Hoosiers Now

Three Ways Indiana Could Use its Final Available Scholarship Entering 2023-24

Indiana basketball has one available scholarship for the 2023-24 season. Will coach Mike Woodson look to add another player, or stand pat with the roster's current construction?

Jack Ankony

Three Ways Indiana Could Use its Final Available Scholarship Entering 2023-24
Three Ways Indiana Could Use its Final Available Scholarship Entering 2023-24 /
In this story:

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Mike Woodson has revamped Indiana's roster this offseason with three incoming freshmen and three players from the transfer portal. Altogether, the six-man class is ranked No. 10 in the nation and No. 2 in the Big Ten, according to 247Sports.

Even with so much roster turnover already, Indiana has one available scholarship for the 2023-24 season after losing Trayce Jackson-Davis, Jalen Hood-Schifino, Miller Kopp, Race Thompson, Tamar Bates, Jordan Geronimo and Logan Duncomb.

Here are three ways Indiana could go about filling – or not filling – that final spot.

1. A decommit from the class of 2023

Woodson has had success in these late-cycle, short-term type of recruitments, and Indiana has been linked to a few players in recent weeks who fit this mold. 

The first recruit Woodson ever landed was Tamar Bates, who decommitted from Texas and flipped to Indiana in April of 2021 after coach Shaka Smart left for Marquette. Woodson did it again the following offseason when Florida coach Mike White left for Georgia, which opened the door for Malik Reneau to team up with high school teammate Jalen Hood-Schifino at Indiana. And most recently, Woodson had perhaps his biggest recruiting win yet, beating Kansas for five-star Mackenzie Mgbako after he decommitted from Duke.

Indiana recently reached out to four-star guard Chris Johnson, who has requested release from his national letter of intent to Kansas. Like Reneau and Hood-Schifino, Johnson attended Montverde Academy in Florida. 

Indiana also hosted a visit for in-state guard Joey Hart in early June. The 6-foot-4 Hart was originally committed to Central Florida, but reopened his recruitment on May 11. Along with Indiana, he visited Kentucky and is also considering Rutgers.

Hart attended Linton-Stockton High School, roughly 45 miles west of Bloomington. Becoming the school's all-time leader in 3-pointers, Hart averaged 23 points per game and led Linton-Stockton to the 2A state finals.

2. A veteran 3-point shooter

Indiana has a pair of senior guards in Xavier Johnson and Trey Galloway, who are expected to log the most backcourt minutes in 2023-24. Galloway made a huge jump from his sophomore to junior year, going from 21.4 to 46.2 percent 3-point shooting. Still, he attempted just two 3-pointers per game last year, making his development into a higher-volume shooter important for the upcoming season.

Johnson and Galloway are seasoned Big Ten guards, but behind them, Indiana's backcourt depth is full of inexperience. Returning guards like sophomore CJ Gunn and senior Anthony Leal are largely unproven at the college level, but they have strong 3-point shooting track records in high school. There's plenty of reason for long-term optimism around four-star recruits Gabe Cupps and Jakai Newton, but any freshman guard in the Big Ten is susceptible to ups and downs. 

If Indiana doesn't feel comfortable with its guard depth, Woodson could look to add a more experienced guard to provide 3-point shooting in the short-term while Gunn, Cupps and Newton develop. Woodson said on May 31 that he's always looking to improve the team, and a few strong options remain.

Kentucky guard Antonio Reeves hasn't officially entered the portal yet, but Jeff Goodman reported that Reeves is enrolled in summer classes at Illinois State – he played there from 2019-22 – in hopes of graduating, and he's then likely to transfer. 

If Reeves becomes available, he'd provide the 3-point shooting Indiana lost with the departure of Hood-Schifino, Miller Kopp and Tamar Bates. In his final year at Illinois State, Reeves, a 6-foot-4 guard, averaged 20.1 points on 39.0 percent 3-point shooting. In one season at Kentucky in 2022-23, he scored 14.4 points per game on 39.8 percent 3-point shooting. 

Another option could be Utah Valley guard Trey Woodbury, whose situation is a bit complicated, too. Woodbury has already played five years of college basketball – one at UNLV and four at Utah Valley – but he applied for a medical waiver that, if granted, would give him a sixth year of eligibility. Woodbury's 2021-22 season was cut short after suffering a knee injury two games into the season.

Like Reeves, Woodbury would give Indiana a proven 3-point shooter to take some pressure off the younger guards if they're not ready. In 2022-23, Woodbury averaged 13.8 points on 39.6 percent 3-point shooting, plus 5.9 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.0 steals per game. During the season before his injury, he scored 15.6 points per game on 36.5 percent 3-point shooting. 

3. Keep it open

At this point, entering the season with 12 scholarship players wouldn't be surprising. The Hoosiers have already started summer practices, and while so much is still unknown until games start, they're arguably deeper and more versatile than last year's squad. 

Woodson doesn't have a first-team All-American like Trayce Jackson-Davis or a lottery pick point guard like Hood-Schifino, but the 12 players on the current roster can all make a case for playing time. Last year, Indiana was often too reliant on two players doing the majority of scoring, and bench production was inconsistent.

There's reason to believe things could be more balanced in 2023-24, though. In the frontcourt, Oregon transfer Kel'el Ware, Ball State transfer Payton Sparks, Miami transfer Anthony Walker and returning sophomore Malik Reneau each bring something different to the table and provide a balance of rebounding, shot-blocking, interior scoring and even some 3-point shooting. Don't expect a season like Jackson-Davis had from a single player, but Indiana should have four solid options in the front court.

Five-star recruit Mackenzie Mgbako and returning sophomore Kaleb Banks will play on the wing, and both have high potential as three-level scorers standing 6-foot-7 or taller. 

Mentioned earlier, the biggest hole in the roster seems to be a proven 3-point shooter that can play off the ball. Johnson and Galloway both shot an impressive percentage in their last full seasons and are capable scorers, but neither attempted more than 2.8 3-pointers per game. Together, Johnson and Galloway will be one of the best defensive backcourt duos in the Big Ten, but their 3-point volume is the question.

If Indiana chooses to enter the year with the current 12 scholarship players, its long-term success could depend on improvements from Gunn and Leal as 3-point shooters or freshmen Cupps and Newton contributing right away. Relying on unproven players comes with a bit of risk, but so could adding a transfer that has to fit with new coaches and teammates right away.

Another factor in Indiana's decision to fill its final scholarship this year could be the 2024 recruiting class. Johnson and Walker are the only players in their final year of eligibility in 2023-24, meaning Indiana would have three spots for the 2024-25 season if everyone else comes back. Players like Ware and Mgbako have NBA potential, so they could go pro if they have strong seasons, too. 

It's hard to look too far ahead nowadays due to the transfer portal and NBA Draft, but it's a factor to keep in mind given Indiana's new-look roster.

Related stories on Indiana basketball

  • HOOD-SCHIFINO INVITED TO GREEN ROOM: Former Indiana Hoosier Jalen Hood-Schfino is one of 19 players invited to the 2023 NBA Draft green room after winning Big Ten Freshman of the Year during the 2022-23 season. CLICK HERE
  • INDIANA IN CONTACT WITH CHRIS JOHNSON: Chris Johnson, a four-star guard in the class of 2023 from Montverde Academy, recently requested release from his letter of intent to Kansas. Indiana is among schools to reach out to Johnson. CLICK HERE
  • BETSEY VISITS INDIANA: Tyler Betsey, a 6-foot-8 small forward in the class of 2024, is taking an official visit to Indiana, beginning on Wednesday. CLICK HERE
  • FLAND VISITS INDANA: Boogie Fland, a 6-foot-3 point guard ranked No. 6 in the class of 2024, begins an official visit to Indiana on Tuesday. CLICK HERE
  • MUSTAF VISITS INDIANA: Jaeden Mustaf, a four-star guard in the class of 2024, begins his visit to Indiana on Thursday. CLICK HERE
Published
Jack Ankony
JACK ANKONY

Jack Ankony is a Sports Illustrated/FanNation writer for HoosiersNow.com. He graduated from Indiana University's Media School with a degree in journalism. Follow on Twitter @ankony_jack.

Home/Basketball