Indiana Basketball Newcomer Focus: Freshman wing Bryson Tucker

The Indiana basketball program is going to look a whole lot different with many new faces coming in this season, with all 13 scholarships filled for the upcoming year.

In total, Indiana basketball will bring in 7 new faces, replacing 6 departures from a season ago. Mike Woodson and his staff did a phenomenal job in the transfer portal addressing the needs of guards, shooting, and front court depth.

We have already looked at all of the returning players from a season ago in our “Indiana Basketball Returner Focus” series now, it is time for our “Indiana Basketball Newcomer Focus” series to continue our trend of looking at each player of the 2024-25 roster and preview what they bring for the Hoosiers.

Today, we wrap up this series by looking at five-star freshman wing Bryson Tucker and look at where he comes from, and what his role will be for Indiana basketball this season.

Other players in the series: Oumar Ballo, Langdon Hatton, Dallas James, Luke Goode, Myles Rice, Kanaan Carlyle

Where He Comes From

When 2024 five-star wing Liam McNeeley opted to decommit from Indiana basketball as the 2023-24 season came to close, Mike Woodson and the Hoosiers did not have a single incoming freshman at that point coming into the program.

So what did Mike Woodson do in the spring in order to correct that? He went out and found another 2024 five-star wing in Bryson Tucker. Tucker, a Baltimore, MD, native, was the fourth-straight spring commitment for the Indiana basketball program since Mike Woodson took over as head coach joining Tamar Bates, Malik Reneau and Mackenzie Mgbako, which were all top-30 prospects.

He was the No. 7 small forward in the 2024 class and joined Jalen Hood-Schifino, Malik Reneau and Mackenzie Mgbako as five-star high school prospects Mike Woodson has landed while being the second straight season Indiana has landed a McDonald’s All-American.

Even though Tucker was a five-star prospect, he had seemingly flown just a tad under the radar due to not really ever playing travel ball that often gets players at his caliber great exposure. He had always been on the radar of Indiana basketball, but was never really ever considered a promising target for the Indiana program to land with the original idea was that he would either be going to Michigan State or opting to play for the NBA G-League Ignite team.

As a member of the 2021 USA Basketball U16 National Team, Tucker averaged 9.5 points and 4.3 rebounds. Team USA went 6-0 and won the Gold Medal. He was also a standout at the NBPA Top 100 camp averaging 19.2 points on 64.3 percent shooting.

With Mike Woodson needing someone to replace McNeeley for the incoming freshman class, Tucker was a perfect player to do so.

Indiana basketball assistant Kenya Hunter was heavily involved in the communication because of his relationships on the east coast, especially with ties to Bishop O’Connell where Tucker played high school ball at. Former Indiana point guard Xavier Johnson also played there.

Tucker would take a visit to Indiana towards the end of March earlier this year and not long afterwards, he would commit to the program.

Related: Film sheds light on Bryson Tucker’s fit for Indiana basketball

Role for 2024-25 Season

(Photo: Hoops Hall Classic)

When Tucker committed to Indiana basketball, there were a lot of question marks with the roster as well as some major holes in some areas. As the offseason progressed, the roster became more and more complete as Mike Woodson and his staff did an excellent job of bringing in guys that filled giant needs for Indiana basketball as they look to get back to the NCAA Tournament while competing for the Big Ten Championship at the same time.

As more and more pieces kept being added to Indiana, the more and more it became unclear as to what Tucker’s role was going to be this upcoming season. As a player that does not necessarily have one specific spot on the floor, it is hard to determined just what exact role Tucker will have this upcoming year.

He can play pretty much any position on the floor except for the five, but with every position on this Indiana roster having experienced depth in front of Tucker, it can be difficult to imagine where Tucker fit’s in.

He is the true “wildcard” of this Indiana basketball team. Just don’t let the uncertainty of Tucker’s role fool you, however — Bryson Tucker will find his way on the floor one way or another.

The best thing about Tucker is his elite versatility as a player. Like I mentioned earlier, this guy can play spots 1-4 depending on the system and matchups. He has the skills to be a ball handler while also being a player with the size to play a small ball four.

The spot you will probably see him play the most is the wing, filling in for either Mackenzie Mgbako or Luke Goode most of the time. Mike Woodson often emphasized that he wants versatility at the perimeter, and that is what the 6-foot-7 five-star wing brings to the Indiana basketball program next season. He brings excellent length, athleticism, and skill at the wing position.

Offensively, he has an overall polished game all-around but really makes his impact using his size and skill on the ball to create jumpers in the lane and score in the paint. While he can be a capable shooter from the outside, he is money when it comes to the mid-range game, very similar in the way Jalen Hood-Schifino was for the Hoosiers when he was in Bloomington. is ability to change pace in mid-stride with very few dribbles is something that really stands out in his game, as well.

On the defensive end of the floor, he is another versatile defender coming into Mike Woodson’s system. He has the size, frame, and athletic ability to guard both the perimeter and post. As we saw often with Mackenzie Mgbako last season, the way Tucker will be used on defense will be similar to Mgbako depending on certain matchups.

As Mike Woodson said during media day a few weeks ago, Tucker has came into this summer and proved that he belongs on this Indiana basketball roster. Yes, it is surly going to be a transition process to the college level for Tucker, but the good thing is Mike Woodson can take his time inserting Tucker into high pressure situations. Unlike with Hood-Schifino, Mgbako, or Cupps, Woodson will hopefully be able to take his time in developing Tucker throughout next season.

It will be extremely fun to watch Tucker next season grow into the high profile player he is going to be for Indiana basketball in the coming years.

Notable Quotes

“Bryson has a chance to be impactful for our ballclub right away,” said Mike Woodson. “He has a polished offensive game with the size and strength to get to his spots on the floor. His midrange game is very impressive, and he has the athleticism to get to and score efficiently at the rim. He is a talented young man that we cannot wait to work with when he gets to campus.”

SEE ALSO: One question facing all 12 Indiana basketball players entering the summer

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