Indiana Sophomore Kaleb Banks Eager to Contribute in Various Ways
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Kaleb Banks played an inconsistent role as a freshman, besides knowing he always needed to be prepared when coach Mike Woodson pointed to his No. 10 jersey.
By the end of a season that admittedly felt longer than expected and came with ups and downs that were not always easy to react to, Banks played 5.6 minutes per game in 24 of Indiana's contests. More often than not, Indiana relied on its veterans, plus freshman Jalen Hood-Schifino, as Banks watched from the sideline.
There were moments, however, that showed how Banks as a 6-foot-7 positionless basketball player can eventually help the Hoosiers. His first opportunity to play double-digit minutes in a Big Ten matchup was on Jan. 28 against Ohio State at Assembly Hall – Banks' 14th collegiate game.
Banks was active from the jump, slipping behind the Ohio State defense to snatch an offensive rebound and finish a put-back layup through contact at the 7:50 mark of the first half. He returned for his second run of the game about six minutes later, and Trayce Jackson-Davis saw Banks sprinting toward the rim on a fast break. Jackson-Davis rewarded the freshman's effort, lobbing the ball up for an easy Banks lay in.
This sequence capped off a 15-0 run, igniting the Assembly Hall crowd and giving Indiana all the cushion it needed in an 86-70 win. Banks finished with five points and seven rebounds in 12 minutes against Ohio State, and a week later, he added four points and three rebounds in seven minutes during Indiana's victory over top-ranked Purdue. But behind a veteran group, he would only play 10-plus minutes in two more games in 2023, which served as Banks' biggest lesson through one season in Bloomington.
"I really learned that you never know when it's going to be your moment, so just always be ready for that moment," Banks said. "It may be times when it's not your moment, and it may be times when you're in the fire and you're going to have to be ready to step up and make that moment happen."
Indiana's Kaleb Banks (10) protects the ball during the second half of the Indiana versus Marian men's basketball game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Saturday, Oct. 29, 2022
Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK
Entering his sophomore year, Banks knows – and Woodson has made it clear – that Indiana needs more from him. Banks strives to impact the game in a variety of ways, and he feels Indiana's roster makeup will give him an opportunity to do so.
"They want me to take that big step next year," Banks said Tuesday, referring to his offseason conversations with the Indiana coaching staff. "With the flashes I showed last year, they just want me to improve off that."
After losing four starters from last year's squad that went 23-12 and earned a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament, minutes are up for grabs all around the court in 2023-24. Veteran guards Xavier Johnson and Trey Galloway are the only Hoosiers with consistent starting experience in the Big Ten, leaving Woodson an inexperienced, yet talented group. CBS Sports reporter Jon Rothstein recently projected an Indiana starting lineup of Johnson, Galloway, five-star freshman Mackenzie Mgbako, returning sophomore Malik Reneau and Oregon transfer Kel'el Ware, another sophomore.
While Banks may not be in line for a starting role in 2023-24 – and yes, this could change before or during the season – he provides a valuable skillset, even if he's coming off the bench. Banks has defensive versatility to guard multiple positions, which could allow Woodson to play him at small forward, alongside Reneau and Ware, or at power forward in a slightly smaller lineup.
Banks has been impressed with Mgbako, the Big Ten's highest-ranked incoming freshman, calling him a two-way player who can shoot the ball well. He described Ware as a "dog" and another newcomer that provides outside shooting ability at 7-feet tall.
Woodson rounded out Indiana's roster with transfer forwards Payton Sparks from Ball State and Anthony Walker, who joined the Hoosiers this week after finishing up classes at Miami. Banks said no one has really been able to stop Sparks' strength in the post this summer, and he thinks Walker's experience and knowledge gained through Elite Eight and Final Four runs at Miami will help the Hoosiers.
Altogether, Banks is part of a reloaded Indiana front court that lacks a first-team All-American caliber player like Jackson-Davis, but perhaps has more depth and versatility.
"I feel like I fit in well with the team this year," Banks said. "I see myself having a big impact, making impact plays or just grabbing that key rebound or making a key defensive stop or just scoring or making that key play for the team."
Indiana's Kaleb Banks (10) dunks during the first half of the Indiana versus Purdue men's basketball game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023.
Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK
But no matter how Woodson decides to utilize the 6-foot-7 sophomore forward, Banks has embraced this positionless philosophy. He showed ability to succeed on the perimeter as Georgia's 4A Player of the Year at Fayette County High School, and now he's eager to contribute in a variety of ways at Indiana.
"I feel like I've been working on that – being more comfortable playing out of position, or maybe inside my position, but just being able to do a lot of different things," Banks said. "I've been working on my ball-handling for sure, and I've been fighting down low with the bigs as well, so I can be prepared to play on the court anywhere."
Throughout the summer, Banks said his main skill development focuses are perimeter shooting and ball-handling. As a freshman, he scored 49 total points in 24 appearances, while also grabbing 21 rebounds and making 2-of-5 3-point attempts.
And while locker room leaders like Miller Kopp and Jackson-Davis are gone, Banks has latched onto a team-wide mentality of hard work set by Johnson and Galloway this summer.
"They've been preaching and trying to build a workout culture," Banks said. "Everybody's in the gym nonstop just trying to be the best version of ourselves so when the time comes, we're all ready for for war."
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- BANKS SHINES AGAINST OHIO STATE: Freshman Kaleb Banks has had to wait his turn on Mike Woodson's deep Indiana squad, but he seized the opportunity for more playing time during Saturday's 86-70 win over Ohio State. CLICK HERE
- BANKS HIGH SCHOOL PROFILE: Kaleb Banks received 10 stitches over his eye during the state championship game, and he's gone head-to-head with Jabari Smith, the third pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. The versatile freshman is quiet, humble and might not realize how good he is — or how good he can become — but surrounded by talent in a basketball-crazed environment at Indiana, Banks is right where he needs to be. CLICK HERE
- CHEANEY HELPING GUNN IMPROVE ON OFFENSE: CJ Gunn had an up-and-down freshman year, but with the help of Calbert Cheaney, Indiana's new Director of Player Development, Gunn is working hard to fill a scoring role in the Hoosiers' back court. CLICK HERE
- GALLOWAY CRUCIAL TO IU'S SUCCESS: Indiana guard Trey Galloway made major improvements between his sophomore and junior seasons, and that development will need to continue during his senior year after the Hoosiers lost four starters, including Trayce Jackson-Davis and Jalen Hood-Schifino. CLICK HERE
- RENEAU DEVELOPING ALL-AROUND GAME: Indiana forward Malik Reneau spent his freshman year learning behind veterans Trayce Jackson-Davis and Race Thompson as he adjusted to the college game. Entering his sophomore year, with Indiana experiencing significant roster turnover this offseason, he's working to take on a bigger role and expand his all-around game. CLICK HERE
