The weather is heating up, baseball is in full swing, and I’m loving every minute of it. But no matter what time of year it is, basketball remains on the mind for this Indiana boy. And both teams that I cover and follow have extremely important months ahead this off-season. Let’s check in on each team and talk about where things stand.
Indiana Hoosiers
For better or worse, the transfer portal has completely changed the college game. There’s way more roster turnover, less student athletes who play all four years at the same school, and more of a free agent frenzy every off-season. While that may not be appealing to some, it does allow teams like the Indiana Hoosiers to quickly revamp their roster after losing the majority of their team. So far, the Hoosiers have landed three players via the transfer portal: Kel’el Ware was the most notable addition, to go along with other solid big men Payton Sparks and Anthony Walker. Point guard Xavier Johnson will also be back after being granted a medical hardship waiver, and Indiana has two solid guards coming in as freshmen.
Add of all of that to returners Trey Galloway, Malik Reneau, Kaleb Banks, and CJ Gunn, and you have some talent in the program. But the Hoosiers still lack two key ingredients: Outside shooting, and a go-to player on the wing. They’ve got two scholarships left to try and fill those needs.
The big news out of Bloomington this week: 5-star freshman Mackenzie Mgbako is down to Indiana and Kansas in his recruitment. He de-committed from Duke and is ranked in the top-10 nationally. For many reasons, he would be the perfect fit for Indiana. And personally, I believe Indiana would also be the perfect fit for him. At Indiana, he could be the primary option on offense, play for Mike Woodson for a year, and most likely head to the NBA next season. He would single-handedly change the outlook of this program heading into next season. His decision will either be incredible, or devastating for the program and fan base. Expect his all-important decision in the near future. He’s set to announce his decision between the Hoosiers and Jayhawks on Friday.
Outside of Mgbako, keep an eye on Jordan Dingle and RayJ Dennis- both of which would be great additions for Indiana.
Even though most of the work is complete for next year’s roster, you could argue that the most important work is still taking shape. The Hoosiers need to reel in a big fish or two this month.
Indiana Pacers
The Pacers appear to be on the rise, but they need another good off-season to take the desired leap forward next season. First things first: The NBA Draft lottery takes place next week on May 16th. The Pacers have a 29.3% chance of moving into the Top-4 in the draft. They have a 20% chance of picking 7th, a 35.6% chance of picking 8th, and a 14% chance of picking 9th. They’re going to end up with another good player in this draft regardless of what happens in the lottery. But it sure would be nice for the franchise to catch a break for once in this thing.
Outside of bringing in another talented player with a pick, the Pacers have quite a few assets and a hungry President of Basketball Operations, who told us he was “itchy” to make some big moves this summer. The Pacers have multiple first and second round picks, a few young assets, and some cap space to play with. For the first time in years, I think the Pacers will be taking some big swings in the trade market with the hopes of landing an impact starting player. Former Hoosier OG Anunoby will be one of the names to watch, but I think Indiana will be casting a wide net this summer. They need to target the 3/4 positions, and need to find multiple players who can actually guard opposing wings. If they can make one big trade, and can once again hit on their draft pick at the top, they could easily get back into the playoff picture next season.
Tyler Smith covers the Indiana Pacers and Indiana Hoosiers for IndySportsLegends and is a frequent contributor to the Journal Review and is the sports director at New Hope Christian Church.
