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    Arizona transfer 7-foot center Oumar Ballo commits to IU basketball

    Mike SchumannBy IU Basketball Recruiting 184 Comments

    Mike Woodson has his big fella for the 2024-25 season.

    Arizona transfer 7-foot center Oumar Ballo has announced he will attend Indiana for his final season of college basketball.

    At 7-foot and 260 pounds, Ballo was one of the best centers in the country this past season at Arizona. He averaged a double-double with 12.9 points, 10.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game while leading the Wildcats to the Sweet 16.

    The Koulikoro, Mali product will attempt to follow in the footsteps of Kel’el Ware and Trayce Jackson-Davis as centers who played for Mike Woodson and went on to the NBA.

    A dominant rebounder and efficient scorer, Ballo was a top player in the nation in 2023-24 based on multiple measures at KenPom:

    • Offensive rebounding percentage (15.2% / No. 15)
    • Effective field goal percentage (65.8% / No. 17)
    • Defensive rebounding percentage (26.9% / No. 20)
    • Free throw rate (68.3% / No. 26)

    Among transfer portal players who played 50% or more of his team’s minutes, Ballo is No. 2 overall in box score plus-minus.

    His shooting splits this season were 65.8% from the field and 49.5% from the free throw line. Ballo has never attempted a three in his four year college career. He shot 70.1% from the free throw line as a sophomore and is a career 56.4% shooter at the stripe.

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    In his first year at Arizona (2021-22), Ballo was the Sixth Man of the Year in the Pac-12. He since has emerged in the conference as an all-league player the last two years. In that time, he is a two-time All Pac-12 First Team selection, a Pac-12 All-Defensive Selection and honorable mention, an All Pac-12 Tournament Team member, and was the Pac-12’s Most Improved Player in ’22-’23.  He started his career at Gonzaga.

    Ballo averaged 14.2 points and 8.6 rebounds per game in the 2022-23 season, his first as a starter at Arizona. He was a major factor in a Dec. 2022 win over Indiana, with 15 points and 12 rebounds.

    Ballo joins Washington State transfer Myles Rice as the Hoosiers two transfer portal additions so far during this offseason.

    IU now currently has four roster openings for 2024-25.

    For Indiana’s main targets in the transfer portal, GO HERE.

    For a comprehensive look at offseason roster activity at IU and across the Big Ten, GO HERE.

    The Daily Hoosier –“Where Indiana fans assemble when they’re not at Assembly”

    For complete coverage of IU basketball recruiting, GO HERE.   

    The Daily Hoosier –“Where Indiana fans assemble when they’re not at Assembly”

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