackenzie Mgbako and addition of Stanford guard Kanaan Carlyle, there isn’t much space in the starting lineup — not that he was going to have that spot to begin with. Then you add in Trey Galloway — the heart and soul of the Indiana basketball program over the past year or two — and you start to look at the minutes that may or may not be there for Tucker. The role that was there was already in a more ‘limited’ setting before sharpshooter Luke Goode transferred to Indiana and now you have four proven wings and guards who will definitely play significant minutes.

There’s no doubting Tucker’s talent — he was a McDonald’s All-American for a reason. But, he isn’t terrific in one specific area, rather very good across multiple. So, where will he end up in the rotation? It’s an important summer for the talented wing.

How does Trey Galloway’s knee injury impact his summer involvement?

Trey Galloway has dealt with injuries throughout the entirety of his Indiana basketball career but this past year he was injury free until the final game of the year when he played just a few minutes before exiting. He would miss the remainder of the game and the entire Big Ten Tournament. Sources indicated it was a meniscus injury that he would have surgery on. That was later confirmed by additional reports. He was expected to miss a few months which would put him out of part of the summer. With so many new pieces, how will this impact his spot in the potential starting lineup and his overall chemistry with the rest of the team?

This past season he averaged 10.6 points, 2.9 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game and became a very effective main ball handler and point guard. He become one of just four Indiana basketball players in program history to have at least three 11-assist games, joining Isiah Thomas, Jamal Meeks and Michael Lewis. His assist percentage for the season was ninth in the Big Ten, but sixth in conference-only games.

Related: Indiana basketball head coach Mike Woodson provides injury update on Trey Galloway

While Galloway had big time scoring games last year — 28 against Kansas, 25 against Ohio State and 17 against Purdue — that hasn’t been the norm in his career. In fact, seven of his 10 highest-scoring games came last season. While his shot suffered — dropping from 46.2 percent from three to 26 percent — a lot can be contributed to the lack of playmakers and shooters around him like the year prior. That should likely increase again next year.

Galloway is going to be an extremely important piece to the puzzle next year, and may be the most valuable player in a lot of aspects from a leadership, energy and playmaking perspective. Regardless if he starts or is the sixth man, he’s going to play heavy minutes. He needs to be fully healthy, however.

Can Jakai Newton play his way into the rotation?

The backcourt is loaded for Indiana, there’s no question about it. It is talented, deep and skilled. But, can redshirt freshman Jakai Newton find a role? The four-star guard missed his freshman season after a knee injury over the summer. He has been dealing with a knee injury for most of the last year and a half, dating back to the beginning of his senior season of high school. There’s a specific skillset that Newton can bring to the guard rotation and that’s his defense and legit NBA-type athleticism.

Newton is a 6-foot-3 and 205-pound guard who is best known for his thunderous dunks, elite athleticism and defensive ability. He always plays with a high motor and extreme toughness and those are two things that are difficult to teach. There’s no doubt he would have seen minutes last year with IU’s inability to showcase those two aspects each and every game. The biggest question is; will he be ready? Newton hasn’t played high-level basketball consistently in nearly two years. That’s a long, long time at this level. Add in the fact that he hasn’t played a second of college basketball yet and there are still some major concerns about his impact next year and beyond.

A full summer of conditioning, getting back into basketball shape and playing live action again is a great start. That will be the goal over the next few months. The competitiveness in him will want more and that’s one aspect that I think could spearhead a small push into a back-end of the rotation piece next year.

Will three-point shooting be improved on from last year?

There is no question that last year was a season to forget when it came to shooting the ball. Indiana was abysmal from three-point range … and that may be putting it nicely. On the season, Indiana shot 32.4 percent from three, ranked 273rd in the country. Even worse, it ranked 351st overall in three-point rate and 355th in total points from three. The Hoosiers finished the season getting outscored by 354 points on 3s.

On the year, IU only had two players make more than 25 3s, Mackenzie Mgbako and Trey Galloway. Both shot less than 33 percent. Kel’el Ware was the top three-point shooter on the team at 42.7 percent on 17 made 3s. While Mgbako came on late and shot 35 percent in the last 28 games, there was no other option from the perimeter. Indiana went out and landed sharpshooter Luke Goode — who made 61 3s off of the bench last year and is a career 38.9 percent three-point shooter. They landed Myles Rice and Kanaan Carlyle in the backcourt, but both are streaky shooters.

There is no question the potential to have a better shooting team is there, but will the results show? Indiana isn’t going to be a lethal and super high-volume shooting team with its front court play as dominant as it’s expected to be once again, but the volume needs to increase drastically to improve the overall offense. The playmakers are there to open up the floor, but time will tell.

SEE ALSO: Indiana basketball is likely done — for the immediate future — with its 2024 class. Here’s what Mike Woodson had to say about his additions

Make sure to follow Hoosier Illustrated, part of the Full Ride Network, on Twitter @Indiana_FRN, Facebook and YouTube to stay up to date on all of the news, updates and coverage of Indiana University athletics. You can also listen to the Talking’ Bout the Hoosiers podcast on Spotify.

Looking for a place to get more Indiana content? Hoosier Illustrated has partnered with Tom Brady’s company ‘Autograph’ to streamline our coverage, so you can continue to do what you do best – follow IU sports. Use the CODE: Indianafr to get started today. For more info, you can start here.