Carmelo Anthony continues to deliver for Mike Woodson.
And although he attended Syracuse, Anthony will quickly become a fan favorite in Bloomington if he keeps this up.
Two years ago Trayce Jackson-Davis was trying to get the scoop on then new IU basketball head coach Mike Woodson.
Jackson-Davis ended up connecting with Anthony in the spring of 2021 to learn more about the new Hoosiers coach before deciding to return.
“I asked around, I asked last year, Carmelo Anthony, he told me he was his favorite coach he ever played for, and I can see why now,” Jackson-Davis said a year ago.
Fast forward to 2023, and it appears Anthony has now helped IU land a major class of 2023 recruiting target.
5-star forward Mackenzie Mgbako told ESPN on Friday he spoke with Anthony this week as he decided between IU and Kansas.
If Woodson had a weakness when it came to recruiting Mgbako, it was that he hadn’t sent a player like him to the NBA during his time at Indiana.
But he did coach Anthony in the NBA. Similar to Mgbako, Anthony is a 6-foot-7 hybrid forward. Two of his three best single-season scoring averages came in 2012-13 and 2013-14, when Anthony averaged 28.7 and 27.4 points per game for the New York Knicks under Woodson.
And this week the mega-star gave Woodson another endorsement.
Mgbako told ESPN that Anthony told him, “[Woodson] is a genuine guy. But on the court, he will push you.”
On Friday, Mgbako committed to Indiana, giving IU a much needed wing scorer.
And Anthony may not be done supporting his former head coach.
Indiana is recruiting Anthony’s son Kiyan, a class of 2025 guard who is quickly becoming one of the better players in the rising junior class.
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