BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Just 23 seconds remained in the final contest of 2023, and Indiana was on the cusp of flipping the calendar on a high note.
Malik Reneau’s night was over, heading to the IU bench and receiving the raucous applause of just under 17,000 people on a cold December Bloomington evening. He’d just scored his career-high 34th point, the 100th of the night for the IU offense. In the Hoosiers’ best output since November 2022, Reneau was responsible for more than third of IU’s scoring production in victory.
Assembly Hall rose to a roar. Anthony Walker clamored for more adoration of Reneau’s contributions. The final seconds ticked away in Indiana’s 10th win of the season.
The sophomore forward – and obvious star of the game – reflected postgame on how he’s grown into being ready for moments, like these, that are no one’s but his own. In his response, he pointed toward his predecessors.
“The learning experience from last year,” Reneau began, “seeing what Trayce (Jackson-Davis) did, seeing what Race (Thompson) did, and just taking it from there. I saw two big-time players in the Big Ten go at it all last year. Now, it’s my time to go.”
The before-mentioned 34 points amassed the previous career high of 25 points he’d set just eight days prior. He also tacked on 11 rebounds, logging his first career double-double. It was the most points by an IU player in Assembly Hall since Jackson-Davis' 43-point outburst against Marshall in 2021.
He's just the third IU player to eclipse 30 points since Woodson took over two and a half years ago. Jackson-Davis and Jalen Hood-Schifino are the two others.
A night later, Jackson-Davis would earn his first career start in the NBA with the Golden State Warriors, posting a career-high 17 points. Similar to his time in Bloomington, Jackson-Davis’ patience is paying dividends. A four-year starter that left the illustrious Indiana program as one of its all-time greats this past March, the late-second round draft pick is experiencing his first true stretch of thriving play at the next level.
The partnership between Jackson-Davis and current head coach Mike Woodson only lasted two years, but in the months since, ringing endorsements have followed one after another of Jackson-Davis’ preparedness coming into the league.
Given his knowledge of the next level, Woodson helped elevate the former Center Grove standout from a collegiate level all-star to a professional contributor for one of the NBA’s greatest franchises. When he returned to Indiana after the hiring of Woodson, there were concerns about whether or not his game would translate.
Those questions, on a consistent and nightly basis, are being put to rest.
Back home, Reneau is following in his footsteps. It’s his second season as a Hoosier with the oversight of Woodson, and the strides forward are measurable and apparent. With Thompson watching from the sidelines as he rehabs a knee injury suffered in pursuit of his own professional career, Reneau’s first season occupying a starring role in cream and crimson is amidst its best stretch yet.
Through seven games in December 2023, Reneau averaged 17.0 points and 6.9 rebounds a game on 47-for-80 shooting – a 58.8% mark. His last two contests of the season were undeniably his best, totaling 59 points, 18 rebounds and six assists on 23-of-33 shooting from the field.
There isn’t a Hoosier rolling into the new year with more momentum than Reneau.
“I just needed time to understand the game and go out there,” Reneau said postgame Friday night. “Now I'm playing nice and with my pace and being able to score on either block and finish with both hands, step out and create my shot from the 3 ball, shoot the 3 ball, too.
“I just feel like the year I had just watching Trayce's stuff, I saw a lot. And now my game is slowing down and I'm able to create plays for myself and for others.”
Reneau’s done more than just watch. The observations are paired with teachings from Calbert Cheaney – another icon of equal or more stature than Jackson-Davis – who’s back with the program as its director of player development. In learning the ways of Cheaney’s ability to get his shot wherever, whenever and however he wanted en route to becoming Indiana’s all-time leading scorer, Reneau’s understood the workload that comes with being an offense’s No. 1 option.
In wake of repetition, confidence abounds from the former Montverde Academy five-star. Now, the southpaw four is beginning to see the fruits of his labor – much to the delight of those in and around the Hoosiers.
“He's getting better,” Woodson said. “Malik, based on where he started with us last season and where he is today, he's a lot better.”
Compared to last season – albeit with a smaller sample size, larger role and variance in competition – Reneau boasts a higher individual offensive rating, field goal percentage, two-point and three-point shooting percentage, effective field goal and true shooting percentage, assist rate and block percentage.
His turnover rate is down, his number of fouls drawn per 40 minutes is up, and crucially, his number of fouls called per 40 minutes is down.
In most instances, the biggest roadblock to progress against outside competition was himself. Even in limited minutes in the bench role behind Jackson-Davis and Thompson a season ago, Reneau was whistled for 6.8 fouls per 40 minutes.
He nearly halved that to just 3.6 fouls per 40 minutes in 2023-24, and he’s committed just one foul in his last two outings. Yes, the same two that are the best of his 39 so far in Bloomington.
When able to stay on the floor, Reneau’s fingerprints are visible throughout almost all aspects of outcomes. In those moments, that offseason work put in behind the scenes shines through. What’s done in darkness often comes to light.
“I'm very proud of Malik. I feel like his work is showing,” sophomore forward Kaleb Banks said Friday night. “He can do a lot of things, rebound, pass, score.”
So as Indiana heads into the New Year with a re-emergence into conference play on the horizon, the Hoosiers have established themselves a go-to option. With the absence of Jackson-Davis and Thompson down low, questions of whether Indiana’s offense would change philosophies are met with more usage and shots for Reneau than anyone else on the IU roster.
Old habits die hard, and Indiana has entrusted Reneau’s decision making and development, in conjunction with Oregon transfer Kel’el Ware, to continue running the offense through its low post. The double teams come quickly and often, and the attention to his play is more keen than ever.
Still, Indiana finds itself with the ball in No. 5’s hands more often than not. In the post-Jackson-Davis era, they rely on Reneau to be the first source of offense in just year two.
“And I think there's a lot of room still to grow as a player,” Woodson said. “He's just got to keep pushing and we've got to keep pushing him to get better.”
It’s an on-the-fly process, and it’s certainly not perfect. But Indiana goes, in majority, as Reneau and his frontcourt does. But such an ascension in just 13 games, both on and off the floor, could suggest that the New Year has brought a potential new face of the men’s basketball program just north of 17th street.
For however long it lasts, welcome to the Malik Reneau-led Indiana Hoosiers.
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