Best Indiana Men’s Basketball Players Of The 2020s So Far: No. 7 Oumar Ballo

Opinions from Indiana fans on Oumar Ballo varied in his lone season with the Hoosiers, but he was productive in Mike Woodson’s final season as coach.

Indiana's Oumar Ballo (11) flexes during the Indiana versus University of Southern California men's basketball game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. / Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – One way to describe the career of Oumar Ballo, who just completed his lone season with Indiana, was that he was a divisive figure among Indiana’s fans. His strengths and weaknesses were both evident.

Another way to put Ballo’s career into perspective is to wonder whether he was divisive or was he a product of divisive times around the Indiana program?

Whatever you think of Ballo, he did produce. He averaged 13 points for the Hoosiers, fourth-best among the players in the top 16. His 3.9 win shares earned in 2025, which is also his average having played one season, is third-best among Indiana’s top 16 of the 2020s. Even if Ballo’s total win shares were taken into account he was still ranked 10th in the 2020s among the top 16 players.

Ballo, originally from Mali in western Africa, was an established star long before he got to Indiana. The 7-footer began his career at Gonzaga in the 2020-21 season.

When former Gonzaga assistant Tommy Lloyd went to Arizona in 2021, Ballo followed Lloyd to Tucson. A reserve at first, Ballo emerged as a star during the 2022-23 season. He averaged 14.2 points and 8.6 rebounds for the Wildcats. One game on his resume was a 15-point, 12-rebound performance in an 89-75 Arizona win over Indiana in Las Vegas in December 2022.

Two years later, Ballo was available in the transfer portal. Indiana was looking to replace NBA-bound post player Kel’El Ware and wanted a reliable threat to go with Malik Reneau in the frontcourt.

Here is where things get divisive, and it really isn’t completely related to Ballo. By Mike Woodson’s fourth season, many fans complained about the traditional offense that Woodson preferred. Relying upon a multitude of shooters was the trend, but Indiana ran its offense through the post.

Of the three centers Woodson had at Indiana – Trayce Jackson-Davis was the other – Ballo was the closest to being a traditional post player. He did not shoot threes and could not defend very far away from the rim.

But where he could defend, he was a game-changer without it showing up in the box score. Unlike the lithe Ware, who was an often spectacular shot blocker, the presence of the wider Ballo dissuaded drivers from going in the lane at all.

Ballo’s offense wasn’t quite as consistent. He had 12 single-digit scoring efforts to go with five games at 20 points or more. Ballo had 10 double-doubles with a peak 25-point, 13-rebound effort in a 77-71 win over Penn State at the Palestra in Philadelphia in January.

Ballo did have some self-inflicted wounds. Fans weren’t happy with his defensive effort early on. In December, there was an alleged visit to a Bloomington watering hole on the night before a game, though the details of that alleged transgression (an undated photo was the only evidence) are murky and whether Ballo would have played Winthrop on Dec. 29 anyway is unclear. Ballo sat out against Winthrop, but Indiana basketball provided no reason why.

Ballo averaged slightly more points in Big Ten games (13.6 vs. 13 overall), but Indiana didn’t live up to preseason expectations. Indiana disappeared from the top 25 after being routed by Louisville and Gonzaga at Battle 4 Atlantis. Indiana was also 5-7 in Big Ten action when Woodson decided to resign. The Hoosiers would finish 10-10 in the Big Ten and would not participate in postseason play.

That was the season that Ballo experienced. At times he rose above it. At other times, he was dragged down into it.

Take the drama out of it, and Ballo ultimately produced the way most thought he would. As the stats indicated, he deserves to be in the top half of the top 16 players of the 2020s to date.

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

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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