Indiana Basketball Roster Expected to Undergo Major Changes This Offseason

With graduating seniors, NBA Draft potential and the transfer portal, Indiana's roster will look much different in year three under coach Mike Woodson.

Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Indiana's season came to an end on Sunday night with an 85-69 loss to No. 5 seed Miami in the NCAA Tournament Round fo 32.

Entering year three under coach Mike Woodson, Indiana is expected to undergo major roster changes as a result of graduating seniors, the NBA draft and the transfer portal.

Here's a breakdown of how each factor could play into a crucial offseason for Indiana.

Graduating seniors under scholarship

Race Thompson and Miller Kopp have exhausted their collegiate eligibility, and Trayce Jackson-Davis has openly said multiple times that 2022-23 would be his fourth and final season at Indiana. He gave a Senior Night speech, and there's no reason to expect a change of heart now.

Mainstays in the Indiana starting lineup, Jackson-Davis led Indiana with 34.5 minutes per game, followed by Kopp at 30.3 minutes and Thompson at 23.2 minutes. The trio combined for 37.4 points per game, just about 50 percent of Indiana's average points per game this season. Thompson leaves Indiana with 91 starts across six seasons, and Kopp started every game in his two seasons as a Hoosier.

"It's always Glory to the man above," Jackson-Davis said on Twitter after Indiana's loss to Miami. "Thank you Indiana Basketball for everything and welcoming me into your family. I wore that jersey with pride every time I stepped on the court. We went through some tough times, but this place is only going to get better. - Love TJD"

After missing 24 games with a broken foot, senior point guard Xavier Johnson decided not to go through Senior Night as he plans to apply for a medical hardship waiver and play for Indiana next season.

Indiana Hoosiers forward Trayce Jackson-Davis (23) reacts after a play against the Miami (Fl) Hurricanes during the second half at MVP Arena / David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

NBA Draft potential

On his way to winning Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Indiana point guard Jalen Hood-Schifino moved up NBA Draft boards throughout the season. He finished the year averaging 13.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists on 33.3 percent 3-point shooting. Hood-Schifino struggled at times with turnovers, averaging 2.8 per game, and he shot 9-for-46 from 3-point range across the final 14 games after making 6-of-9 3-point attempts on Jan. 28 against Ohio State.

In a 2023 NBA mock draft by Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman on March 8, Hood-Schifino came in at No. 14 overall to the Utah Jazz.

"Interest in Hood-Schifino had been growing for weeks, long before Saturday’s 35-point eruption in Indiana’s win over Purdue," Wasserman wrote. "He’s taken on more scoring responsibility, which has highlighted an effective combination of 6’6″ positional size, pacing off the dribble and three-level shot-making. Though he isn’t the most explosive athlete, Hood-Schifino has showcased a convincing mix of creation feel by changing speeds, pull-up shooting and passing IQ for combo-guard offense."

In the same mock draft, Jackson-Davis was selected No. 35 overall by the Orlando Magic.

"Jackson-Davis has made it harder to nitpick his perceived outdated post scoring by making serious improvements to his passing and defense," Wasserman wrote.

Indiana Hoosiers guard Jalen Hood-Schifino (1) dribbles the ball against Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith (3) during the first half at Mackey Arena / Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports

Who can return?

Jackson-Davis and Hood-Schifino can technically return, but that is very unlikely at this point. After missing 24 out of 35 games with a broken foot, Xavier Johnson plans to apply for a medical hardship waiver in hopes of playing a sixth season of college basketball at Indiana next season.

Aside from those three, Indiana has eight scholarship players with remaining eligibility: Trey Galloway, Anthony Leal, Jordan Geronimo, Tamar Bates, Logan Duncomb, CJ Gunn, Malik Reneau and Kaleb Banks. Those eight players averaged a combined 30.2 points per game this season – 40.1 points if you add 11 games from Johnson.

Galloway, Leal and Geronimo are part of the last class with a bonus COVID season, meaning they'll enter the 2023-24 season with two years of remaining eligibility despite already playing three years of college basketball. In NCAA Division I men's basketball, teams have 13 available scholarships.

Incoming freshmen

Indiana brings in a two-man recruiting class in 2023, with guards Gabe Cupps and Jakai Newton. 

Cupps is a 6-foot-1 point guard from Centerville, Ohio. He's considered a four-star recruit, ranked No. 67 by ESPN, No. 101 by On3, No. 111 by 247Sports and No. 115 by Rivals. To read our Next Generation profile on Cupps, featuring exclusive interviews with Gabe, his father and high school coach Brook and Indiana assistant coach Brian Walsh, CLICK HERE.

Newton is a 6-foot-3 combo guard from Covington, Ga. He's also considered a four-star recruit, ranked No. 63 by Rivals, No. 87 by On3 and No. 107 by 247Sports. Newton missed most of his senior season with a knee injury.

Transfer portal

As of Monday morning, over 600 players have already entered the transfer portal. 

I'm not going to speculate on Indiana's potential departures, but it's reasonable to brace for one or more players leaving. That's just the reality of college basketball in 2023. 

When Mike Woodson took over before the 2021-22 season, he added Xavier Johnson, Miller Kopp, Michael Durr and Parker Stewart through the transfer portal after Aljami Durham, Armaan Franklin and Jerome Hunter chose to transfer. Following year one with Woodson at Indiana, Stewart, Durr, Rob Phinisee and Khristian Lander transferred. Indiana didn't add anyone through the portal before the 2022-23 season, instead recruiting a four-man freshman class with Jalen Hood-Schifino, Malik Reneau, Kaleb Banks and CJ Gunn.

Heading into the offseason, the obvious positions of need are at forward and center with Jackson-Davis and Thompson leaving. Woodson could still have Reneau, Geronimo and Duncomb, but it's likely he'll want to add more size and experience to Indiana's front court.

Indiana has more depth at the guard positions – especially if Johnson is granted another season – but it wouldn't be surprising to see Woodson add another guard and more 3-point shooting. In the scenario that no one transfers, Johnson returns, three seniors leave and the two incoming freshmen join the roster, Indiana would still have two available scholarships for next season. 

Related stories on Indiana basketball

• END OF TJD ERA: Trayce Jackson-Davis has had a brilliant four-year career at Indiana, and it ended abruptly on Sunday night when the Hoosiers lost their second-round NCAA Tournament game to Miami. The journey ended too soon for the record-breaker, and that's a shame. He's really going to be missed. CLICK HERE
• GAME STORY: Indiana had no answer for Miami's athleticism on Sunday night, struggling defensively and getting crushed on the boards in an 85-69 loss in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The loss signaled the end of a brilliant career for Trayce Jackson-Davis, who scored 23 points in his final game as a Hoosier. CLICK HERE
• WHAT JACKSON-DAVIS SAID: Here's what Indiana seniors Trayce Jackson-Davis and Miller Kopp said after being knocked out of the NCAA Tournament with an 85-69 loss to Miami in the Round of 32 on Sunday in Albany, N.Y. CLICK HERE
• WHAT WOODSON SAID: Here's what Indiana coach Mike Woodson said after the Hoosiers' season-ending loss to No. 5 seed Miami in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 on Sunday in Albany, N.Y. CLICK HERE
• WHAT GALLOWAY SAID: Here's what Indiana junior guard Trey Galloway said after the Hoosiers' 85-69 loss to No. 5 seed Miami in the NCAA Tournament. CLICK HERE
• WHAT BATES SAID: Here's what Tamar Bates said after Indiana's 85-69 loss to Miami in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 on Sunday in Albany, N.Y. Bates finished the game 0-for-7 shooting with four rebounds in 20 minutes. CLICK HERE