Rapid Reaction: Final thoughts on Indiana basketball from Hoosier Hysteria

Indiana basketball took the floor for the first time in front of fans this season, albeit in a low-key setting. Hoosier Hysteria was back at Assembly Hall and fans got their first look at the 2024-25 Hoosiers.

This year brought back the scrimmage format of the evening in a 16-minute setting. Teams were switched up throughout the scrimmage, giving fans a look at multiple different lineups.

Here are a few quick thoughts from Friday night.

Oumar Ballo was everything and more that IU needs at the center position

The biggest question this offseason was what would Indiana find to replace Kel’el Ware and everything he provided for the Hoosiers a season ago. They landed one of the top players in the transfer portal with Oumar Ballo. The talented center showcased his entire skillset on Friday night. He was able to dominant the paint on both ends and on the glass. His frame at 7-feet and 260 pounds makes him nearly unguardable at times between the blocks. He was able to do that on Friday with great efficiency. Whether it was baby hooks, off of rebound put backs or even running the floor, Ballo was by far the most dominant player on the floor. He finished with an unofficial total of 11 points.

Luke Goode is the knockdown shooter IU’s been looking for

After a rough start for both teams to begin the scrimmage, Luke Goode broke open the seal with back-to-back 3s early. One was on the wing off of a ball reversal while the second was in transition after bringing the ball up after a defensive rebound. For much of Mike Woodson’s tenure, the discussion has been about shooting — or lack thereof. But, finally Indiana basketball has someone that is truly a knockdown shooter. Goode, a career 38.8 percent three-point shooter, led Illinois in three-point percentage (38.9) and was second in made 3s (61) while coming off the bench last season. He wasted no time getting into the groove of things on Friday. Despite finishing with just those two 3s, he had a few other really good looks that bounced just out.

Quickness and transition offense were on display

Indiana basketball wants to play quicker and nearly every player and coach has talked about that leading into Friday. Well, Friday showed glimpses of that. Whether it was Malik Reneau or Oumar Ballo going coast to coast or Luke Goode and Bryson Tucker, numerous different players led the break off of a defensive rebound. Clearly, the plan will not be to rely on the forwards and centers on the roster to bring the ball up consistently, but just seeing that is a welcomed sign. What’s going to be ideal for the Hoosiers are the guys like Tucker, Goode, Mackenzie Mgbako and others who will be able to push the tempo after a miss with their ability to handle the ball. There were signs of that on Friday and the floor spacing running the floor was much better than anything that Indiana had a season ago.

Mackenzie Mgbako leads all scorers

After a co-Big Ten Freshman of the Year season last year, Mackenzie Mgbako was tasked with improving his game and taking it to another level coming into his sophomore year. He is not only someone that IU needs from a scoring perspective, but being one of the key members of the roster last year holds a lot of weight with numerous new faces this season. He finished with 13 points in Friday’s scrimmage — leading all IU players. He hit a pair of 3s, including the game-tying three at the buzzer. He also had some good mid-range action as well as strong drives to the rim. He needs to continue to get better as a ball handler, but he showed he can easily lead the team up the floor in transition. All-around, it was exactly what you would want to see from someone expecting to do big things this season.

Very impressive showing from Langdon Hatton

One of the more underrated showings on Friday was from a not-so-well-known newcomer. Langdon Hatton came to IU with some questions about how productive or effective he would be off of the bench in Indiana’s front court rotation. On Friday, he held his own and more on both ends of the floor. He showed good ability to defend Oumar Ballo at times and had fluid athleticism — more than probably what was expected — offensively. It’s everything and more you could’ve wanted to see from someone who will likely play an important role at times for the Hoosiers this season.

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