Indiana Lands 2024 5-Star Bryson Tucker

Indiana picked up a commitment on Thursday from Bryson Tucker, a 6-foot-7 small forward ranked No. 20 in the nation, per the 247 Sports Composite, in the class of 2024.

Dec 10, 2022; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; IMG Academy forward Bryson Tucker (3) against Arizona Compass. / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana's 2024 recruiting class was empty, but coach Mike Woodson has now changed that.

After visiting Indiana earlier in the week, Bryson Tucker, five-star recruit in the class of 2024, officially committed to the Hoosiers on Thursday.

First look at new #iubb commit 5-star Bryson Tucker wearing Indiana’s Black History Month uniforms, per his Instagram. pic.twitter.com/pdGrrYFDE1

— Jack Ankony (@ankony_jack) March 28, 2024

Tucker is a 6-foot-7 wing from Bishop O’Connell High School in Arlington, Va., the same high school as former Indiana point guard Xavier Johnson. He previously attended Mount Saint Joseph High School in Baltimore, Md. and IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.

Among uncommitted recruits, he was the highest-ranked player available in the class of 2024, per the 247 Sports Composite. Widely considered a five-star recruit, Tucker is ranked No. 13 in the nation by On3, No. 17 by ESPN and No. 19 by Rivals. 247 Sports is the only recruiting service that lists him as a four-star recruit, ranking Tucker No. 27 in the nation.

Tucker is one of 24 players chosen to play in the 2024 McDonald’s All-American game, scheduled for April 2 in Houston, Tex. 

Kansas, Michigan State and G League Ignite were other programs involved in his recruitment, but the G League Ignite recently announced it will not continue past this season.

Here’s a scouting report on Tucker from On3’s national recruiting analyst Jamie Shaw.

“Simply put, Bryson Tucker is a basketball player. He has great size to go with a natural basketball IQ. Nothing in his game seems to ever be rushed; he plays at his own pace. He understands change of pace, and he makes good decisions with the ball. He is good on the ball in the half-court, makes solid decisions, and doesn't put the ball in trouble off the bounce. Tucker has good length, and he is a good athlete. He can make shots with a confident pull-up. Tucker's dad, Byron, is 6-10 and scored over 1,000 points at NC State/George Mason. You would like to see Bryson's jump shot to become more consistent. He is really good in the mid-range, one to two dribble pull ups from the elbows. An explosive athlete, he is good in transition. He has a great work ethic and is one to continue watching as a five-star.”

5⭐️ Bryson Tucker just committed to Indiana 🚨 @slam_university pic.twitter.com/80XDVzjcYb

— SLAM HS Hoops (@SLAM_HS) March 28, 2024

Tucker is now the only recruit committed to Indiana in the high school class of 2024. Indiana previously landed a commitment from five-star small forward Liam McNeeley, but he backed out of his National Letter of Intent in March.

This continues Woodson’s run of success in late-cycle, short-term high school recruitments similar to Malik Reneau, Tamar Bates and Mackenzie Mgbako. Those players were previously committed to other schools, but decommitted for various reasons and ultimately picked Indiana during the spring before their freshman seasons.

With Tucker’s commitment, Indiana has six open scholarships heading into the 2024-25 season. Kel'el Ware declared for the draft on Tuesday, and Xavier Johnson and Anthony Walker are out of eligibility. CJ Gunn, Kaleb Banks and Payton Sparks have each entered the transfer portal, with Sparks heading back to Ball State, where he began his career.