The Indiana basketball program has had a busy offseason. From numerous departures to adding four new faces to the roster in the last two months, the Hoosiers will have a vastly different roster than this past season.
It was also the third straight spring recruiting period that Mike Woodson and the Indiana basketball staff have landed a commitment. It was Tamar Bates in 2021, Malik Reneau in 2022 and then Mackenzie Mgbako this spring. Mgbako is the highest-rated commitment of the Woodson era.
The Hoosiers currently have one remaining open scholarship for the 2023-24 season.
Here are some key questions answered in the this installment of HoosierIllustrated.com’s Indiana basketball mailbag.
Q: Where does this put Indiana in the B1G race now? Obviously still one potential spot to fill could increase those expectations more. Is preseason top 25 a reasonable expectation? (@travisjlake)
Looking at this team from top to bottom and they are very talented. Not just college-level talent, but legit NBA talent. That’s something you haven’t been able to say for a long time. The Hoosiers have legit size and length in its front court and have the athleticism to be a tremendous defensive team once again.
Mgbako gives Indiana size and length on the perimeter as well as shot making. His addition greatly raises the ceiling for Indiana next year.
The biggest question mark that still exists is shooting, however. Indiana still lacks high-volume shooters and unless it gets that, it’ll limit some of the potential.
‘Untapped potential’ is the theme for Indiana basketball next year. The talent is there, but a lot of it hasn’t shown itself consistently in college. That’s the key for a big season in 2023-24.
I think a top-25 team heading into the year is likely — but it’s a fringe top-25 right now. It has NBA talent and an all-league guard in Xavier Johnson. When it comes to the Big Ten, top half is the expectation, but I’m not willing to give Indiana a top-4 spot at the moment. Get a shooter to round out the roster and then we’ll see.
Q. Any thoughts on that final open scholarship that is available? (@aluke_) / Will finding a solid 2 to back up X be a focus for the Hoosiers and who else could we be looking at? (@THErealestAWoj)
Going to combine these questions since the answer can go with both. The theme here is shooting. Indiana needs a shooter to round out its roster.
Indiana shot 36.8 percent from three this past season but ranked 353rd nationally in attempted 3s per game (15.5) and 334th in made 3s per game (5.7). Those numbers translated into the fourth best percentage in the Big Ten, but the least amount of made 3s on the season.
There are really no names at the moment that fit that role for Indiana. That’s not to say there won’t be one to pop up, however. But, there is no question that the final scholarship needs to go to a wing shooter.
Indiana kicked the tires with notable guys like Nick Timberlake, Jordan Dingle and El Ellis among others, but were unable to land that critical ‘2’ spot on the roster.
Ideally, this scholarship is someone who can play on and off of the ball and be a potential secondary ball handler to spot some of the ball handling duties for Xavier Johnson.
Q. Despite the strength of the IU front court, how ready are Gunn, Cupps and Newton to contribute in the backcourt in 23-24? (@realDocBob)
That’s the biggest question — especially with Gunn. CJ Gunn came to Indiana being known as a shooter, but was just 2-of-24 from three on the season. He needs to step into a much larger role next year. He likely won’t be starting, but double-digit minutes per game needs to be the expectation. His ability to be a two-way player is very appealing, but his ability to make shots will keep him on the floor.
For Cupps and Newton, the expectations are different. Cupps will play spot minutes for Xavier Johnson and be the third ball handler behind Johnson and Trey Galloway. If Indiana doesn’t land another ball handler with its final scholarship, that role will increase for Cupps.
Newton likely won’t see much time. He missed most of last summer and half of his senior season with a knee injury, and while he came back and played well during the final part of his senior year, he still needs to get fully healthy — mentally and physically. This will be a learning year for Newton by all regards. But, his upside is very, very appealing.
Q. What are legit expectations for Mgbako next year? (@bball992)
Mackenzie Mgbako will enter his freshman season as one of the go-to players for the Hoosiers. He fits an immediate need for Indiana — an athletic wing who can create his own shot and be a knockdown shooter.
Not only will he come in and play significant minutes, he will likely start as well. He can play both the three and the four. With his size and athletic ability, he’s going to give Indiana a legit scorer on the perimeter.
So, what are true expectations? I think you can expect a double-digit scorer who will be a very productive two-way player. Mgbako will be a significant part of Indiana’s offensive system both on and off of of the ball.
Q. How is Mgbako as a perimeter defender? (@C_Scher21)
Mgbako is competitive, tough, long and athletic. Those are four reasons why he will be a good defender for the Hoosiers.
At 6-foot-8, Mgbako has the ability to defend multiple wing positions. He has good lateral quickness that allows him to stay with quicker and smaller guards. His length and athleticism allows him to guard bigger forwards.
The best part is that he will be playing alongside Xavier Johnson and Trey Galloway who are both tremendous defenders — taking some of that pressure off of Mgbako.
He possesses all of the tools to be a high-level wing defender. He’ll likely have his good and bad moments early in the Big Ten season as he adjusts to the college level, but by the end of the season I think he becomes a legit wing defender who will likely take on a lot of the responsibilities guarding top options for opposing teams.
Make sure to follow Hoosier Illustrated on Twitter @Indiana_FRN and YouTube to stay up to date on all of the news, updates and coverage of Indiana University athletics.
FB RECRUITING5 days ago
BASKETBALL2 days ago
BASKETBALL5 days ago
BASKETBALL4 days ago
FOOTBALL3 days ago
FOOTBALL4 days ago
FOOTBALL2 days ago
FOOTBALL5 days ago