Former Indiana Guard Gabe Cupps Headed To Ohio State

Former Indiana guard Gabe Cupps returns to his home state to continue his college basketball career in the Big Ten.
Indiana's Gabe Cupps (2) celebrates the victory over Iowa during the second half of the Indiana versus Iowa men's basketball game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024.
Indiana's Gabe Cupps (2) celebrates the victory over Iowa during the second half of the Indiana versus Iowa men's basketball game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Former Indiana guard Gabe Cupps was the first Indiana player who entered the transfer portal and he was also the first one to identify his landing spot on Wednesday.

Cupps announced via his social media feed that he was headed to Ohio State.

Cupps, who played at Centerville High School in Ohio, returns to his home state after he was on the Indiana men’s basketball roster for two seasons.

Cupps only played four games for the Hoosiers in the 2024-25 season before he injured his meniscus in his left knee and was required to have season-ending surgery. Cupps did not score in his four appearances.

However, Cupps had a more prominent role during his freshman season. Injuries and ineffective play from older backcourt teammates thrust Cupps into the starting lineup by Dec. 1, 2023.

Cupps went on to start 22 of his 33 games in his freshman season. He played good defense at point guard for the Hoosiers, but was not a scoring threat, as he averaged 2.6 points. One big shot he did make was a 3-pointer late in the game against Iowa that helped Indiana secure a victory.

Cupps is one of six former Indiana players who have entered the transfer portal. As of press time, the only player still on the Indiana roster with experience is Bryson Tucker.

Luke Goode could also return, but it is contingent on whether an injury waiver from his sophomore season at lllinois would be approved by the NCAA.

Cupps’ quick decision is likely to be the way of the world in the next 10 days.

Based on what happens with the House settlement on April 7, teams are going to be motivated to move fast. Up until April 7, players can be signed under the current rules where NIL collectives had free reign to offer pay-for-play deals.

Once the revenue sharing proposed by the House settlement begins, all player deals with collectives will be run through a NCAA clearinghouse to assess legitimacy and fair market value.

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Todd Golden
TODD GOLDEN

Long-time Indiana journalist Todd Golden has been a writer with “Indiana Hoosiers on SI” since 2024, and has worked at several state newspapers for more than two decades. Follow Todd on Twitter @ToddAaronGolden.