Best Indiana Men’s Basketball Players Of The 2020s So Far: No. 5 Malik Reneau

Malik Reneau came to Indiana with plenty of expectations and left as one of the better players of the decade.

Indiana Hoosiers forward Malik Reneau (5) reacts to a basket and foul in the second half against the UCLA Bruins at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Coming into the 2022-23 season, Indiana had two incoming freshmen who excited Indiana coaches and fans.

One of those players was Jalen Hood-Schifino, who only spent one year at Indiana before he headed to the NBA. The other is Malik Reneau, who played three seasons at Indiana.

It’s interesting to think what might have happened if they had played together for several seasons. It’s also interesting to think what might have happened had Reneau left after a season like Hood-Schifino did.

If Hood-Schifino had stayed, perhaps they become a dynamic duo that changes the arc of the Indiana program? If Reneau had left, perhaps it speeds up the process in which Mike Woodson might have modernized the offense?

As it is, Reneau put in three seasons with the Hoosiers, and once he became a regular starter by his sophomore season, he was a productive player.

It’s clear why Reneau is so far up this list of the best Indiana players of the 2020s to date. In accumulated win shares, Reneau ranks third in the 2020s. He’s sixth in points per game and in the top 10 in every category used for these rankings.

By 2020s standards, Reneau got the rare chance to learn a bit in his freshman season. Playing behind Race Thompson, Reneau played 14.9 minutes per game and averaged 6.1 points.

He came into his own during the 2023-24 season. He doubled his minutes total and reached an Indiana peak at 15.4 points per game. Reneau fell to 13.3 points in 2025, but he also took fewer shots with more scorers on the team than there had been in 2024.

Reneau was a bruiser in the lane, often scoring his points with defenders draped over him. He was powerful, using his 6-foot-9, 233-pound frame to bully his way to the rim.

However, because Reneau was part of a two-big lineup at times – with Kel’El Ware in 2024 and Oumar Ballo in 2025 – the offense (not necessarily Reneau) was often criticized. Sometimes the criticism was unwarranted. Reneau very often spread wide to make space for Ware or Ballo. Occasionally, it worked the other way around.

Reneau never became a dangerous 3-point shooter – he was 26% during his Indiana career – so the fact that both he and the center he played with scored at the rim was cause for criticism in some circles.

Reneau was a good finisher. He shot between 55.8 to 57.9% from 2-point range in each of his seasons.

Reneau could be dominant at times. Along with Trey Galloway, he helped lead the charge as Indiana wiped out a huge second-half deficit at Ohio State in 2024 for a 76-73 victory. Reneau had 26 points and 14 rebounds in the win.

Among his four career double-doubles was a 19-point, 12-rebound effort at Michigan State in February that helped the Hoosiers beat the No. 11 Spartans 71-67 in February in East Lansing.

Reneau also battled injuries in both of his seasons in which he was a starter, but he produced when he was healthy.

Now he has moved to his hometown with a transfer to the University of Miami. While he was a Hoosier, Reneau was able to be a productive presence.

Previous men's basketball top 16 players of the 2020s

No. 6 - Trey Galloway
No. 7 - Oumar Ballo
No. 8 - Mackenzie Mgbako
No. 9 - Al Durham
No. 10 - Miller Kopp
No. 11 - Xavier Johnson
No. 12 - Justin Smith
No. 13 - Rob Phinisee
No. 14 - Luke Goode
No. 15 - Devonte Green
No. 16 - Anthony Leal

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