Multiple IU basketball players listed as top 25 ‘Impact Transfers’ for 2024-25 season

It obviously no secret — and it has been like this for months — but IU basketball was arguably the biggest winner this offseason when it came to recruiting in the transfer portal. With 6 players departing the program, Mike Woodson and his staff went out and secured 7 players to help fill multiple voids, earning a top 2 transfer portal class by some.

Not only did Mike Woodson and IU basketball fill empty roster spots, they also filled their biggest needs as a team in order to improve from the lackluster 2023-24 season — dynamic guard play, shooting, and legit front court depth.

The players that IU basketball added this season included names such as Myles Rice, Kanaan Carlyle, Oumar Ballo, Luke Goode, Langdon Hatton, Dallas James, and five-star freshman wing Bryson Tucker. Each player that they added filled a need in some form or way that the Hoosiers desperately needed in order to see improvement for this upcoming season.

“We sat down at the end and I kind of treated it like I was when I was back in the NBA,” Mike Woodson told the media at Huber’s Winery earlier this summer. “I make our guys rank the top-10 players at their position. Then I make the decision on who I’m going to go get. If it’s the best player, then we got to give it a shot because all they could do is tell us no.”

Yes, they may have struck out on some of the top players they went after in the transfer portal, but not many when you look at the list the names they brought in. A couple of those players that Indiana basketball brought in have been even listed in the top 25 by “The Field of 68” as two of the biggest “impact transfers” that we will see in college basketball in the 2024-25 season.

Those players? Oumar Ballo and Myles Rice.

Ballo and Rice are looking to be key pieces in helping IU basketball get back to the NCAA Tournament

(Photo: Indiana Athletics)

Oumar Ballo came in at No. 6 on the list while Myles Rice jumped in at No. 16. Both players are expected to be in the starting rotation next season along with returners Trey Galloway, Mackenzie Mgbako and Malik Reneau.

Ballo, who came from Arizona, will be the immediate replacement for former IU basketball big man Kel’el Ware, who was drafted by the Heat this summer. He is expected to play alongside Reneau in the front court thus making them one of the stronger big duos in the Big Ten Conference.

“Oumar is a dominating post presence on both ends of the floor with a winning background,” said Mike Woodson when Ballo signed with Indiana. “His experience playing at the highest level will elevate our program. He is a big fella with soft touch around the rim, good hands, and solid footwork. He is very physical and is a perfect fit in our system and our league.”

Rice, who comes from playing just one season at Stanford, will almost certainly add more dynamic playmaking in the back court for IU basketball. With his speed and excellent playmaking on the ball, he will be able to fit with any member of the back court for the Hoosiers next season.

“Myles is a savvy, downhill guard that really succeeds in pick-and-roll situations,” Mike Woodson said when Rice signed. “He is a three-level scorer that makes the right play consistently, whether that is getting to the rim or finding the open man. He is going to be a huge help for our ballclub, and we are very excited to welcome him and his family to Bloomington.”

IU basketball, and especially Mike Woodson, is looking to erase the 2023-24 season out of the memories of Hoosier Nation by showing major improvements this upcoming year. Having players such as Ballo and Rice will impact the way Indiana basketball competes next year.

Having these two, along with the returners and other transfers, make IU basketball one of the more talented teams next season.

SEE ALSO: In Touch with Indiana Sports Ep.7 — Updates from Indiana football fall camp, Indiana basketball & Mike Woodson, CFB Coaches Poll released, and more

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