A little over three years after the Indiana basketball program formally offered a scholarship to 2024 five-star wing Bryson Tucker will coincide with his first game in an Indiana jersey at Assembly Hall.
Despite the extended timeframe it took for Tucker to get on campus at Indiana, it took equally as quick for him to make his pledge to the program after stepping on campus.
Tucker visited Indiana last week and just 24 hours after wrapping up his visit — he was a Hoosier.
“They’ve always been recruiting me but it just took me longer to do the visit,” Tucker said of Indiana basketball during the McDonald’s All-American Media Day on Monday. “When I went there the culture and everything that I witnessed I just really liked it and the coaching staff is like a pro coaching staff so they know where I’m trying to get to and can help me get there.”
The 6-foot-7 wing Tucker picked Indiana over Michigan State and Kansas. Up until recently, however, a jump to G League Ignite was the expected outcome.
After spending a year at IMG Academy (Fla.), he transferred back home to play for Bishop O’Connell (Va.).
Tucker spent most of his recruitment as underrated as you can as a five-star and McDonald’s All-American with his lack of visibility during summer months. But, when Indiana basketball pushed, it made too much sense for Tucker but also in the eyes of his head coach Joe Wooten.
“I see him as a guy who can play multiple spots on the perimeter at the college level,” Wootten told ESPN’s Paul Biancardi. “He can really get to his spots in the half court and finishes well. He plays with a high IQ and plays the right way.”
“Their play style fits my game,” Tucker added. “They let their perimeter players rebound and push it.”
Tucker is the No. 20 overall prospect in the 247Sports composite rankings. The talent is there but still raw in spurts. Tucker’s floor is high as an incoming freshman but he may not provide the flashiness that other McDonalds’s All-American’s may bring to the floor.
He’s a good shooter off of the ball and can create in the mid-range with the ball in his hands. His versatility allowed him to stand out on the defensive end of the floor this past week, however.
It’s part of his skillset that he takes pride in and will mesh well with Mike Woodson’s defense-first mindset.
“Versatility on the defensive end, being able to guard like one through four,” Tucker said. “I think a lot of schools need that. A lot of schools need dudes that can just switch off here and there. So, it’s just easier for defense. It lets you save energy as well.”
Indiana failed to make the NCAA Tournament this year after a 19-14 season. After going to the NCAA Tournament in Mike Woodson’s first two years on the sidelines, last year was a clear step back.
Now, after losing All-Big Ten Second Team center Kel’el Ware, in addition to sixth-year point guard Xavier Johnson and some other role players — six scholarships are up for grabs. And, despite the return of starters Malik Reneau, Trey Galloway and Mackenzie Mgbako, the roster is far from complete.
So, while Tucker is coming in with a highly-touted resume, he just wants to win.
“A hard worker, three level scorer, defensive guy,” Tucker said. “I’m just here to help the program get better. That’s it really.”
Tucker is the lone commit in the 2024 class for Indiana basketball — through high school and the transfer portal. But, Indiana is heavily involved with numerous prospects in the transfer portal — both role players and potential high-impact players.
There are no concerns from Tucker, however. He believes in this coaching staff and the team that will take the court in November.
“I think we can do a lot,” Tucker said. “Getting in some transfers, but the coaching there, I feel once he has the bodies, it’s definitely going to turn around quickly.”
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