Five-Star Mackenzie Mgbako Picks Indiana Over Kansas, Joins Hoosiers For 2023-24 Season
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – After weeks of anticipation, Mackenzie Mgbako is officially a Hoosier.
The five-star recruit committed to Indiana on Friday night.
Mgbako is a McDonald's All-American and the No. 9 player in the class of 2023, per the ESPN Top 100. The 6-foot-8 forward out of Roselle Catholic in New Jersey was originally committed to Duke, but he requested a release from his National Letter of Intent on April 11, re-opening his recruitment. Now, he joins Indiana's 2023 recruiting class, alongside four-star guards Gabe Cupps and Jakai Newton.
Landing Mgbako could turn out to be one of the biggest recruiting wins of the Mike Woodson era at Indiana. Not only is Mgbako Indiana's highest-ranked high school recruit since Romeo Langford in 2018, he's the second-highest ranked recruit in Indiana basketball history, per the 247Sports rankings. A lot can change by next summer, but Mgbako is already projected to be a first-round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
"It is all about the jump shot," Mgbako's scouting report on On3.com says. "The release is consistent, high, and soft. Mgbako steps into it confidently off the catch and his balance is right on. Then you see the positional size at 6-foot-8/6-foot-9 and you see the attraction. Past the jump shot, Mgbako attacks closeouts in a straight line. His handle is average, his hips seem a little stiff, and he is a slightly above average athlete. Despite each of these being a concern moving forward, the shooting and the confidence are very real traits here and he rebounds his area. Mgbako has consistently performed at a high level in big settings."
Mgbako's commitment was especially important after the Hoosiers lost starters Trayce Jackson-Davis, Jalen Hood-Schifino, Race Thompson and Miller Kopp from last year's team, along with bench contributors Tamar Bates and Jordan Geronimo. Woodson replenished the front court with transfer forwards Kel'el Ware (Oregon), Anthony Walker (Miami) and Payton Sparks (Ball State), but the Hoosiers still had apparent holes at shooting guard and small forward.
Bringing positional versatility and 3-point shooting prowess, Mgbako is just what Indiana needed this offseason. With one available scholarship for the 2023-24 season, Indiana's roster currently consists of Xavier Johnson, Trey Galloway, Anthony Leal, Malik Reneau, CJ Gunn, Kaleb Banks, Kel'el Ware, Anthony Walker, Payton Sparks, Mackenzie Mgbako, Gabe Cupps and Jakai Newton.
