Answering Fan-Submitted Questions About The 2024-25 Indiana Men's Basketball Team

With roster movement around college basketball settling down and summer workouts beginning, it's time to answer some fan-submitted questions about Indiana's fourth season under coach Mike Woodson.

Indiana's Malik Reneau (5) and Mackenzie Mgbako (21) celebrate at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. / Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Coach Mike Woodson and the Hoosiers have begun summer workouts after a busy spring of roster transformation.

Indiana lost six players – Xavier Johnson, Anthony Walker, Kel'el Ware, CJ Gunn, Kaleb Banks and Payton Sparks – and replaced them with Myles Rice, Kanaan Carlyle, Luke Goode, Bryson Tucker, Oumar Ballo and Langdon Hatton. Returning Hoosiers from last season include Malik Reneau, Trey Galloway, Mackenzie Mgbako, Anthony Leal, Gabe Cupps and Jakai Newton.

After these changes, the Hoosiers are projected to be a consensus top-25 team and a Big Ten title contender, according to preseason rankings by the national media. Below, we answered some fan-submitted questions about the new players, lineup rotations, injuries, the Big Ten, play style and more.

“What is the projected starting 5? It seems we have a lot of interchangeable positions from 3 to 5,” Robert Stewart asked.

Four of the five starting spots seem pretty much set in stone: Myles Rice at point guard, Mackenzie Mgbako at small forward, Malik Reneau at power forward and Oumar Ballo at center. The starting shooting guard spot is where it gets interesting. Indiana added Stanford transfer Kanaan Carlyle, who’s more of a combo guard or a scoring guard, if you will. As a freshman, he averaged 11.5 points and 2.7 rebounds per game while shooting 32% from 3-point range. He can play both point guard and shooting guard, which gives Indiana some flexibility. 

Another top candidate is Trey Galloway. By necessity, Galloway shifted into more of a point guard role last season, and he averaged a career-high 4.6 assists per game. But he also shot just 26% from 3-point range, a steep dropoff from his 46.2% mark in 2022-23, when he was used as more of a catch-and-shoot option and slasher on offense. Five-star freshman Bryson Tucker could also join the mix if he quickly adapts to the college game this summer.

As for the frontcourt, Mgbako, Reneau and Ballo should start, but the addition of Illinois transfer Luke Goode and Bellarmine transfer Langdon Hatton, who can both knock down threes, give Woodson some versatile options and interesting lineup combination possibilities. 

“How is Trey?” Janice Kirk asked.

This is another factor in the starting lineup conversation mentioned above. Woodson mentioned on May 29 that Galloway is still going through rehab and not on the floor yet, but Woodson is “hoping and thinking” he’ll be ready when the season starts. Galloway had surgery in April to address a meniscus injury he suffered on March 10. 

“Can they turn the corner and be a relevant team in the Big Ten?” Jerod Clampitt asked.

Based on preseason rankings, the national media consensus is that Indiana will contend for a Big Ten title. Purdue, UCLA and Ohio State seem to be the other top teams, and it’s hard to doubt Matt Painter in the Big Ten, even after losing two-time National Player of the Year Zach Edey. Indiana makes a strong case for having the best frontcourt in the Big Ten, with Mgbako, Reneau and Ballo. And the transfer guards Woodson brought in should make the most drastic improvement from last year’s team. The challenge for Woodson is getting a roster with six new players to operate as a cohesive unit, but as of now, I’d put Indiana safely in the top three among Big Ten teams. 

“Is IU going to be uptempo so guards can find a rhythm? Or, slow, throw it under the basket every play and force late shots at the end of the shot clock? Then blame the guards because they cannot hit 3s consistently?” Barry West asked.

Indiana certainly should be able to play at a faster pace after bringing in Rice and Carlyle. Both are dynamic guards that can get to the basket, create their own shot and make plays for their teammates. Indiana did not have nearly enough players with those abilities last season. 

At the same time, it’d be silly not to utilize Reneau and Ballo, who shot 59% and 65.8%, respectively, on 2-point attempts last year. Woodson mentioned last week that Ballo doesn’t need the ball in his hands as much as former Hoosier Trayce Jackson-Davis did. So I don’t think the offensive game plan will simply be to dump the ball inside every possession, both because of Indiana’s improved guard play and Ballo’s skill set. 

“Have they given any health updates on Jakai Newton?” Sam Ankony asked.

Woodson has not talked publicly about Newton since last season, but Newton has been in some  offseason workout videos and pictures. He warmed up in full uniform before Indiana’s final home game on March 10, which was a good sign of his recovery. Newton is recovering from a meniscus injury that kept him out of part of his senior season of high school and all of the 2023-24 season with Indiana. He’ll still have four years of eligibility.

“Are Trey and Anthony, true Indiana men, going to be kicked to the curb due to the options now available secondary to the acquisitions from the Transfer Portal?” E.D. Watts asked.

Galloway may not play 33.4 minutes per game like he did last season, due to the addition of Rice, Carlyle and Tucker, plus the improved health of Newton. But I would still expect him to get around 27.7 minutes per game like he did in 2022-23, when he started alongside Jalen Hood-Schifino. At times last season it felt like Galloway had too much on his plate and his shooting percentages suffered as a result, so perhaps a few less minutes will allow him to play at his best when he’s in the game. Woodson still values his veteran presence, and I would expect Galloway to play down the stretch in many games, even if he’s not in the starting lineup.

As for Leal, the addition of Rice, Carlyle, Tucker and Goode takes away some of his minutes. Leal’s playing time will also depend on the development of younger players like Gabe Cupps and Newton, who will be battling for backup minutes in the backcourt. Woodson has traditionally played a deeper rotation during nonconference play, so Leal will certainly get a chance to earn a meaningful role if he knocks down threes and plays well during games and practices. 

“3 point shooting?” Ritchie Harger asked.

This is certainly an area where Indiana must improve after ranking 273rd out of 363 teams with a 32.4% 3-point percentage last season, and there are feasible paths to get there. Internally, Mackenzie Mgbako shot 32.7% on the season but 40.9% across 44 attempts in his final seven Big Ten regular season games. With a year of college under his belt, it wouldn’t be surprising to see his percentage rise. It’s probably unreasonable to expect Galloway to shoot 46.2% like he did his junior year, but evening out around the 30-35% range is possible after shooting just 26% last season. 

But the most important source of 3-point improvement relies on the transfers. Goode is a career 38.8% 3-point shooter on 219 attempts in three seasons at Illinois, and he’s the reliable, veteran spot-up 3-point shooter Indiana lacked a year ago. Rice shot 27.5% and Carlyle shot 32% as freshmen, but their 81.1% and 77.6% free throw percentages, respectively, give some merit to the hope that they’ll improve as sophomores. 

Another factor in all of this is Indiana’s improved guard play. Last season, Indiana did not have enough guards who could beat their defender to the basket and collapse the defense in order to free up shooters on the perimeter. They should be better in that area this year. And with Ballo and Reneau inside, teams will have to decide between double-teaming the paint or sticking to shooters.