Breaking down each upcoming transfer portal visit for Indiana basketball

While Indiana basketball has been deep in transfer portal mode since the season ended last month, the Hoosiers are set to finally start getting visits from the many targets they have been in contact with. This will be the first week that Mike Woodson and Indiana will host some crucial visits as they look to set their most ahead of the 2024-25 season.

As it stands right now, Indiana has six open scholarships to fill next season. The Hoosiers return a solid group of players from last year’s roster lead by the likes of Trey Galloway, Malik Reneua, and Mackenzie Mgbako.

The only new player that Indiana basketball will be bringing in so far next season is 2024 five-star wing and McDonald’s All-American Bryson Tucker, who the Hoosiers were able to get a late commitment from this spring.

The Hoosiers kick off their first of four confirmed visits in the month of April this week. Below is a breakdown of each player that is confirmed to visit Bloomington in the coming month and how they would ‘fit’ for Indiana basketball next season. We also have a have names listed as visits to keep an eye on.

Connor Hickman (Guard)

(Syndication: Peoria Journal Star)

School: Bradley

Visit Date: April 14

The Fit: If Indiana basketball were to land Connor Hickman, the Hoosiers would get an instant ‘program guy.’ Hickman, who is native of Bloomington, is coming off a really good career at Bradley and junior season that saw him average 14.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 40.2 percent from three, making 2.4 3s per game. While he would like not be starter when looking at the other guards that Indiana would be possibly bringing in, Hickman would play a key role in the backcourt of the Hoosiers while being someone Mike Woodson and the fans would be looking to help improve the three-point shot-making. He also has ties with fellow Indiana basketball senior guard Anthony Leal as they both played high school together so there is already a built-in connection there. He also has the honor of being the first player in transfer portal to already meet with the Indiana basketball with the in-home visit last week. He would fit extremely well into the backcourt/perimeter for Indiana basketball.

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Kanaan Carlyle (Guard)

(Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-USA TODAY Sports)

School: Stanford

Visit Date: April 19-21

The Fit: When the transfer portal first opened up, Stanford guard Kanaan Carlyle was not only one of the first top guards to enter but also one of the first players that Indiana basketball reached out to. It is no secret at all, Indiana basketball is looking for top tier guards to help improve the struggling backcourt from a season ago. While he played all the way out west in Stanford this past season, he is a Georgia native so there is a tie there with Indiana assistant coach Yasir Rosemond. At 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, is a dynamic athlete and scorer while doing a terrific job getting to the rim. If he were to go to Indiana basketball, Caryle would be without question the No. 1 playmaker for the Hoosiers and would be the guy with the ball in his hands most of the time initiating the offense. Indiana has had a quick on-ball guard the last three years with Xavier Johnson and if Carlyle were to commit, it would be another fast guard leading the backcourt for Indiana however at a much more controlled pace. This is a top target for Indiana in the transfer portal, one that could help improve the backcourt.

More: Could John Calipari’s expected departure from Kentucky cause ripple effect for Indiana basketball?

Pharrel Payne (Forward)

(Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports)

School: Minnesota

Visit Date: Estimated April 12-13

The Fit: While Indiana basketball is rightfully targeting a ton of backcourt/perimeter players in the transfer portal, let’s not forget that there are a few big holes still needed in the frontcourt next season. As it stands right now, Malik Reneau is the only true frontcourt piece for Indiana basketball next season so he needs some help. One of the players that could help Indiana’s frontcourt next season is Minnesota transfer forward Pharrel Payne, who will be the first player to visit Indiana this month later this week. Payne is one of the more high upside big men in the transfer portal after having a really good sophomore season for the Gophers. Payne is a 6-foot-9 and 250-pound big man who is a good shot blocker and rebounder, aka the type of big man Mike Woodson would love to have. While it is unclear if he would be starter in the frontcourt for Indiana, he would help in a lot of keys areas when it comes to playing around the paint, especially in rebounding, a category Indiana has struggled with recently. He won’t be someone that could help stretch the floor, but would be another anchor in the frontcourt. He has two years of eligibility left.

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Amari Williams (Forward)

(Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports)

School: Drexel

Visit Date: April 19-21

The Fit: Keeping with the frontcourt here, Drexel senior forward Amari Williams is another big man that Mike Woodson would easily fall in love with. Indiana is going to be without the defensive presence of Kel’el Ware — who opted to enter the NBA Draft — so there is a key need in the defensive frontcourt player for the Hoosiers next season. Williams is a guy that can step right in and fill that void as he is a terrific defender and shot blocker. Williams led the CAA in blocks for the third straight season and has averaged 1.8 blocks per game over the last three seasons. His block rate this season was 8.3 percent and for his career is 8.7 percent. To put that into prospective, Ware had a 6.5 percent block rate this season so Williams would actually be an improvement as crazy as that sounds. Williams is also a player that can get it done offensively as he angered 12.2 points per game and earned eight double-doubles this season. While his situation as to whether he would be a starter or not for Indiana is similar to Payne, he is a more experience big and arguably the top portal big there is right now. He should be the top target for Hoosiers in the frontcourt right now. He will on the Bloomington campus the same time as Stanford transfer guard Kanaan Carlyle.

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Oumar Ballo (Center)

(Mandatory Credit: Zachary BonDurant-USA TODAY Sports)

School: Arizona

Visit Date: April 14-16

The Fit: Another visit has officially been set up for Indiana basketball in the month of April in Arizona transfer big man Oumar Ballo, 24/7 High School Hoops first reported. His Indiana visit will take place early next week followed by visits to Louisville, North Carolina, and Florida the following week. Ballo is coming off another fantastic year playing for the Arizona Wildcats averaging 12.9 points, 10.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks this season. When it comes to players in the transfer portal, Ballo is arguably the top ‘true big’ that is available. He spent his first two seasons at Gonzaga before playing the last three seasons for Arizona where he was the team’s top big most of the time. If he were to go to Indiana, he would likely be in the starting frontcourt unit alongside Malik Reneau and would instantly make impact when it comes to rebounding and rim protection. With the Hoosiers trying to find a replacement in the production of Kel’el Ware, Ballo would be a guy that could almost instantly fill that void.

Other potential visits to keep an eye on:

Tony Perkins (Iowa) – While there is not set visit date for the former Iowa guard, Tony Perkins may be at the top of every Indiana basketball fan’s wish list as the starting lead guard for next season. Perkins, who is an Indianapolis native, recently put the Hoosiers in his final six along with schools such as Missouri, Arkansas, Oregon, Oklahoma and Ole Miss. Perkins is the alpha-type lead guard on both ends of the floor who is proven and experienced at the Big Ten level. He would instantly improve the backckourt of Indiana basketball and would be a part of the starting unit. It would be a shock if Perkins does not at least set up a visit in Bloomington soon.

Leland Walker (Eastern Kentucky) – Another Indianapolis native that has been on the radar of Indiana basketball since last month is Eastern Kentucky transfer guard Leland Walker. Walker was expected to visit Indiana a couple weeks ago but actually plans to rescheduled it for sometimes after the dead period so you could expect him on campus soon. Walker was originally on the radar of Indiana during his high school career at North Central but eventually fell off leading him to Eastern Kentucky. Walker has one of the quickest first steps with the ball in his hand and also has the ability to create his own shot and is a good spot up shooter as well. He would play a key role for Indiana basketball if he decides to come giving the Hoosiers another ballhandler.

Myles Rice (Washington State) – The Indiana basketball recruitment Myles Rice is seemingly starting to pick up steam so do not be shocked to see him on the Bloomington campus soon. He is another Atlanta native that the Hoosiers are targeting and there is a connection there between Rice and Yasir Rosemond. He is one of the hottest names in the portal this season due to his staller freshman season at Washington State which saw him win Pac-12 Freshman of the Year while averaging 14.8 points per game. He is an extremely dynamic, quick guard that can do a lot of things on floor and would be another instant playmaker for Indiana basketball next season. Keep a close eye on Rice.

(Update — Rice is expected on campus at some point this weekend, per sources. Indiana basketball is the clear leader for Rice.)

Ryan Conwell (Indiana State) – The Indiana native is coming off of his best season and one of the better seasons in a non-power five league. He averaged 16.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game while shooting 40.7 percent on three (2.9 made 3s per game). He is a bigger guard who can play on or off the ball at 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds. The lefty is a very good all-around scorer who is clearly a three-level playmaker — something Indiana basketball didn’t have last year. He had 12 games of 20+ points last year and five double-doubles. Conwell is someone who plays with a high motor and extreme toughness, while showcasing good athleticism. Conwell is another name that, while just entering the portal on Tuesday, is a name that Indiana will be heavily involved with.

See Also: How Indiana basketball transfers fared during 2023-24 season

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