From Mali To Indiana, Oumar Ballo Looks To End College Career On High Note

Oumar Ballo helped Malian basketball make history, and he’s a big reason why Indiana coach Mike Woodson could have his best team so far.

Oumar Ballo transferred to Indiana after two first-team All-Pac-12 seasons at Arizona. / Indiana Athletics

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Oumar Ballo still has bragging rights over his new teammates for Arizona’s win against Indiana in Las Vegas in December 2022. 

But there’s one point of contention he’ll concede.

As the Hoosiers trailed 68-60 with 9:13 to play, Trey Galloway drove the middle of the lane off a Trayce Jackson-Davis screen and hoisted his signature floater a few steps below the free throw line. 

The 7-foot Ballo, Arizona’s center at the time, reached up and tipped Galloway’s shot to himself, which was marked in the box score as a rebound but was more of a blocked shot. Indiana coach Mike Woodson, players and Hoosier fans were up in arms, arguing for a goaltending call.

The following possession, Ballo drew a flop call on Malik Reneau, and Arizona point guard Kerr Kriisa made the technical foul free throw. The Wildcats retained possession, and Kriisa sank a 3-pointer.

So instead of Indiana narrowly trailing 68-62 if goaltending had been called on Galloway’s shot, 43 seconds later the Hoosiers were behind 72-60 and never recovered. A comeback win would have required plenty of work, but that sequence was Indiana’s last gasp in an 89-75 loss. 

Galloway didn’t let his new teammate forget about that. Ballo said Wednesday at Indiana’s annual media day that Galloway showed him the replay soon after he decided to transfer from Arizona to Indiana for his sixth-year, senior season.

“I was like, ‘Oh my God, you’re right. That was goaltending,’” Ballo said Wednesday. “That was funny.”

Now on the other side of that matchup, Ballo is eager to play in front of Indiana fans, who made a strong impression on him in Las Vegas.

“When I came out of the tunnel, I saw a lot of red jerseys, like a lot of red shirts, and I thought it was Arizona fans, but actually it was all Indiana fans,” Ballo said. “I was like, ‘Wow. We are only one hour away from Arizona, but they fly all the way from Indiana to Vegas. That was crazy. From that moment, I know the fans are really engaged when it comes to basketball. I’m very excited.”

Ballo continues a four-year run of talented centers who chose to play for Woodson. That started with Trayce Jackson-Davis, who could have left for the NBA or transfer portal, but returned to Indiana and developed into an All-American. It continued last season with Kel’el Ware, who went from a disappointing freshman season at Oregon to the 15th overall NBA Draft pick after his sophomore year at Indiana.

Ballo said their success motivates him to be the best player he can be and gives him trust in Woodson. Before landing Ballo – the nation’s No. 1 transfer, per On3, Woodson helped convince Jackson-Davis to stay at Indiana by showing him where he could improve. He used tough love to push Ware and brought out a fiercer side to his game.

During phone calls and visits, Ballo felt Woodson and staff kept everything real, and he was drawn to their style of coaching.

“I love a program that looks at you in the face and tells you what you need to get better at and what you’re good at,” Ballo said. “So far, so good. That’s what they’ve been doing.”

Indiana Hoosiers center Oumar Ballo and guard Anthony Leal (3) smile during media day at Cook Hall. / Grace Smith/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

Ballo wasn’t an unknown early on, ranked No. 78 in the class of 2019 by the 247Sports Composite. But Ballo took a unique path to Bloomington, far different from Jackson-Davis’ upbringing in a basketball-crazed state or Ware’s five-star status coming out of high school.

Originally from Koulikoro, Mali, Ballo helped African basketball reach new heights. An African team had never placed higher than 11th in the FIBA U19 World Cup, so Mali coach Alhadji Dicko knew there would be skeptics.

Going into the 2019 tournament in Greece, he remembers the Malian Federation set a modest goal for the team to reach the quarterfinals. Journalists told him Mali was there to learn. But Dicko knew better than anyone that his team had talent, and he was eager to prove it on an international stage.

“This team can win a medal,” Dicko told Indiana Hoosiers on SI, recalling a pre-tournament speech.

(Interview with Alhadji Dicko conducted over email with a translator.)

Among Mali’s top players was Ballo, who, at the time, stood at 6-foot-10 and 245 pounds. His performance in the 2019 FIBA U19 World Cup helped him become the top international prospect in his class, per ESPN. 

Mali advanced through the group phase with wins over Latvia and Canada and a 3-point loss to Australia. That set up a matchup between Mali and New Zealand in the Round of 16, representing a chance for Mali to advance further than any African team in history and reach the federation’s quarterfinal goal.

Ballo powered Mali past New Zealand in the Round of 16 with 15 points, 17 rebounds and five blocks, and Mali advanced further than any African team in the event’s history. Another dominant performance against Puerto Rico, racking up 21 points, 17 rebounds and four blocks, put Mali in the semifinals. And all of a sudden, Dicko’s goal of medaling was one win away.

Oumar Ballo (11) celebrates Mali's win over Puerto Rico in the 2019 FIBA U19 World Cup. / photo via fiba.basketball

Dicko described Ballo as humble, exceptional, sociable, respectful and someone who credits much of his success to teamwork. 

“He played a great role as a leader and like a second coach for his teammates,” Dicko said. “He gives advice and encourages all the teammates. … He deeply wanted to win.”

In the semifinals, Mali faced France, a country that has produced seven first-round NBA Draft picks in the last three years. Mali clung to a one-point lead with just over four minutes left, and Ballo controlled the glass with four rebounds, one basket and an assist in the final minutes.

Dicko called the 76-73 win over France Ballo’s best game – not just for his 17 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks – because of his leadership.

“He was outstanding,” Dicko said. “Especially in the mind, because in every timeout, he was repeating, ‘Guys, we’re gonna win this match at the risk of our lives.’”

Oumar Ballo (11) celebrate's Mali's win over France in the FIBA U19 World Cup. / photo via fiba.basketball

Against all odds, Mali found itself in the FIBA U19 World Cup final against a United States roster with future NBA players like Tyrese Haliburton, Cade Cunningham, Jalen Suggs, Scottie Barnes and others. Mali trailed by just two points at halftime, and Dicko believed they could pull the upset. 

But the Americans went on a 12-0 run to open the second half and won, 93-79. Ballo finished with 15 points, seven rebounds and three blocks, and he made the tournament’s All-Star five.

Dicko said he was disappointed and believes the game was decided by some small, avoidable details. But in the big picture, earning the silver medal was a monumental achievement for Malian basketball.  

“I was deeply proud,” Dicko said. “A recognition for all the hard work and training we have done. I was very proud of my players, my staff, my directors, Malian people and Africa. Mali, with these young players, have achieved history in the FIBA World Cup.” 

“This was a warning from Africa through Mali that African teams can compete against all teams in the world. … This victory means that these young people and staff were brave soldiers who proudly served their country and lifted the high Malian flag.”

Oumar Ballo (11) and team Mali pictured after a second-place finish in the 2019 FIBA U19 World Cup. / photo via fiba.basketball

The following fall, Ballo joined Gonzaga out of the NBA Academy Latin America in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, as a four-star recruit, per the 247Sports Composite rankings. He redshirted his first year, then played sparingly during the 2020-21 season.

Former Gonzaga assistant coach Tommy Lloyd took the head coaching job at Arizona after the season, and Ballo followed him to Tucson. Still in a backup role and developing as a player, he averaged 6.8 points and 4.4 rebounds as Arizona won the Pac-12 and reached the Elite Eight as a No. 1 seed. Lloyd won AP coach of the year.

Ballo’s career took off as a starter during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, averaging 13.5 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game on 65.3% shooting. Across the two seasons, his list of awards included Pac-12 Most Improved Player, Pac-12 All-Defense and two-time first-team All-Pac-12 honors as Arizona won the conference tournament and regular season title.  

Following Arizona’s loss to Clemson in the Sweet 16, Ballo searched for a new school for his final year of eligibility and landed at Indiana. Woodson said in May that he made it clear to his staff that if Ballo went in the portal, they’d have to get involved due to the Hoosiers’ void at center following Ware’s departure. 

Ballo visited Bloomington in April, and he was so impressed he committed during the visit. 

“Oumar is a dominating post presence on both ends of the floor with a winning background. His experience playing at the highest level will elevate our program,’’ Woodson said. “He is a big fella with soft touch around the rim, good hands, and solid footwork. He is very physical and is a perfect fit in our system and our league. We are really happy to welcome Oumar and his family to Bloomington.”

Arizona Wildcats center Oumar Ballo (11) celebrates after scoring against Oregon at the McKale Center. / Zachary BonDurant-Imagn Images

Throughout his time coaching Ballo on Team Mali and watching his career blossom at Arizona, Dicko has seen improvement each season. He believes that will only continue.

“His strong mentality, humility, teamwork, skill and his curiosity will always level him up,” Dicko said. “Why not soon in the NBA?’’

In order to reach those aspirations, Ballo will need to boost his stock in Bloomington, as he was not a projected first-round pick in offseason 2025 NBA mock drafts by Bleacher Report or CBS Sports. But before looking too far ahead, Woodson is pushing Ballo to make the strides as Indiana pursues its annual goals of Big Ten and national championships.

Ballo said Woodson wants him to improve his mobility, both laterally and running the floor, as well as his free throw shooting and ball handling. Ballo has been working with Clif Marshall, Indiana’s director of athletic performance, on mobility drills that he hadn’t done before. 

Woodson is pushing Indiana to play faster this season, and believes that can be achieved after landing guards like Myles Rice and Kanaan Carlyle out of the transfer portal. Ballo is used to that style, having played for an Arizona program that ranked top-20 nationally in KenPom’s adjusted tempo metric during each of the last two seasons. Further improving his mobility could lead to plenty of easy buckets for Ballo.

Indiana’s leading scorer has been a center in each of Woodson’s three seasons at Indiana, with Jackson-Davis and Ware. Ballo will contend for that distinction next season, but he’s a different style of center than his predecessors.

Indiana ran its offense through Jackson-Davis as both a scorer and a distributor, and he averaged four assists per game. And Ware had the rare ability for a 7-footer to step out and knock down 3-point shots. 

Ballo likely won’t handle the ball on the perimeter as much as Jackson-Davis. Roughly 88% of Ballo’s field goal attempts last season came at the rim. He hasn’t attempted a 3-point shot in his college career, and he averaged just one assist per game at Arizona. But he may be even more difficult to stop when he catches the ball on the block. 

“I love playing physical, and I love when the ref lets us play physical,” Ballo said. “The Big Ten is known for that. I’m gonna love that.”

Indiana Hoosiers center Oumar Ballo (11) smiles while answering a question during media day at Cook Hall. / Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In 2023-24, Ballo ranked fifth in the NCAA with a 65.8 field goal percentage and top 20 nationally in offensive and defensive rebounding percentages. That’s higher than Jackson-Davis and Ware in each category during their final seasons with the Hoosiers.

“He doesn’t have to have it a lot, but I’m going to utilize him. You’d be crazy not to,” Woodson said. “He runs the floor, he creates space when he demands the ball, he blocks shots, he rebounds for his position.”

All of those attributes are why Ballo was ranked No. 1 among all transfers and why the Hoosiers have gone from outside the NCAA Tournament last season to a consensus top-25 team and Big Ten title contender in 2024-25. 

Ballo helped Malian basketball accomplish something no African team had ever done, and he’s a big reason why Woodson could have his best Indiana team so far. 

“He’s won,” Woodson said. “He’s been in a winning atmosphere at Arizona, and he’s produced. He’s had some good years, and he’s an older guy that’s serious about winning. That was the whole thing that attracted me to him, and that’s why he’s wearing an Indiana uniform, man, because I think he can help us with his leadership get to where I want to go and that’s winning a Big Ten title and a national title.”

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