Kanaan Carlyle lone Indiana basketball player on ESPN’s top-100 big board rankings for 2025 draft

With just one month before the beginning of the regular season, preseason rankings, projections and even mock NBA draft boards have started to roll out. For Indiana basketball, there’s no question that this is the most talented and deepest team that will take the court under Mike Woodson — he even said it himself. But, not all draft boards are agreeing with Woodson regarding his talent translating to NBA-level talent.

According to ESPN NBA Draft Insider Jonathan Givony, the lone Indiana basketball player on his top-100 big board is Stanford transfer guard Kanaan Carlyle. Carlyle comes in at No. 43 overall — the 9th overall combo guard.

During his freshman season Carlyle averaged 11.5 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game in 23 appearances. He missed the first month of the season but made an immediate impact when he returned to the floor. He scored in double-figures 15 times, including two 20-point games and one 31-point outing.

“Kanaan is a dynamic player with the ball in his hands with the length and skillset to create scoring chances for himself and others,” Woodson said when Carlyle signed. “His ability off the bounce pairs nicely with his shooting stroke. His length, quickness, and mentality give him the capability to be a high-impact defender for our ballclub.”

His career high was 31 points against Washington State. He also scored 28 points in his fourth game of the season against Arizona. He was 9-of-13 from three in those two games.

After shooting 44.7 percent on 2.1 made 3s per game in the first 10 games he played, his shot fell off. He shot just 20.8 percent from three on 4.1 attempts for the final 13 games of the season, totaling just 32 percent on the season.

“He’s an unbelievable scorer. At his size, he’s 6-2, 6-3, he can put it up with the best of them,” IU guard — and childhood friend — Myles Rice said at Big Ten Media Day. “I’ve seen it when I was younger and then last year … his focus and attention to detail is what doesn’t gt as much praise as it should.

Now, Carlyle will be paired with Rice in the backcourt and be tasked with giving IU its most talented backcourt in quite some time. That duo will also be tasked with making Mike Woodson’s new style of play come to life, something that will be a major shift from how his team’s have previously played.

“The plan this year is to play at a faster pace,” Carlyle said at IU’s media day last month. “Me and Myles together on the defensive end being able to pick up the ball 94 feet. Then being able to push the ball on offense, get to the rim, make plays for each other and our teammates.”

Indiana basketball had its annual Pro Day last weekend where scouts from every NBA Team were in attendance.

SEE ALSO: ‘They’re game changers’: Mike Woodson wanted to play a specific style. Now Indiana basketball has the guards to do so

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