A player-by-player look at IU basketball’s roster through 12 games

  • Dec 26, 2024 9:07 am
 

Indiana basketball has just one non-conference game left before Big Ten play resumes for the remainder of the season.

The Hoosiers are 9-3 and 1-1 in conference games. Here’s a look at how each scholarship player has performed through 12 games:

Malik Reneau

The junior from Miami, Florida, is Indiana’s leading scorer at 15.1 points per game. He is also the team’s second-leading rebounder at 6.3 rebounds per game. Reneau is shooting close to 60 percent from the field despite just a 3-for-17 (17.6 percent) mark from 3-point range. He also has a team-best 18 steals, five more than any player on the roster. From an efficiency standpoint, this has easily been Reneau’s best season yet in an IU uniform. In addition to his stellar shooting on 2s (66.3 percent), Reneau is also 38-for-49 from the free throw line, good for 77.6 percent.

Mackenzie Mgbako

After a red-hot start to the season, Mgbako has cooled off recently. He had just four points in a 76-57 win against Miami (OH) on Dec. 6 and only two points in an 85-68 loss at Nebraska on Dec. 13. The Gladstone, New Jersey, native is second on IU in scoring at 13.9 points per game. He is 21-for-46 (45.7 percent) on 3s and 26-for-29 (89.7 percent) from the foul line. Defensively, Mgbako continues to struggle when he’s not as involved offensively. When he is making shots, Mgbako is more focused on going to the boards and staying with his man. But when that doesn’t happen, his focus on defense often wanes.

Oumar Ballo

The fifth-year senior from Koulikoro, Mali, is one of IU’s most consistent players through 12 games. Ballo is third on the team in scoring at 12.4 points per game and first in rebounding at 9.2 per game. He also has a team-high 21 blocks. While his free throw shooting isn’t great (58.6 percent), it’s improved from last season at Arizona after a switch to take his attempts left-handed. Ballo has also avoided foul trouble and has committed just 18 fouls in 12 games. Surprisingly, Ballo also leads Indiana in minutes per game at 28.6. If that continues, it would easily be a career-high for the 7-footer.

Myles Rice

The Washington State transfer is Indiana’s fourth-leading scorer at 11 points per game, but his consistency has been lacking through 12 games. Rice has six games with six or fewer points and five games with 17 or more points. He’s shooting 48.5 percent overall from the field and 34.4 percent on 3s. He’s also committed 31 turnovers, which are a team-high. Rice was terrific in IU’s exhibition win at Tennessee in late October and against South Carolina last month. Still, the Hoosiers need him to make better decisions and play better defensively to reach their potential as a team.

Trey Galloway

Galloway has started six of Indiana’s 12 games this season and is fifth on the team in scoring at just 6.6 points per game. The Culver Academies product has 44 assists, which is a team-high. He’s shooting only 41.7 percent on 2s and is 44.4 percent on 3s on 27 attempts. When Rice struggles, Galloway has been Indiana’s primary ball handler and playmaker, which is a role he is accustomed to after all of his experience last season. Still, consistency has been an issue with Galloway, too. He has had six games with five or fewer points and has gone scoreless twice.

Bryson Tucker

The McDonald’s All-American from Bowie, Maryland, isn’t afraid to get shots up when he enters the game. Tucker is averaging 6.5 points off the bench despite shooting just 38.2 percent from the field. He’s shooting 43.8 percent on 2s and just 1-for-12 on 3s in 12 games. While Tucker is comfortable taking a steady diet of long 2s, it’s the least efficient shot in basketball and he sometimes forces up looks that aren’t there. He’s had three double-figure scoring games and finished with a season-high 16 points in an 82-67 win against Minnesota on Dec. 9.

Luke Goode

The Fort Wayne native has attempted 47 of his 58 field goals from beyond the 3-point line. After a tough start to the season, Goode’s 3-point shooting percentage is up to 34 percent through 12 games. He’s averaging 6.1 points in 19.6 minutes per game off the bench. Goode is also nearly automatic from the foul line at 15-for-16 (93.8 percent). If Goode can get his 3-point shooting percentage into the high 30s or even above 40 percent, it would be a significant boost moving forward for the Hoosiers.

Kanaan Carlyle

The Atlanta native has missed three games due to an injury and is shooting just 32.8 percent from the field, the lowest mark among IU’s rotation regulars. Carlyle has been Indiana’s most consistent and disruptive defender among its guards, but his offensive struggles have kept him from playing more minutes. The 6-foot-3 guard is just 9-for-38 (23.7 percent) on 3s. The Hoosiers need Carlyle for his defense on the perimeter but also need to find a way to help him get going with more efficiency offensively.

Anthony Leal

Leal battled some injury issues early in the season and is in and out of the rotation based on the game. He played 25 minutes against Sam Houston State and 14 minutes against Miami (OH) and then didn’t get off the bench against Minnesota. He then played 10 minutes at Nebraska and, most recently, 12 minutes against Chattanooga. Leal has attempted just five shots all season and is 4-for-5 from the field. When Leal is in the game, he typically makes the right play and is engaged on both ends of the floor.

Langdon Hatton

With IU going to a one-big lineup more often in recent weeks, Hatton isn’t a regular in the rotation. He’s averaging just 4.4 minutes and didn’t play against South Carolina, Minnesota or Nebraska.

Jakai Newton

Newton has been unable to stay healthy and is out indefinitely following recent surgery. There’s been no definitive word on how long Newton will remain out. In three games, he scored a total of six points in just under 14 minutes.

Gabe Cupps

Cupps is out for the season following knee surgery. He went scoreless in just over 24 minutes of action in four games.

Category: Commentary

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