Indiana Basketball Returner Focus: Sophomore Forward Mackenzie Mgbako

The Indiana basketball program is going to look a whole lot different with many new faces coming in this season however, they will bring back a very strong returning core from a season ago.

While there are many new faces to the program, the Hoosiers will return six players with the experience to help lead the new group.

While we will be looking at every player for the upcoming 2024-25 Indiana basketball season, we are going to kick things off with our Indiana basketball Returner Focus series looking at all the returning stars for the Hoosiers.

For today, we take a look at sophomore forward Mackenzie Mgbako and look back at last year plus his role for the 2024-2025 Indiana basketball season.

Other Players in the Series: Trey Galloway, Anthony Leal, Malik Reneau

Watch: Talkin’ Bout the Hoosiers: 2023-24 Indiana basketball Player Recaps – Mackenzie Mgbako, Gabe Cupps & Jakai Newton

Last Season Reflection

There no player on the Indiana basketball roster that had higher expectations than the former five-star, McDonald’s All-American forward, Mackenzie Mgbako. After decommitting from Duke in the spring of 2023, Mike Woodson and Indiana basketball swooped in as quick as they could in order to land the ultra-talented prospect out of Gladstone, New Jersey.

So, how did Mackenzie Mgbako live up these expectations? Well, if we are being honest, it was not the best start for the highly touted freshman wing at the beginning of the 2023-24 season. A player that started all 33 games as a freshman, it took a good amount of time for Mgbako to adjust to the college game.

Hoosier Nation and the national media was very hard Mackenzie Mgbako throughout the first part of last season. As Indiana basketball struggled against teams that they should have easily rolled over, a lot of blame went on the shoulders on Mackenzie Mgbako because he was not producing at the level that many across the country had wanted to see out of him.

Yes, he had the five-star, McDonald’s All-American label, but what a lot of the Indiana basketball fanbase and national media seemingly chose to ignore was…..he was just a freshman. Just as it was like with Jalen Hood-Schifino, Mgbako needed time to develop and get use to the college game. While many did not recognize it, one person for sure did, Indiana basketball head coach Mike Woodson.

“He’s a young player, man,” Indiana basketball head coach Mike Woodson said back in November. “All you guys expect him to be a great player right now because he’s got that five star tag on him. I think that’s bullshit. The bottom line is, he’s still young and he’s trying to learn the college game.”

Billed as a player that could help Indiana’s perimeter play, Mgbako started his Indiana basketball career just 1-of-13 from behind the arc, which really only led him to averaging 5.0 points per game the first five games of the season. He was pretty stationary as a player, not really using his size, strength, and length to make plays at the rim all that often.

This may be a bit harsh of a term to use, but Mgbako was a liability on the floor to some extent. With him not producing on the offensive end and not picking up the defensive scheme in which Mike Woodson uses, he was often benched and not a part of the close lineup.

It was a rough start for Mackenzie Mgbako, no question. However, once Mgbako got more playing time and visibly became more comfortable on the floor at the college level, he became one of the best freshmen in the Big Ten. In the final 28 games, Mgbako averaged 13.5 points and shot 35 percent from three on 1.8 made 3s per game. He had 24 games in double figures. In Big Ten play alone, Mgbako averaged 13.6 points and shot 37.8 percent from three with 1.9 made 3s a game.

He led all of the Big Ten Freshman in scoring, which ultimately led him to winning Co-Big Ten Freshman of the Year alongside Iowa’s Owen Freeman. Mgbako was a two-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week winner this past season and with him winning the prestigious award, it was the second time in back-to-back seasons that Mike Woodson had helped lead a freshman to winning Big Ten Freshman of the Year, with Hood-Schifino winning the season before.

So yes, there were some growing pains with Mackenzie Mgabko last season just like it is with almost any freshman that comes into college basketball. There is a learning curve from high school to college, even if you are a five-star, McDonald’s All-American.

When it was all said-and-done last season, Mackenzie Mgbako became one of Indiana’s best and most consistent players.

Role for 2024-25 Season

Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Transfer portal commitments aside, the announcement of Mackenzie Mgbako confirming that he would be returning to play for Mike Woodson and Indiana basketball for his sophomore year was arguably the biggest offseason win for the Hoosiers. As someone who could have easily went another direction, whether that be the transfer portal or even opting to go pro, Mgbako was yet another example of another Hoosier showing their trust in Mike Woodson’s when it comes to their development.

The role of Mackenzie Mgbako should be pretty similar of what it was his freshman season playing for Indiana basketball, with just a little twist. With it almost guaranteed that Mike Woodson will role with a front court lineup of Malik Reneau and Oumar Ballo, Mgbako will go back to his small forward, starting spot. He will once again be arguably Indiana’s No. 1 option when it comes to perimeter scoring. Coming into this offseason, Hoosier Nation and national media alike all voiced their want to see Mike Woodson run a more modern style of basketball when it comes to the front court of Indiana basketball. For Mackenzie Mgbako, most view the 6-foot-8 forward as a more modern day stretch four, instead of the three that he primarily plays in Mike Woodson’s system.

Playing Mgbako at the four last season was one of the hottest topics amongst the fanbase and media all of last season and as the season started to wind down and Mike Woodson shortened his bench, playing Mgbako at the four alongside either Reneau or Kel’el Ware proved to be very beneficial. When Mike Woodson would run with a more versatile front court, you could easily tell how much more comfortable Mgbako was on the floor and difficult of a matchup he was to opposing defenses. When you really look deep into it, playing Mgbako at the four at times late last season was a big reason as to why Indiana basketball went on that winning streak towards the end of the year.

When it comes to the front court of Indiana basketball, the Hoosiers have only three primary frontcourt pieces in Renea, Ballo, and Bellermine transfer Langdon Hatton. Having only those three all but solidifies that we are going to see more of Mgbako at the four this season. While he may he may start at the three for the Hoosiers this season, expect a lot lineups that Mgbako is the stretch four out there, which should extremely benefit Indiana basketball on the offensive end.

Him playing the four at times will also allow fans to see a lineup that also includes Illinois transfer wing Luke Goode as well. If Indiana basketball wants to become a better perimeter scoring team, your best option to play Goode and Mgbako as much as you possibly can throughout the year.

Where you want to see Mgbako improve at next season is on the defensive side of the floor. While he got better throughout the season on the end, it was still an area that he seemingly struggled in. A lot of that could have been him being forced to guard more versatile wings than what he should have, but it was still hard for him to fully transition into being a good defender in the Big Ten.

It is no secret at this point, Mackenzie Mgbako has a goal of this being his last season with Indiana basketball as he more-than-likely wants to head to the NBA sooner than later. A player that was viewed as a potential one-and-done prospect, he simply could not develop as quickly he probably would have liked to his freshman season.

“He’s got to continue to develop physically as an athlete and with his fluidity and ability to handle the ball,” said an NBA scout. “Obviously he has to make shots a better rate than he showed this year. I thought he learned how to play harder on both ends of the floor (as the season went on) … He’s got good size, a nice stroke. He just has to put it together more.”

Mgbako comes into this season as one of the more important players on this Indiana basketball roster and has the strong chance of being Indiana’s leading scorer and possibly best player when it is all said and done. There is a ton of potential for Mgbako to be a first team All-Big Ten caliber player in the 2024-25 season.

Notable Quotes

“Sometimes you gotta fail to be successful,” Indiana basketball head coach Mike Woodson said about Mgbako in February. “I like his work ethic. When he’s in practice, he gives you what he’s got … I’m happy with Mack, man, I just think he’s gonna continue to get better as the games go along.”

“It’s just letting the game come to me and not forcing anything,” Mgbako said in March. “Playing within the system and being confident in myself and my teammates to make the right play.

“Staying in the game (mentally), being able to know where to be at on the court,” Mgbako said this past season. “Knowing how to get to my spots — if Gallo (Trey Galloway) is coming off a screen, I need to rise above the corner. Or if he’s driving baseline, go to the deep corner. Just knowing where to be on the floor so I can knock down the shot or make a play for somebody else.”

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

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