What’s Wrong With Mackenzie Mgbako? He’s Jump-Shot Dependent And Isn’t Driving To The Rim

Since Big Ten play has resumed, Mackenzie Mgbako has not taken the ball to the rim nearly as often as he did early in the season. When he's slumping with his outside shot, that hurts him.

Todd Golden | Jan 21, 2025

Indiana Hoosiers forward Mackenzie Mgbako (21) shoots the ball while Rutgers Scarlet Knights center Emmanuel Ogbole (21) defends in the first half at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – For nearly three weeks, Indiana has been playing without an important starter, injured forward Malik Reneau.

But in terms of production, the Hoosiers might as well be down two starters.

Sophomore Mackenzie Mgbako is mired in the worst shooting slump of his Indiana career. After scoring 20 points and serving an instrumental role in the 77-71 win over Penn State on Jan. 5, Mgbako did not reach 20 points combined in the next four games.

Starting with Indiana’s win over Southern California on Jan. 8, Mgbako is 4 of 29 from the field (13.8%) and has averaged 4 points and 3.8 rebounds. After going 4-for-8 from 3-point range against Penn State, Mgbako is 0-for-15 since then.

All of these statistics are very alarming given that Mgbako’s primary contribution to the Hoosiers is on the offensive side of. His defense is sub-par, so it’s hard to keep him on the floor if he can’t score.

Indiana Hoosiers forward Mackenzie Mgbako (21) shoots the ball during the first half against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Value City Arena. / Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

This was evident in Friday’s 77-76 overtime win at Ohio State. Mgbako was not in the rotation of six players who played with the game on the line in the latter part of the second half and overtime. Mgbako didn’t see the floor after the 14:40 mark of the second half.

It’s something Indiana coach Mike Woodson was asked about during a Tuesday morning Zoom call with the media.

“I'm trying to win basketball games. It ain't always the player. The players got to adjust to how you're coaching in the game, and we had a group in there that was pretty solid. So if you're about team, it shouldn't matter,” Woodson said.

Woodson then repeated his mantra about work and practice being an important key for Mgbako and every other Hoosier.

“But we just got to keep working, man. Practice, that's the only way you get out of a funk when you're struggling to make shots, you’ve got to come in and put the time in and keep shooting and keep working on it,” Woodson said.

Shooting is obviously one of Mgbako’s issues, but that’s mainly because he’s become jump-shot dependent. His drives to the rim have all but disappeared..

According to barttorvik.com, Mgbako has only taken nine shots at the rim or closer in the six games since Big Ten play resumed on Jan. 2.

In contrast, Mgbako has attempted 46 shots from mid-range or beyond the 3-point arc.
In those six games, Mgbako is 5 of 9 at the rim, 4 of 16 from mid-range and 7 of 30 from 3-point range.

“I mean, he's taken some good shots and just hasn't made them,” Woodson said.

However, Mgbako’s shot chart is far different from what it was at the beginning of the season when he was his most productive.

In his 31-point game against SIU-Edwardsville in the opening 80-61 win on Nov. 6, Mgabko attempted eight shots at the rim with two dunks included.

In Indiana’s first three games of the season, Mgbako attempted at least five shots at the rim and always made at least four of them. He has not had five shots at the rim since Indiana’s 77-68 victory against Winthrop on Dec. 29.

Several factors could be playing a role in Mgbako’s slump. One is that most of Mgbako’s games where he consistently got to the rim were against nonconference mid-major opponents.

Mgbako has not attempted more than three shots at the rim against any Big Ten opponent and didn’t against high-major competition at Battle 4 Atlantis, either.

Whether this is due to improved opponent scouting in conference play or a lack of aggressiveness by Mgbako is an open question.

Indiana's Mackenzie Mgbako (21) shoots over Rutgers' Jeremiah Willaims (25) during the Indiana versus Rutgers men's basketball game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025. / Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A factor out of Mgbako’s control is Reneau’s absence. After scoring 16 against Rutgers and 20 against Penn State without Reneau, Mgbako’s production has fallen off.

While Indiana observers have largely approved of the one-big look that has Indiana has been forced to play without Reneau, Mgbako might be one player hurt by it.

For all of the criticism hurled at Indiana that two bigs clog space, Oumar Ballo and Reneau typically stay on opposite sides of the floor and Reneau often drifts to the 3-point arc.

The defenders they drew likely gave some space for Mgbako to put the ball on the floor in a way that Luke Goode or Anthony Leal defenders might not.

It could also be that Mgbako is going into a shell on his own.

Given his ability to score when he’s dialed in, Indiana tends to get him early shots. During his four-game slump, Mgbako has taken his first shot before the 16-minute mark in each contest. He missed his first shot in three of them.

Since the USC game, when Mgbako missed four shots in the first five minutes of the game, he’s been hesitant to keep firing after his initial miss or two.

Woodson cited foul trouble as another factor holding Mgbako back – though he’s not had more than two fouls in a game during his slump.

Whether Mgbako can be more assertive in getting to the rim against Indiana’s next opponent – Northwestern at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday – is questionable. The Wildcats like to clog the lane and make it difficult for drivers.

If that comes to pass, Mgbako would once again have to be jump-shot dependent, unless Indiana can find ways to unlock the talented sophomore and give him a path back to scoring productivity.

One thing is for certain. Woodson will not give up on Mgbako.

“I'm not going to throw him to the curb, because he's a big piece of what we do,” Woodson said.

“It could be your night, the Northwestern game, where we play on Wednesday night. So I mean, we'll keep working with him, and we’ve got to get him back going, because like I said, he is a big piece to what we do."

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