Malik Reneau Enters Freshman Season as Valuable Piece to Indiana Frontcourt

Malik Reneau joined his teammate Jalen Hood-Schifino on the journey from Montverde Academy to Indiana, and he'll play a significant role after an offseason of learning from Trayce Jackson-Davis and Race Thompson.

A 6-foot-9, 233-pound frame dribbled up the court during an Indiana basketball practice early this offseason.

He was shooting from the outside, displaying precise footwork and a tight handle. As preseason All-American Trayce Jackson-Davis put it, “He was killing everyone. We couldn’t guard him.”

“Me and Race [Thompson] were like, 'How are we guarding this dude?'” Jackson-Davis said.

It was Malik Reneau, and he made his presence known during his first week on campus. Reneau decommitted from Florida when coach Mike White left for Georgia, and decided to follow Jalen Hood-Schifino, his teammate at Montverde Academy, to Indiana. Jackson-Davis said Reneau had a “Big Ten body” when he joined the team this summer as an ESPN five-star recruit.

Montverde Academy Eagles forward Malik Reneau (14) kisses the trophy after defeating Link Academy Lions and winning the Geico High School National Championship at Suncoast Credit Union Arena / Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Indiana enters the 2022-23 season as the Big Ten favorite, headlined by veteran forwards Jackson-Davis and Thompson. That means Reneau will have to wait his time – to crack the starting lineup, at least – but he projects to be a valuable depth piece for meaningful minutes in a conference filled with talented frontcourts.

"I'm sure at some point [Reneau] is going to be All-Big Ten first team and all of that,” Thompson said. “He's a really talented freshman and I'm really excited to watch him grow."

During matchups in practice, Thompson said Reneau is tough to guard because he doesn’t get sped up. He’ll play at his pace no matter what, and he’s shown soft touch around the rim with both his right and left hand. Thompson and Jackson-Davis agreed that Reneau already has a body built for the Big Ten, but Thompson also called the Indiana freshman “lowkey quick.”

Growing up, Reneau’s favorite NBA player was Carmelo Anthony. He studied the way Anthony operated in the mid-post area, and now he enjoys watching Julius Randle of the New York Knicks.

Indiana's Malik Reneau dances as he is introduced during Hoosier Hysteria for the basketball programs at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Friday, Oct. 7, 2022 :: Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

Indiana coach Mike Woodson likes the competitive spirit the Indiana freshman class has shown, and that’s certainly been the case with Reneau since he arrived. He anticipated a tough challenge with Jackson-Davis and Thompson, so he approached it with a mindset of playing hard and letting his game speak for itself. Reneau had his shot blocked a few times by the veterans, but it’s helped him learn  to block out negativity and move to the next play.

“It's been fun going against Race and Trayce, competing at a high level,” Reneau said. “Understanding that Race and Trayce have been here, they know what it takes, and that has been a big factor when they start talking to us.”

Indiana's Malik Reneau shoots in the short scrimmage during Hoosier Hysteria for the basketball programs at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Friday, Oct. 7, 2022 :: Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

From Jackson-Davis’ perspective, Reneau’s next step of necessary improvement comes on the defensive end. He has a polished offensive game, but Jackson-Davis is teaching Reneau the various defensive schemes, helping him be in the right spot and learning how to recognize the opponent’s tendencies.

On paper, Indiana appears to have improved frontcourt depth compared to recent years. Jackson-Davis and Thompson form one of the country’s top duos in the post, and all signs point to Reneau being an immediate contributor. Jordan Geronimo said he’s playing more of the small forward than power forward position in practice, but he’s always been a talented rebounder and interior defender. Add Logan Duncomb, who Jackson-Davis and Thompson said is stronger in year two, and Indiana could go five players deep at the frontcourt positions.

“It's going to work,” Thompson said. “We have a great coach with Coach Woodson, all the other coaches. We're great players. We know how to play with each other. We've been playing with each other all summer. Me and Trayce know how to play with each other, and then Malik has fit right in with us.”

Related stories on Indiana basketball:

• JACKSON-DAVIS AP ALL-AMERICAN: Hoosier forward Trayce Jackson-Davis was named a preseason AP All-American as the only Big Ten player, joining Oscar Tshiebwe, Drew Timme, Marcus Sasser and Armando Bacot. CLICK HERE
• INDIANA-KENTUCKY RETURNING: Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari commented on the return of the Kentucky-Indiana rivalry on Wednesday at SEC Media Day. CLICK HERE
• ASA NEWELL VISITS INDIANA: Indiana basketball hosted an official visit this weekend for Asa Newell, a top-10 recruit from Montverde Academy. CLICK HERE