Bryson Tucker is not your average freshman, his mindset and willingness to learn could help him make an instant impact for Indiana basketball

Getting a top high school recruit to come play for your school is not an easy challenge. Indiana basketball knows that.

In most cases, it takes years of building a relationship from the time they start high school until they eventually decide what school they want to play for. This process includes coaches selling their vision for their program, their play style, what the school offers, as well as NIL opportunities.

Indiana basketball head coach Mike Woodson is not new to this process. Now in his fourth year with the program, Woodson has successfully recruited five top-30 recruits to play for him.

Rarely does a top recruit just fall into a coach’s lap.

But in the case of five-star Bryson Tucker, that’s exactly what happened.

“Then we got a freshman in Bryson Tucker, who kind of fell in our laps late,” Woodson said at Big Ten Media Days.

Indiana basketball had just lost their only commitment in the 2024 class when Liam McNeeley decommitted from the program and questions about Woodson’s job security were growing.

Woodson had seen Tucker practice and saw the potential, but many expected him to go play for the G-League Ignite instead of a college program. When it was announced that the G-League Ignite was shutting down, it opened the door for Indiana basketball.

“I saw Bryson two years ago at IMG and I walked away from that practice saying that this young man has a chance to play at the next level if everything goes according to plan for him,” Woodson said.

“His dad called and Kenya Hunter and I were able to go to the DC area and sit with his dad, mom, and Bryson. One thing led to another and we got him on campus and he decided to come.”

Tucker committed to a program that had a lot of questions surrounding it. Indiana basketball was coming off of a massively disappointing season, the roster had six open spots and the program lacked clarity for the future as Mike Woodson’s job security became a hot topic.

Despite that, Tucker believed in Woodson and the coaching staff’s ability to put together a roster and help him reach his goals as a basketball player.

“My goal is to get to the NBA. So if you surround yourself with people that have been there and know what they’re talking about, you have a faster route to learn and try to get there,” Tucker said on an appearance on The Player’s Perspective Hosted by Miller Kopp. “You still got to do what you do on the court obviously, but if you already have the stuff in your head then I think it’s a little simpler.”

Tucker is a rarity in today’s game. While his end goal is to play in the NBA is the same as so many other player. He has gone about it completely differently than most players.

“You want to win so if you can come in as a freshman and impact winning that’s one of the main things.”

Instead of playing on the AAU circuit like most top high school players, Tucker opted to compete in Pro-Ams over the summer in the DMV area he told Miller Kopp.

As a 14-year-old competing against grown men who were playing overseas, he was forced to adjust as he realized they weren’t going to take it easy on him because he was a kid.

Tucker did, and continued to improve as he competed against players who were much older than him.

While his journey as a basketball player was different, Tucker’s mindset and approach to the game is what stands out.

He is focused on the big picture, rather than just himself when it comes to his performance.

“Affecting winning because that’s the main goal,” Tucker said about his expectations for the season. “You want to win so if you can come in as a freshman and impact winning that’s one of the main things.”

Tucker did not mention scoring when talking about his expectations. Instead, he emphasized the little things like blocking shots, offensive rebounding, cutting, and contributing in ways that don’t always show up on the stat sheet.

Despite his status as one of the top high school players in the country, Tucker is the ultimate teammate.

“Tuck is a great kid. He’s nothing but a great locker room guy and he’s one of the more gifted athletes that I’ve ever seen,” Luke Goode said at Institutional Media Day. “[He’s a] super confident kid. In practice every day he comes in ready to work hard and he’s done nothing other than buying into the culture and has brought it every day in practice.”

Tucker has quickly earned the respect of his teammates and coaches alike as he continues to get better each day.

When making the jump from high school to college, there is almost always a learning curve for players. For some players, it takes longer to adjust, but Tucker has fully embraced the process of learning and growing each day.

“[You need to] always be ready to learn. You can have a good day in practice and you don’t want to get your head too big-headed,” Tucker said. “You always want to come in the next day like you didn’t do anything the past day.”

In an era where social media, NIL opportunities, and fame have completely changed college basketball, Tucker doesn’t seem affected by it.

His focus remains on improving each day, learning, and most importantly winning.

That was showcased during a pickup game this summer which Kopp talked about on the podcast. While matched up against Tucker, Kopp took the opportunity to help Tucker improve his positioning on the defensive end.

“I was telling him things and he picked it up super quick,” Kopp said.

It took Tucker only a few possessions for him to adjust which impressed Kopp.

“You could tell by the way he talks that his journey and his goals reflect his mindset,” Kopp said.

Tucker gave his parents a lot of credit.

“[They’ve been] everything,” Tucker said when asked about his parents role in shaping him as a basketball player. “We haven’t really had any other coaches in my life other than high school. …It’s just been me and my parents the whole ride.”

Tucker has made a big impression in a short amount of time with Indiana basketball.

It has led to him being named as a standout throughout the summer by national media members like Jon Rothstein.

Well embedded moles in Bloomington have sent word that Illinois transfer Luke Goode and freshman Bryson Tucker have both stood out for Indiana. Both will be in the guts of the Hoosiers' rotation.

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) September 14, 2024

“The kid is versatile, he’s 6-7 and can do a lot of things. He handles the basketball, he can pass it, he can score the ball, and he tries to defend,” Woodson said. “He’s just got to learn the college game, the college ways. It’s different in high school, there’s a major jump there.”

He has completely embraced the process, and his willingness to do the little things on the court will help earn him opportunities to make an instant impact for Indiana basketball as a freshman.

His combination of skill and athleticism has gotten him to this point, but his mindset and work ethic are what will help him take the next step as a player.

With so much talent on the roster, Tucker’s role ahead of the season is a bit unclear, but he has all of the potential to find his way onto the floor next season for Woodson.

Whether he plays 3o minutes a game or 10, either way, Bryson Tucker is going to do whatever it takes to help Indiana basketball win games.

“I work hard every day,” Tucker said. “I’m here to win.”

SEE ALSO: Is Malik Reneau the most important player for Indiana basketball this season? Given all the talk, he may very well be

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