Hoosiers Now

Jack’s Take: Mike Woodson Restores Optimism Around Indiana Basketball Through Offseason Recruiting

Mike Woodson’s third season as Indiana’s head coach was a disappointment, but he’s excited fans by building one of the nation’s top incoming classes.

Jack Ankony

Indiana coach Mike Woodson pictured with incoming transfer guards Myles Rice (left) and Kanaan Carlyle (right).
Indiana coach Mike Woodson pictured with incoming transfer guards Myles Rice (left) and Kanaan Carlyle (right). / @adamhoward0 on X

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – When Liam McNeeley decommitted from Indiana on March 7, the basketball program appeared to be in a downward spiral.

The loss of a five-star recruit and arguably the top 3-point shooter in high school basketball who's now headed to UConn was just the latest indignity. Indiana was 17-13 at the time and would not make the NCAA Tournament for the first time in coach Mike Woodson’s three seasons. The Hoosiers hovered around No. 100 in most computer rankings and didn’t have a single incoming recruit.

After making steady progress in Woodson’s first two seasons, the future looked grim. There were concerns Indiana could lose some of its best players. There was even national speculation about Woodson’s job security. Improving in Woodson's fourth season would require a top-notch offseason.

Less than two months later, Indiana has been transformed. It’s listed in some way-too-early top 25 rankings for 2024-25. Some say its potential starting five could be among the best in the nation. 

In a 30-day span, Woodson rattled off five commitments that altered Indiana’s outlook in 2024-25 for the better in a major way. That started with landing five-star freshman Bryson Tucker, followed by incoming transfers like Washington State guard Myles Rice, Arizona center Oumar Ballo, Stanford guard Kanaan Carlyle and Illinois sharpshooting wing Luke Goode. Woodson still has two scholarships to work with, at least one likely being used for front court depth.

Meanwhile, Woodson held on to key starters such as Mackenzie Mgbako, Malik Reneau and Trey Galloway. The Hoosiers lost CJ Gunn (DePaul), Kaleb Banks (Tulane) and Payton Sparks (Ball State), but none of them would have been starters or should be considered significant losses. Indiana’s transfer portal class is currently ranked No. 1 in the nation, headlined by the 7-foot Ballo, who's ranked No. 1 among all transfers. Add Tucker, and the Hoosiers’ 2024 class is ranked No. 9 in the nation when combining incoming freshmen and transfers, per 247 Sports. 

This metamorphosis is a lesson that in this new era of college basketball, one disappointing season doesn’t always forecast multiple ones to follow. Indiana actually was in an optimal position heading into the offseason because of its available minutes, exposure at a nationally prominent program, proven college-to-NBA development from its coaches, strong NIL funding and more. 

Woodson had an opportunity to quickly look past last season and build toward a brighter future. And on paper, he’s recruited and retained talent as well as anyone in the sport this offseason.

It’s still nearly six months until the start of the 2024-25 season and plenty of high-impact transfers remain uncommitted, leaving rosters far from set. But national college basketball pundits widely view Indiana as a top-25 roster and a Big Ten contender. Indiana is ranked as high as No. 15 by Jon Rothstein, who posted Friday that, "NO ONE in college basketball is having a better run" than Woodson. Rothstein is projecting a starting lineup of Rice, Carlyle, Mgbako, Reneau and Ballo, which has the Hoosiers ranked No. 16 by ESPN’s Jeff Borzello, No. 20 from Gary Parrish of CBS Sports and No. 25 by FOX Sports’ John Fanta.

Ballo gives Woodson the true center he obviously believes is vital to success at the college level, after running Indiana’s offense through Trayce Jackson-Davis his first two years, then Kel’el Ware last season. Woodson allowed Jackson-Davis to facilitate the offense, and Ware’s rare skill set as a 7-footer gave Indiana a pick-and-pop option, in addition to being a serious lob threat.

Ballo is different. He is more of a traditional center, doing all of his scoring inside, whether that’s through pick-and-rolls, put-backs or post-ups. As a two-time All-Pac-12 first-team member, he’s been one of the nation’s top rebounders the last two seasons, and he’s averaged at least 1.2 blocks per game each of the past three seasons. At 7-foot and 260 pounds, he makes a strong case as the Big Ten’s top center heading into next season, especially with Zach Edey off to the NBA. Ballo’s 56.4% free throw shooting is where he’ll have to improve.

Indiana still has Reneau, a 6-foot-9 forward who averaged 15.4 points last season and is at his best near the basket. He’ll try to expand his game outside, and it’s fair to wonder how well he can coexist with Ballo in the paint. But teams like Purdue proved a two-big lineup can lead to great success, as long as those players have 3-point shooters and dynamic guards around them. Indiana didn't have enough of that last year, but Woodson has addressed those needs this offseason.

Though Ballo has the flashy No. 1 ranking next to his name, the most drastic improvement Woodson made to Indiana’s roster will be seen through its guard play. Woodson relied on Xavier Johnson to lead Indiana’s offense last season, but the point guard was never the same after his injuries. He was in and out of the lineup due to injuries, an ejection and poor play, and that threw freshman Gabe Cupps into the fire when he wasn’t ready to start Big Ten games. 

Indiana would have benefitted from adding a transfer guard last season, and Woodson made sure that wouldn’t be an issue in his fourth season. Rice and Carlyle give Indiana two dynamic guards capable of handling the ball, getting to the basket and creating their own shots. Their 3-point shooting numbers – 27.5% for Rice and 32% for Carlyle – must increase in order for Indiana to reach its ceiling, but they significantly improve Indiana’s back court rotation from last season.

Rice was named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and earned a spot on the All-Pac-12 first team, averaging 14.8 points per game for a Washington State squad that reached the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 as a No. 7 seed. Carlyle, a former top-50 recruit, scored 28 points against Arizona and 31 against Washington State, only to be topped by Rice’s 35-point effort the same night. The duo had their ups and downs as freshmen, but multiple 20-point games reveal their already established talent and future potential. They are crucial pickups, and they each have three years of remaining eligibility. 

Rice and Carlyle also immediately make Indiana’s back court deeper. Trey Galloway has started 66 games in his Indiana career, but Woodson could opt to bring him off the bench as an experienced sixth man. Galloway mostly came off the bench as a sophomore in 2021-22, but he was often used in Woodson’s end-of-game lineups. As a senior in 2023-24, Galloway had to carry Indiana’s offense in many games. He turned into more of a playmaker, but his 3-point shooting numbers dropped roughly 20% as his responsibilities increased. Expect an uptick from Galloway beyond the arc now that some of the pressure is off his shoulders. 

Indiana will also be able to bring Cupps off the bench and not rush his development. Add Leal and a healthy Jakai Newton, and Indiana’s guard depth is an underrated area of improvement as a result of these offseason additions.

But what about Indiana’s 3-point shooting? At 32.4% last season, the Hoosiers ranked 12th in the Big Ten and 273rd nationally out of 363 teams. Mgbako was seen as a talented shooter when he committed to Indiana, but he finished the year at 32.7% on 4.6 attempts per game. His offseason development will be crucial, especially as a shooter and defender, and his improvement throughout his freshman season is reason to believe a summer in Bloomington will do wonders for his game.

Having two quick guards like Rice and Carlyle that can create their own shot and shots for others is something Indiana lacked a year ago. They should help Mgbako, Goode and others get even more open looks. Woodson’s comments on the two guards spoke to just that.

“Kanaan is a dynamic player with the ball in his hands with the length and skillset to create scoring chances for himself and others. His ability off the bounce pairs nicely with his shooting stroke,” Woodson said. 

“Myles is a savvy, downhill guard that really succeeds in pick-and-roll situations. He is a three-level scorer that makes the right play consistently, whether that is getting to the rim or finding the open man.”

Goode represents the out-and-out 3-point shooter Indiana needed. At Illinois, he made 85-of-219 3-point attempts, good for 38.8%. And at 6-foot-7 with three years of Big Ten experience, he’s the perfect bench wing with positional versatility to play behind Mgbako. Add Tucker, and Indiana landed two wings much better than the departing Gunn and Banks.

Tucker is ranked as high as No. 13 nationally by On3, and while there’s typically an adjustment period to college for most freshmen, Big Ten Network analyst and former NBA player Stephen Bardo has high expectations for Tucker.

“Bryson Tucker might be the best player on that team,” Bardo said. “He’s a future pro. He’s 6-foot-6, 6-foot-7 kid that can play point, he can play off guard.”

Even after the additions of Tucker, Rice, Ballo, Carlyle and Goode, Indiana still has two open scholarships heading into the 2024-25 season. The roster turnover may seem like a lot, but 11 of next year’s 18 Big Ten teams had more players enter the transfer portal than Indiana. Such is the nature of modern-day college basketball.

Though Indiana has one of the top frontcourts in the Big Ten with Ballo and Reneau, it could benefit from adding a backup center or power forward with one or both of the remaining scholarships. But even before the full roster is set, Indiana has had one of the best offseasons in college basketball despite the challenges it faced in recovering from a disappointing 2023-24 season. 

Woodson’s next challenge is getting a roster with upwards of five newcomers to gel together this summer. Offseason recruiting has restored optimism, but on-court success is ultimately what matters most.

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Jack Ankony

JACK ANKONY