Transfer portal season is here, and while IU fans will be keeping a close eye on potential roster additions, the two-way nature of this time of year means we could see departures in the coming days.
Trey Galloway and Anthony Leal are the only two players with remaining eligibility we can write about with certainty as of Monday morning. The senior guards have both already indicated they will utilize their fifth years in Bloomington. They form the foundation of the 2024-25 team at this moment.
Anthony Walker and Xavier Johnson are the only two players who are certain to leave, as both are out of eligibility. With their departures, IU will have at least three open scholarships for next season.
But other departures seem more likely than not at this moment.
Kel’el Ware looks like a lock to leave for the NBA. He’s widely seen as a first round draft choice in June. His strong finish to the season only seemed to enhance that draft outlook.
Kaleb Banks and C.J. Gunn would seem to be the most likely to transfer. That’s not based on anything they’ve said, but instead mainly just the optics of their reduced roles over the course of the season. We’ve seen this story. Under Mike Woodson, players like Jordan Geronimo, Khristian Lander, and Logan Duncomb left after they fell out of the rotation.
If Banks, Gunn and Ware were all to leave, Indiana would be up to six open scholarships.
Malik Reneau said over the weekend he needs to consult his family and advisors and figure out his next step. Reneau is not an NBA prospect at this time, so his decision relates to potentially entering the portal. At this point it would be surprising if he transferred, but anything is possible in this Wild West free agency era of college basketball.
Mackenzie Mgbako’s strong finish to his freshman season will probably lead to him at least exploring his NBA Draft options. He seems like a player who could benefit from another year in college, and Indiana needs to do whatever it takes to keep him out of the portal.
Payton Sparks knew he wouldn’t have a massive role at IU, so as long as he continues to be satisfied with limited minutes he should have a spot on the roster.
Gabe Cupps got a lot more playing time than was expected coming into the season. Indiana will no doubt try to recruit over him in the portal. But he can be a solid backcourt depth piece if that’s a role he’s willing to accept.
Jakai Newton has worked his way back to health, and he has impressed folks behind the scenes with his speed and athleticism. He should have an opportunity to play as a redshirt freshman next season.
If Indiana were to return Galloway, Leal, Reneau, Mgbako, Sparks, Cupps and Newton — their transfer portal needs for those six roster openings would seem fairly clear.
While Galloway and Cupps can handle primary ball handling duties, you can bet Indiana would like a proven volume scorer in that role based on how much emphasis Woodson’s offense places on a scoring point guard.
And without Ware, Indiana will no doubt want a rim protector.
As for the other four openings, Indiana will likely try to bring in as many shooters as possible, in all shapes and sizes — anywhere from true shooting guards to a stretch four.
Obviously the more wing scorers they bring in via the portal, the harder it is to convince the next guy to sign up — so it is always possible IU ends up with less than 13 scholarship players. One option to counter that dynamic would be a late high school pick-up who has lower expectations for an immediate role.
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