Indiana men’s basketball went into this offseason with a lot of work to do and very little margin for error.
With the program opting to stick by head coach Mike Woodson despite some recruiting misses in the class of 2024 and a disappointing 2023-24 campaign, this became a critical offseason for the Hoosiers. And with seven open scholarships, thanks to Liam McNeeley decommitting, Kel’el Ware going to the NBA Draft, and three outbound transfers, IU was looking at a major roster overhaul.
Woodson was playing the transfer portal on expert mode. Given some of his swings and misses in the transfer portal in previous years, some concern was justified.
But Indiana has emerged from that position pretty strongly.
Woodson replaced McNeeley with Bryson Tucker as IU’s lone class of 2024 signee. And while Tucker may not be the 3-point shooter McNeeley is, he brings an athleticism and build that give him a lot of potential at the college level.
And in the portal, IU brought in the No. 2 ranked class in the country, per 247Sports. Arizona center Oumar Ballo headlines the group as one of the top players — if not the top player — available in the portal. Woodson addressed one of his roster’s biggest needs — shooting — by adding Stanford guard Kanaan Carlyle and Illinois guard Luke Goode. IU added playmaking in Washington State guard Myles Rice, along with Carlyle. And the Hoosiers wrapped it up Wednesday when Bellarmine forward Langdon Hatton committed, giving them the frontcourt depth they needed.
And all the shifting pieces may overshadow one of Indiana’s biggest wins of the entire offseason. A week after Tucker committed, Mackenzie Mgbako announced his return to IU for his sophomore year.
IU still has one open scholarship remaining, but the roster now looks like a more finished product than it did for most of last season. With all those players joining Trey Galloway, Malik Reneau, Anthony Leal, Jakai Newton, and Gabe Cupps, IU has options.
The program improved its depth across the board, the thing that can get a team into a good position in March. And the team restocked and improved its high-end talent, the thing that ultimately matters the most in March.
On the court, these roster moves could put Indiana in a nice position next year. The Hoosiers entered the offseason with a barren roster, and a few months later, have compiled a squad that could contend in the Big Ten. It’s not a given — things could go awry in different ways, as always. Games are won and lost on the court, not on paper.
In the same vein, off the court impacts only matter so much compared to what happens on the court. But this transformation does reinforce that IU is still a desirable destination. It shows that IU is capable of competing with anyone in the NIL space. It shows that players do still hold Woodson in high regard.
And perhaps most importantly, it proves what the Hoosiers are capable of in a desperate situation. Indiana’s back was against the wall with so much roster turnover, and coming off a rough season with several holes to fill. IU couldn’t afford whiffs in the transfer portal this offseason.
And Woodson and his staff delivered.
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