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Freshman Malik Reneau recently sat down with the media to discuss his time on campus this summer. Reneau comes in as part of the freshman class and is now starting to settle in as a Hoosier. Reneau mentioned during the press conference how he's adapted to the college play style and how he's gotten to know his teammates in just the first couple of weeks of the summer. Reneau also mentioned who has helped him in his basketball career.

Reneau is one of four freshmen in the incoming class who brings in a strong presence to the front court. Reneau was a five-star recruit back in high school who played at Montverde Academy averaging 11.9 points and 6.6 rebounds in his senior season. Reneau was originally committed to play at the University of Florida, but back in March he flipped his commitment and in April he joined HS teammate Jalen Hood-Schifino as a part of the Hoosiers 2022 Top 15 incoming class. Standing at six feet nine inches tall, Reneau is already the second tallest player on the team and the same height as Trayce Jackson-Davis.

Reneau was a top 25 player in his class and brings a lot of size and talent to an already strong Indiana front court. Reneau has shared the floor with Jackson-Davis and Race Thompson this summer between the four and five positions. Reneau knows that the competition within his own team will help him in the long run.

“It's been a lot of changes. I've been going against Race and Trayce for about two weeks now and I mean you can tell the difference from the physicalness from high school to college. It's hard to bump bodies with Race and Trayce because they are all solid and it's not easy to move them. I have to find different moves or get past them with speed and not just overpower them. That's what I found a big difference in high school and college. It's more a fitness game and not just trying to back down your man.” Reneau said.

The way that Thompson and Jackson-Davis stabilized their game last year in the Big Ten put them as one of the strongest duos coming into college basketball. The Hoosiers added Reneau and fellow freshman forward Kaleb Banks putting Indiana in a position to have several players who can play the four and five position. Reneau acknowledged that the competition between the group will help him and his teammates be the best players that they can be.

“It's going to help me a lot. It's going to help not only me but everybody to take their game to the next level. That's what we need, to take our game to the next level step by step to compete against all the other good schools in the country.” Reneau said.

Since coming to campus earlier this summer, Reneau has seen what life is like both on and off the court at Indiana. Competition on the court as well as bonding with his team teammates off the floor has helped Reneau and the other freshman get used to the new college lifestyle.

“Being around us on and off the court and trying to do stuff and go out and go eat, go bowling, and just team bond. On the court just really talking to the freshman and telling them what to do and what coach whats us to do. They are really helping us out on and off the court.” Reneau said.

Reneau said that his teammates and staff have really helped him get settled into the new lifestyle but was sure to mention the people who have helped him most, his parents. Both of Reneau’s parents played basketball with his mom also playing college basketball herself. Reneau said he simply just wanted to be like his biggest influence.

“Both my parents played basketball. Just looking up at my mom when she was comping up, she was a good basketball herself. Just looking at my mom and my dad play I just wanted to be a basketball player too."

They also helped him stay grounded, something he is taking with him more during this adjustment period.

"I'd say just staying focused on myself and not worrying about other people on social media and stuff like that," Reneau said of advice from his parents. "I would say that was the biggest thing, about me trying to worry about what other kids were doing and not what I was focused on, so I think that's probably the big -- one of the biggest lessons. Just worrying about myself and staying in the gym and locked in."

You can watch the full press conference with Reneau below.

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