Indiana Basketball Hosting Pro Day For Third Time Under Mike Woodson

The Hoosiers will get a chance to perform in front of NBA personnel at Pro Day on Oct. 5.

Indiana Hoosiers head coach Mike Woodson talks with Trayce Jackson-Davis (23) and guard Jalen Hood-Schifino (1) at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Pro Day has become an annual preseason tradition at Indiana under coach Mike Woodson.

Now entering his fourth season in 2024-25, Indiana plans to host its third Pro Day in three years on Oct. 5 at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. This is an opportunity for the Hoosiers to showcase their skills in front of NBA personnel.

Under Woodson, Indiana has sent three players to the NBA. In 2023, Jalen Hood-Schifino became the 17th overall pick by the Los Angeles Lakers, following his freshman season at Indiana. Trayce Jackson-Davis was selected 57th overall, and he finished 11th in NBA All-Rookie voting folloiwng his first season with the Golden State Warriors.

Woodson most recently helped Kel'el Ware develop into a first-round NBA draft pick. He transferred from Oregon to Indiana for his sophomore year and improved in every statistical category before becoming the 15th overall pick by the Miami Heat in 2024.

That trend could continue with Indiana's 2024-25 roster. In a 2025 NBA mock draft from CBS Sports in June, Indiana guard Kanaan Carlyle was projected to be the No. 19 overall pick by Oklahoma City Thunder. Carlyle transferred to Indiana this offseason after averaging 11.5 points per game as a freshman at Stanford.

"Kanaan Carlyle is a hot-and-cold shooter, but when he's locked in -- or better yet, when he's playing more efficiently -- then he profiles as an extremely versatile scoring threat," Adam Finkelstein and Travis Branham wrote.

Indiana sophomore forward Mackenzie Mgbako came in at No. 22 on CBS Sports' mock draft, landing with the New Orleans Pelicans. Mgbako was named co-Big Ten freshman of the year last season and averaged 12.2 points per game.

"In high school, Mgbako's shot-making from behind the arc was his best asset. His shooting, period, was a strength. That did not translate as a freshman at Indiana, where he shot 39% from the field and 32% from three-point range. Can he improve?" Finkelstein and Branham wrote.

In addition to Carlyle and Mgbako, Indiana's Pro Day is an up-close chance for all the Hoosiers to show NBA personnel what they can do. Even if they're not currently projected to be NBA draft picks, their performances at a Pro Day could help garner attention at the professional level, whether that's the NBA, G-League or overseas.

It's also part of the recruiting puzzle for Woodson. Showing high school and transfer portal recruits that Indiana is a place they will be seen in-person by NBA personnel – and later turn that into a professional career like past Hoosiers – is an attractive asset for some recruits. Other programs have Pro Days, too, but it's not a given at every program, even in the high-profile Big Ten.

Recruits may also see Indiana as a path to the professional ranks because of Woodson's background. He played or coached in the league for nearly 40 years from 1980-2021, before returning to his alma mater to coach the Hoosiers. After averaging nearly 20 points per game across his four-year career at Indiana, Woodson became the No. 12 overall draft pick by the New York Knicks in the 1980 NBA Draft. He played 11 seasons in the NBA, scoring at least 12.9 points per game in eight of them.

Shortly after retiring, Woodson became an assistant coach with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1996. He held various assistant coaching roles, including winning the 2004 NBA Finals with the Pistons under head coach Larry Brown. That helped Woodson earn his first head coaching job with the Atlanta Hawks, a position he held until 2010. He was also the head coach for the New York Knicks from 2012-14, making two playoff appearances.

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