10/31/2022 basketball Edit

Malik Reneau shows no freshman jitters in debut: 'He's a monster'

Alec Lasley • TheHoosier

Senior Writer

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Indiana freshman forward Malik Reneau put on a show in Saturday's 78-42 exhibition win over Marian, his first game in an Indiana uniform.

The 6-foot-9 freshman made an unexpected appearance in the starting lineup as a result of preseason All-American Trayce Jackson-Davis sitting out due to a wrist injury. Reneau took full advantage of the opportunity, putting up a double-double and leading Indiana in points and rebounds.

"Malik, I thought tonight was fantastic," IU head coach Mike Woodson said following the game. "He did a lot of good things defensively. He rebounded the ball, and we know he can score the ball. So I mean, it was kind of nice. I mean, starting those two guys, first time at the college level, I thought they passed with flying colors tonight."

Reneau finished with 14 points on 7-of-10 shooting, 11 rebounds, one assist and one block in 18 minutes of action.

Indiana freshman forward Malik Reneau showcased his full skillset in Saturday's exhibition win. (IU Athletics)

Coming into his freshman season, Reneau was known for his versatility and ability to score in many ways. Whether it was on the block, high post, mid-range or even taking a defender off of the dribble at times. He showcased all of that and more on Saturday.

"Malik is a great man with a great touch, you know what I mean, and he can do everything, you know what I mean," IU forward Jordan Geronimo said. "As you've seen it, he can bring the ball up himself. He can shoot the ball. He can work in the post as you all saw tonight. Malik, he can do everything, you know what I mean, at I believe like 6-9, I think he's like 235. He's a monster down there."

This summer, the talk from both the coaches and players was regarding how mature -- both physically and mentally -- Reneau was. While labeled as a freshman, he hasn't been playing like one ever since arriving in Bloomington.

"He's a little ahead of the game, but he's still young," Woodson said earlier this fall. "I've dealt with young players so much over the years that you've got to get young players to understand how hard they have to play. Malik is at that point right now. He plays hard in spurts, and we've got to get him consistently playing hard on both ends of the floor."

“I look at Jalen and Malik, they came out of a system in Montverde where that coach is a damn good coach,” Woodson added on Saturday. “He pushes guys to play hard and do the right things at both ends of the floor, so I think the transition for them coming in, especially for Jalen, has been easy for him.”

Reneau, a former five-star prospect out of Montverde Academy (Fla.), brings added skill and depth that Indiana hasn't had in a reserve forward in quite some time. If Saturday was any indication, it's going to be difficult to keep him off of the floor.

"Malik was able to contribute a lot," Geronimo added. "We have more depth to the team, you know what I mean, and we have a lot more options to go to, and I feel great about that because with a couple more weapons on the team, you're a better team. I feel great about that."