The key for Indiana basketball freshman Mackenzie Mgbako?: ‘Not forgetting how easy he can make the game for himself’

Indiana basketball gets their season officially started this Tuesday when Florida Golf Coast University comes to town for the 2023-24 opener. The Hoosiers wrapped up their exhibition games last week.

It has been beat to death many of times this offseason, but this Indiana basketball teams is going to look a lot different than what fans are used to seeing in the past few years. With new pieces, newer style, and new additions, this is going to be new era for the Hoosiers.

One of the major new pieces to this Indiana basketball ball club is five-star freshman forward Mackenzie Mgbako, who Mike Woodson and the Hoosiers secured when Magbako’s recruitment opened up this past April. He comes in right away and becomes the type of playmaking wing that Mike Woodson has been trying to bring into his system for the past three seasons.

“Originally headed to Duke, Mackenzie Mgbako changed his mind in the spring and (much to the delight of Hoosier Nation) ended up choosing Mike Woodson’s program,” said 247Sports National Basketball Director Eric Bossi. “Listed at 6-foot-8 and 217 pounds, Mgbako is probably a bit more of a natural face-up four man who is going to get a lot of chances to play on the wing. How quickly he can make that transition will be crucial for him and his production.”

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In Indiana basketball’s two exhibition games, the five-star freshman forward averaged 14.5 points on a very efficient 10-of-19 shooting (52.6 percent), while also contributing on the boards snagging 13 total rebounds.

Mgbako also shot an outstanding 4-of-7 from three (57.1 percent) in the two exhibition games. His playmaking behind the arc was one of the many reasons Mike Woodson recruited him so hard. Consistency was going be the main concern for the freshman heading into this season, however in the small sample size we have seen, he is proving that lack of consistency is a non-factor.

“Mgbako is already comfortable letting it fly from deep,” Bossi added. “And when he gets hot from out there, he can put up points in a hurry. The biggest keys for him are going to be consistency, shot selection and not forgetting how he easy he can make the game for himself by using his size around the rim. His first exhibition game was a promising start and the Hoosiers have a chance to play big without sacrificing athleticism if he can be a reliable wing defender.”

As we have seen in both games, the newcomers have taken a bit to get fully adjusted in a game-setting before they start to shine. Mgbako falls into that category without question, especially on the defensive end. However, with Indiana’s first real game coming this Tuesday, Mgbako will have to be ready to do the things defensively that Mike Woodson and the Indiana basketball are asking of him.

“He’s been solid. He’s been solid ever since he came here,” said Mike Woodson postgame. “From a defensive standpoint, we have to speed the process up with him because the way we scramble and do things, you’ve got to communicate it and then you’ve got to give energy to get where we need to go from a defensive standpoint. And he’s still in the learning stages right now, as well as a lot of the newcomers.”

When Mgbako clicks on the floor, he becomes a real weapon for this Indiana team as we have seen in spurts in the two exhibition game. Like the rest of the newcomers, it is still going to take time for him to get the flow of the college game and what Indiana’s system is about.

Once Mgbako fully clicks on the floor from a mental standpoint, this Indiana basketball team will open up their versatility even more.

Tip off for Indiana basketball vs Florida Golf Coast is Tuesday at 6:30 PM ET.

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