My Two Cents: Times Are Changing at Indiana With Mgbako Commitment
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — There was a lot of concern a month or so about just how good Indiana could be next year. There wasn't a lot of buzz, honestly, not locally and certainly not on the national level.
Now, on a mid-May weekend, that's all changed. Already making a huge impact in the transfer portal, Indiana coach Mike Woodson and his staff — plus a few other stars from Woodson's NBA days — found a way for top-10 recruit Mackenzie Mgbako to say yes to Indiana, filling the last remaining void in their starting lineup.
And it changes everything.
The Hoosiers are now threats to win a Big Ten title this season, something we couldn't have said a month ago. They are back in the national conversation again, which they weren't after the Final Four ended.
Mgbako is that good.
He is a 6-foot-8 forward who played at Roselle Catholic High School in New Jersey and is considering by many to be one of the best offensive players in the entire class of 2023. He's a small forward with a skill-set at that position that Indiana hasn't had in a long, long time.
"My decision will put me in a position to flourish and thrive," Mgbako told ESPN. "The staff showed a lot of love and I trust them. They have a need for my game. It's a great fit. If I do my job, I will have the opportunity to start. I can bring scoring, rebounding and passing."
A need? That's an understatement. Indiana didn't have an obvious high-end answer at the small forward position after Miller Kopp ran out of eligibility. Kopp had a few moments during his two years with the Hoosiers, but this is a massive talent upgrade. It's also a big upgrade from sophomore-to-be Kaleb Banks, who i still think will be a nice college player.
But Mgbako will be a great college player — at least for one year.
Mgbako had a conversation with former NBA great Carmelo Anthony, who played for Woodson while with the New York Knicks. There is a lot of similarity in their games — forwards who could score like crazy both inside and out — but Mgbako was more interested in what it would be like to play for Woodson.
The McDonald's All-American said that Anthony told him, "[Woodson] is a genuine guy. But on the court, he will push you."
This wasn't all about just Woodson, either. When Mgbako asked for his release from Duke, everyone tried to jump back in to his recruitment. Indiana wasn't alone in its pursuit, and Mgbako had a lot of interest in Kansas, Louisville and St. John's He narrowed it to Kansas and Indiana, and had fans from both schools on the edge of their seats all week.
Many thought Kansas was the front-runner, and that they could outbid Indiana in this new NIL world.
That didn't happen. Indiana's NIL system is in place, and solid. They did more than enough to make Mgbako about coming to Bloomington and playing for the Hoosiers.
"It works hand in hand with the decision," he said during his ESPN interview. "You get paid for what you love to do. Indiana has great NIL opportunities."
Mgbako is Indiana's highest-ranked recruit since No. 5 prospect Romeo Langford committed to the Hoosiers in the class of 2018. Langford, the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, played one year for the Hoosiers, averaging 16.5 points per game despite playing through a hand injury much of the year.
Mgbako is surrounded by much more talent than Langford was, and Woodson is a far better coach than Archie Miller. Man, that's not even close.
He joins four-star guards Gabe Cupps and Jakai Newton in Indiana's high school recruiting class, and paired with transfer portal home runs Ke'lel Ware (Oregon), Payton Sparks (Ball State) and Anthony Walker (Miami), this Indiana team will look completely different.
Woodson had to replace four starters from last year's 23-12 team that did a lot of good things but was knocked out of the NCAA tournament by Miami in the second round as a No. 4 seed. He had to replace All-American Trayce Jackson-Davis and freshman Jalen Hood-Schifino, a projected mid-first round pick in next month's 2023 draft. Starters Kopp and Race Thompson are gone, too.
But they've put together a heck of a team in the offseason. Mgbako is the gem, of course, but Ware was a five-star recruit coming out of high school, and he's got a lot of prove after one quiet year at Oregon. And Malik Reneau, who learned a lot from Jackson-Davis last year, could really break out, too.
A frontline of Ware, Mgbako and Reneau is — dare we say, without hesitation — better and far more versatile than last year's frontline of Jackson-Davis, Thompson and Kopp?
Mgbako is the best small forward Indiana has had in years. D.J. White was an All-American forward for Indiana in 2008, but he was really more of a 4/5 than a 3/3. He only made one three-pointer. A more apt comparison is Jared Jeffries, who led Indiana to the 2002 national title game.
That was 21 years ago!
Hence the reason for excitement with Mgbako in Indiana's lineup, There is no ceiling. It's very possible that they could be really, really good.
It helps a lot, too, that sixth-year point guard Xavier Johnson is back for another season. That veteran leadership will really come in handy with all these new pieces.
Mgbako's commitment turns the Hoosiers into a legitimate contender. We're still six months away from the season opener, but the excitement level is already off the charts.
Indiana went nose to nose with the big boys in a huge recruiting battle that played out on a national level. And they won.
That's just so, so different. And it's wonderful.
Related stories on Indiana basketball
- MGBAKO COMMITS TO INDIANA: Indiana picked up a massive commitment on Friday night from class of 2023 five-star recruit Mackenzie Mgbako. The 6-foot-8 McDonald's All-American from Roselle Catholic in New Jersey is the No. 9 player in the ESPN Top 100. CLICK HERE
- HOOSIERS OPEN WITH FLORIDA GULF COAST: Indiana basketball will begin its 2023-24 season against the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles, led by former Penn State coach Pat Chambers and former Purdue guard Isaiah Thompson. CLICK HERE
- NDIANA OFFERS KIYAN ANTHONY: Indiana coach Mike Woodson offered a scholarship to Kiyan Anthony, the son of NBA star Carmelo Anthony. Woodson and Carmelo took the New York Knicks to the NBA playoffs twice, including the 2012-13 season when Carmelo led the NBA in scoring. CLICK HERE
- MUSTAF PLANS VISIT TO INDIANA: Indiana will host an official visit for class of 2024 four-star guard Jaeden Mustaf on June 8-10. CLICK HERE
- MGBAKO PICTURED AT INDIANA: Mackenzie Mgbako, a five-star recruit in the class of 2023, took an official visit to Indiana over the weekend. Check out the pictures from Mgbako's visit, wearing the candy stripe pants, holding Indiana's Big Ten championship trophies and meeting with coach Mike Woodson. CLICK HERE
- JONATHAN POWELL PUTS IU IN TOP SIX: Jonathan Powell, a four-star shooting guard in the class of 2024, included Indiana in his top six college choices, along with Michigan State, Xavier, Ohio State, Clemson and Virginia Tech. Powell was teammates with Indiana commit Gabe Cupps at Centerville High School. CLICK HERE
