Five-star forward Liam McNeeley committed to Indiana on Sunday. McNeeley had limited his options to Indiana and Kansas, but ultimately decided he wanted to be a Hoosier.
This commitment, along with a few others recently secured by Mike Woodson, are a true representation of the new trajectory of Indiana basketball.
Since the Bob Knight era, the Hoosiers have been a program set on developing talented players over several years with the team. Take the great Trayce Jackson-Davis, for example.
Jackson-Davis came to Bloomington from just a quick jaunt North to Center Grove high school, and he was not NBA ready. That said, he was not drafted to be NBA ready. He spent two years under Archie Miller and made little to no boosts to his draft stock.
That being said, when Woodson took over, Jackson-Davis reportedly considered trying his luck in the draft, but he was convinced to stay. After just two years with Woodson, he was drafted by the Golden State Warriors.
While Jackson-Davis was finishing out his last year in Assembly Hall, another player was doing the same, but in a different way. Jalen Hood-Schifino was the first domino to fall in the chain reaction Woodson has catalyzed in this program.
After just one season in Bloomington, Hood-Schifino was drafted just outside the lottery to the Los Angeles Lakers. Since the end of last season, three potentially impactful recruits have joined the Hoosiers with this in mind.
First, Kel'el Ware, a former five-star recruit who spent one underwhelming year in Oregon, quickly committed to Indiana shortly after entering the portal. Ware has not made it a secret that Woodson's ability to prepare player for the league made a big impact on his decision.
Later on in the summer, Mackenzie Mgbako, one of the top ranked freshmen in the country, decommitted from Duke. Mgbako's decision came down to Kansas and Indiana, and he eventually decided that Woodson would set him up best to get to the league after his freshman season.
Now in comes McNeeley.
Schools like Duke, Kansas, and Kentucky have had a lot of success lately with their recruiting styles. They prioritize the top talent even if they fall into the one-and-done archetype. Along the way, these programs grab a few four-year players to be leaders and keep the foundation of the team solid.
The recent crop of Hoosier recruits indicates this is the direction Woodson wants to take his team. Gabe Cupps will certainly be a player who requires several years to develop, and will very possibly spend four or more years in Bloomington. At the same time, Woodson is recruiting players like Mgbako, Ware, and McNeeley who plan on getting to the league as soon as possible.
Indiana has not had any real postseason success to speak of lately, but they are still able to maintain an upward trajectory because of Woodson's recruiting. His ability to get players to the NBA has ushered in a new era in IU basketball, and it should be an exciting saga to watch unfold.
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