Sugar Cookies and Trash Talk: The Rookie-Veteran Friendship of Mgbako, Walker
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Prized freshman Mackenzie Mgbako and fifth-year senior Anthony Walker are two of 10 newcomers to the Indiana basketball roster this season. Mgbako decommitted from Duke and chose Indiana in May, and Walker transferred from Miami.
Regardless of their age gap and limited time as teammates, they're good buddies. The Bloomington greenhorns love BuffaLouie's, guard each other in scrimmages, and play video games daily. Walker doesn't spare the younger Mgbako from his trash-talk on and away from the court. And, Walker instantaneously claims he's better at video games.
Mgbako, the consensus five-star recruit, answers back with his play. At the Indiana Basketball Media Day at Assembly Hall Wednesday, Walker recalled an instance guarding Mgbako, who tried to post up the veteran. Walker thought he stole the ball cleanly, but Mgbako called for the foul. As the sides checked up the ball, the two chirped at one another.
"They give it back to him," Walker said Wednesday in the roundtable interviews. "As soon as he catches it, he pulls up and makes his middy and he says a little something to me. That's just something that hasn't left my head. I'm like, okay, okay, so he's a gamer. Okay, yeah, let me just put that in my back pocket. But he's a competitor. I love playing against him."
Mgbako named Walker as one of the players who reassures him if he does not shoot well, concedes too many buckets, or moves sluggishly on any particular day. To Mgbako, Walker, Xavier Johnson and Anthony Leal are great leaders. Walker said he feels like he's known Mgbako for years, through on-court duels and off-court video game drubbings.
Still, Walker revealed they have yet to be in the same batch of teammates who have eaten at BuffaLouie's together. Walker's order is 12 dry-rub wings, and double that if he's hungry, with loaded fries and something to drink to wash it down. Mgbako opts for the 12-piece bone-in honey barbecue, and, in contrast, orders the curly fries with pink lemonade and cookies.
Both seem to be foodies. Walker proclaimed Wednesday that sugar cookies are the all-time snack and honey buns aren't far behind. Barbecue potato chips round out his top three, which overlap with Mgbako's BuffaLouie's order. Walker said he must be eating snacks when he's watching cooking shows, though he doesn't have an explanation for why they're his favorite.
Mgbako dearly misses his New Jersey bagels. His hometown of Gladstone, NJ, is 40 minutes from where he played high school basketball at Roselle Catholic. Mgbako was an All-American in 2023, averaging 16.2 points and 9.2 rebounds per game his senior season.
"Oh yeah," Mgbako said. "The bodegas. They ain't got no bacon, egg and cheese's out here."
Mgbako has only recently discovered that the owner of BuffaLouie's, Ed Schwartzman, also owns the renowned Gables Bagels shop one block over in town. Mgbako wasn't sure Wednesday if they had the bacon, egg and cheese, but Gables does sell his favored order.
As the 6-foot-8 Mgbako — which also is Walker's listed height — adjusts from the East Coast, questions surround the rookie's acclimation defensively at Indiana. Earlier at Media Day, senior captain Trey Galloway said he thinks the younger players have bought into the system, which is not the easiest to learn, particularly on the defensive side.
"I'm most definitely, like still learning the defense," Mgbako said. "I wouldn't say I got it down to a tee, but from summer till now I feel like there's been a lot of growth for sure. A lot of time going into film, a lot of time with the coaches, reviewing what I can do better, how I can move my feet a little bit faster, where I'm supposed to be, before the play develops and what not."
Coming from the 2023 Final-Four team Miami in the ACC, Walker is prepping to be speedy.
"Be the fastest, be the most energetic, be the goofiest," Walker said. "I like to dance. Hopefully, Woodson isn't a stickler on dancing on the court during the games… It's something that the ACC takes pride in is playing fast. I think with the new team and the new versatility we have this year, I think we can be the fastest team in the Big Ten. I want to be the head of that."
Speed is required for trivia at BuffaLouie's on Thursday nights. Teams are usually granted one song's worth of time to come up with their answers. Walker said he hasn't been, and isn't interested in trivia much, though he is competitive. Plus, he does retain obscure knowledge from spending too much time on YouTube. One time, it's skateboarding, then right to sharks.
Mgbako has yet to go to weekly trivia, too. Both players are from the East Coast, as Walker grew up in Baltimore. They haven't had years on campus like other veteran teammates. They have not yet reveled in what it's like to run onto the court to the berzerk crowds of Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The first regular-season Indiana game is in the first week of November.
Walker doesn't know if he's prepared for that, but he's eager to experience it. Mgbako thinks you can't prepare for that adrenaline euphoria; again, it's the custom one must undertake. The passionate fanbase stood out about Indiana to Mgbako; right now, he can feel the town's love. While sitting on the court Wednesday, he was in awe of Assembly Hall's 17,222-seat capacity.
And, about trivia:
"Will definitely gonna have to check it out tomorrow, if I can," Mgbako said.
Today is Thursday, after all.
Related stories on Indiana Basketball:
- WHAT WOODSON SAID: Coach Mike Woodson spoke publicly for the first time this school year on Wednesday during Indiana basketball media day at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Here's everything he said. CLICK HERE
- WHAT MOREN SAID: Below is the press conference transcript from Indian women's basketball coach Teri Moren, who discussed the program's high expectations in 2023-24 and much more Wednesday. CLICK HERE
- 2023-24 MEN'S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE: The 2023-24 Indiana basketball schedule is now finalized, with both the Big Ten schedule and nonconference slate announced. We'll update this file throughout the season as game times and TV designations are released. CLICK HERE
- GUCCI MANE AT HOOSIER HYSTERIA: Indiana welcomes a big-time guest for 2023 Hoosier Hysteria. Gucci Mane, an Atlanta-based rapper, will perform at the event on Oct. 20 at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. CLICK HERE
- MCNEELEY DOWN TO IU, KANSAS: Liam McNeeley is down to two schools, Indiana and Kansas, after cancelling his visit to Texas. McNeeley is a five-star small forward in the class of 2024 out of Montverde Academy. CLICK HERE
