We’re four months away from what is becoming a highly anticipated edition of IU basketball.
The Hoosiers appear to be a lock to open the season in the top-25 after what most believe was a strong offseason of roster construction by head coach Mike Woodson and his staff. In their way-too-early top-25 published on Monday, ESPN kept the Hoosiers locked in at No. 18.
But Indiana has gone just 63-40 overall during Woodson’s first three years, including a 31-29 mark in the Big Ten. That underwhelming performance and an overhauled roster leaves plenty of uncertainty surrounding the 2024-25 Hoosiers.
Here are our top seven questions for IU basketball as the calendar flips to the back half of 2024.
How much do Ballo and Reneau play together? Does IU go smaller?
With multiple proven college guards and wings on the roster, Indiana has a clear opportunity to play smaller this year. But it would come as a surprise if Arizona transfer center Oumar Ballo and returning forward Malik Reneau aren’t both in the starting lineup to open the 2024-25 season. Both players are at their best scoring on the low block, which doesn’t portend a transition to smaller lineups with better spacing.
The real question might center around how many minutes the pair are on the floor together. Ballo has averaged around 27 minutes per game the last two years, and Reneau played 28.6 per contest a year ago. If those minutes hold up next year, IU could design rotations where they aren’t in the same lineup for more than half of games. And that could open the door for three-guard lineups while sharpshooting wings Mackenzie Mgbako and Luke Goode see time in a stretch-four role.
Will Galloway be ready? Will he start?
Fifth-year guard Trey Galloway has started 66 games at Indiana, including all but seven when he was available over the last two years.
But Galloway is coming off of knee surgery, and he’s joined in the backcourt by talented sophomores Myles Rice and Kanaan Carlyle. Rice was the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, and Carlyle is getting mentioned as a potential first round NBA Draft choice in 2025.
If Galloway is ready to play by the start of the season — and that is the expectation — will he start for IU? As we said above, Ballo and Reneau are likely starters, as is Mackenzie Mgbako. That means someone out of Rice, Carlyle and Galloway will have to come off the bench. Don’t be surprised if Galloway is a reserve at the beginning of the year.
Is Mgbako ready to take the next step?
Despite his 5-star rating, Mgbako got off to a slow start as a freshman. Over his first 11 games he shot just 38% from the field and just 21% from three. And he probably struggled even more on the defensive end.
But Mgbako had a 19-game stretch that saw him shoot 39.4% from three on 5.2 attempts per game while averaging 13.7 points during that span and improving as a defender.
Like Carlyle, Mgbako is appearing on 2025 NBA Draft boards as a potential first-rounder. Can he get off to a fast start and find another gear in year two while further developing into a more complete wing player on both ends of the floor? Improved guard play should give Mgbako plenty of good shots.
What are the roles for those class of 2023 guards?
Class of 2023 guards Gabe Cupps and Jakai Newton will be interesting to watch this upcoming season. One of them may end up being a bit of an odd man out due to the guard depth.
Cupps played a lot more than anyone expected as a freshman after Xavier Johnson dealt with injuries. And while he had some positive moments and played hard, Cupps struggled at times adjusting to the college game. Will he take a step back from his 21.7 minutes per contest in year one? That seems like a given based on what we’ve seen from Rice, Carlyle and Galloway at the high major level.
Meanwhile Newton won’t have played in a real game in about 20 months when IU opens the season in November. And even that was a brief stint in the latter part of his high school senior season following knee surgery. So what can be realistically expected in his redshirt freshman campaign? No one can say for sure, but Newton’s speed and athleticism have been raising eyebrows going back to the spring.
What about that McDonald’s All-American freshman?
Has Indiana ever had a McDonald’s All-American freshman flying further under the radar than Bryson Tucker? With a core of seven players who have proven they can be key contributors at the high major level, it doesn’t appear that IU will be heavily dependent on needing Tucker to step in and produce big numbers right away.
But that doesn’t mean he won’t have any role for the Hoosiers. Woodson has said he’s high on Tucker multiple times this spring and summer, and the fourth-year coach likes to go deep into the bench early in the season. So Tucker will get plenty of opportunities. And at around 6-foot-7 with guard skills, he’s versatile enough for the staff to try him in multiple roles.
Can the Hoosiers stay healthy? Do they have the depth to deal with injuries?
Woodson believes he has a luxury he didn’t enjoy in his first three seasons at IU — depth throughout the roster. Players like Galloway, Goode and Tucker, if they’re all coming off the bench, do certainly seem like they’ll give the Hoosiers an edge in most games vs. opposing benches.
Meanwhile, Carlyle and Galloway can each play both guard spots which adds injury protection, and the same goes for Reneau and Ballo both being able to play the five, with Langdon Hatton able to back either of them up.
Can Mike Woodson and his staff put it all together?
This is ultimately the biggest question.
Everyone knows Woodson and his staff need to deliver a very good season, especially now that they have a balanced roster that everyone believes is top-25.
Woodson’s teams in years one and three had shortcomings, and his second team was hit with a key injury.
But there should be no excuses in 2024-25. This is a team that should be able to compete at or near the top of the Big Ten and reach a Sweet 16.
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