Indiana Basketball Newcomer Focus: Freshman guard Gabe Cupps

Indiana basketball came into this offseason with many, many spots to fill with players like Trayce Jackson-Davis, Jalen Hood-Schifino, Race Thompson, and others departing from the program. With only two signees in the 2023 class, it was well-known that Mike Woodson and the Hoosiers were going to have to hit the transfer portal aggressively, especially when it came to rounding out the frontcourt.

Heading into the summer portion of the offseason and only one scholarship remaining, the Hoosiers did an outstanding job of filling the spots on the floor they needed with a total of three incoming freshman and three players out of the transfer portal all coming in.

The Indiana Hoosiers brought in many new faces into the men’s basketball program for the upcoming 2023-24 season. Today, we take a look at freshman guard Gabe Cupps and discuss what he brings to Indiana, what his role will be, and more.

Other Players in this series: Mackenzie Mgbako, Kel’el Ware

Where He Comes From

Cupps, a Centerville, Ohio native, played his high school ball at Centerville High School along with playing for Midwest Basketball Club as part of the Adidas 3SSB circuit. For both teams, he was coached by his father, Brook Cupps.

In his senior season at Centerville, Cupps averaged 15.4 points, 6.2 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game while shooting 40.8 percent from three. Cupps was also named the 2022 Ohio Mr. Basketball as a junior. He was named runner-up in the 2023 Ohio Mr. Basketball vote.

Cupps also helped lead Centerville to back-to-back state championship games in both 2021 and 2022. Centerville was able win the 2021 Ohio Division I State Championship, but fell in the 2022 championship game.

In most of the national rankings, Cupps was rated as a four-star prospect having been ranked No. 117 in the 2023 Rivals150, No. 123 in the 247Sports rankings, and No. 110 in the On3 rankings.

Cupps had multiple offers during his high school career with schools such as Indiana, Michigan, Ohio State, Virginia Tech, Stanford, Kansas State, Clemson, Cincinnati, and others all extending an offer.

On October 31st, 2021, Cupps released his final three of Indiana, Ohio State, and Stanford. On November 21st, 2021, Cupps officially announced he was committing to Indiana. He officially signed his national letter of intent to join the Hoosiers on November 9th, 2022.

Indiana assistant coach Brian Walsh was lead recruiter of Cupps.

Ever since his commitment to Indiana, Cupps has been one of the biggest advocates for the Hoosiers as he was often seen at many games throughout the past two seasons and actively helped on the recruiting end, especially when it comes to 2024 five-star Indiana target Flory Bidunga, who Cupps has become great friends with.

What He Brings

Even though he may be on the smaller side heading into his freshman season at Indiana, Cupps brings a high IQ, toughness, and another true primary ballhandler to the Hoosier backcourt.

While he is best viewed as a “pass first” guard, Cupps is very good about creating on the ball and in the lane. His craftiness and high IQ make him such a threat as both a scorer and playmaker. He is at his best when he can attack off the dribble and just create offense. Not to mention, he is an on ball guard that can also score from behind the arc at a good rate, similar to former Indiana standout Jordan Hulls.

On the defensive end, he about as gritty as they come, which is something that Mike Woodson likes to see out of his guards. He takes a ton of pride guarding the ballhandler on the opposing offense and is not afraid to get in the face of the offense.

Cupps, overall, has a tremendous feel for the game. There are not many mistakes that Cupps makes on a consistent basis on the floor. His motor and overall aggressiveness is what makes him such a special guard to have on anyone’s roster.

He is a proven winner and is going to bring elite competitiveness to this Indiana team.

What His Role Will Be

Arguably, the best thing that could have happened for Gabe Cupps this offseason was the return of senior guard Xavier Johnson. While Cupps is often compared Purdue guard Braden Smith, Cupps was just simply not ready to handle the load of being the starting lead guard for the Indiana Hoosiers quite yet that Smith was for Purdue.

Him playing under the experienced Xavier Johnson is only going to make him and the Indiana Hoosiers better in the long term.

As far as his role on Indiana next season, Cupps should provide solid, valuable backup minutes for the starting backcourt for the Hoosiers, likely for both Johnson and Trey Galloway. In years past, the Hoosiers have lacked having depth when it comes to true ballhandlers and with Cupps coming off the bench, Indiana has a solid rotation of guys that can step in and run the offense.

This will likely be a learning year for Cupps, getting adjusted to the college game and the Big Ten. He has a perfect combo of experienced guards to help lead him along too.

Cupps may not have a giant role for this Indiana team this year, but he is going to be a reliable role player at worst case. Cupps is going to be great Indiana Hoosier for the long term.

Notable Quote

“Gabe has grown up around the game as a coach’s son and more than anything else he is a winner who has shown to lead a team to championship levels,” Mike Woodson said on the addition of Gabe Cupps. He is an intense competitor who has elite decision-making ability. He has a tireless work ethic and is constantly looking to improve his game on both ends of the floor. He’s played against such high-level competition and that will serve him well in facing a Big Ten schedule. His leadership skills are off the charts, and he plays with the mindset of getting everyone around him involved and putting them in a position to be successful.”

SEE ALSO: Indiana Basketball: Where 2023 signees finished in national rankings

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