After losing to Miami (Fla.) in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, Indiana basketball has had an eventful offseason.
The Hoosiers have added three transfers this offseason -- Kel'el Ware (Oregon), Payton Sparks (Ball State) and Anthony Walker (Miami) -- and head coach Mike Woodson was pleased to learn that point guard Xavier Johnson would return under an injury hardships waiver after the senior broke his foot in December vs. Kansas.
On Saturday, the Hoosiers hosted top 10 national recruit Mackenzie Mgbako, who is also considering Kansas, St. John's and Louisville. Georiga could also be in the mix for the prized Class of 2023 shot-making wing.
But despite some additions to the transfer portal already this offseason and likely at least one more addition to the roster. Indiana basketball still has some questions to answer before next season.
WHO IS GOING TO BE THE SHOT-MAKER?
While the return of Johnson gives Indiana, proven lead guard and facilitator who has improved as a shooter in his career, Indiana still needs to identify who will be a high-volume shooter for the 2023-24 season.
Johnson shot 37 percent on 2.5 attempts from deep last season before getting hurt and in his first season with Indiana, he was making over 38 percent from trey on 2.8 attempts a game. Trey Galloway shot a lights-out 46.2 percent from 3-point range last season on 2.0 attempts a game, a drastic improvement from the 18.2 percent he shot as a freshman and the 21.4 percent he shot as a sophomore.
But the Hoosiers still lack a high-volume shooter, and that's why Woodson is targeting Mgbako and Penn transfer Jordan Dingle, who shot about 35 percent last season while winning Ivy League Player of the Year honors.
Last season Indiana shot close to 37 percent from the perimeter as a team, ranking in the top 50 nationally. But despite shooting a high percentage, Indiana ranked 352nd in 3-pointers attempted per game in 2022-23. As it currently stands, Indiana could be on track to shoot a quality percentage from the perimeter but, again, on low volume.
The Hoosiers still need to find a high-volume shot-maker before the season starts, and that's why the pursuit of Mgbako has been so integral.
WHAT IS THE ROLE FOR GUNN AND BANKS?
Because Indiana was ranked in the top 70 last season of experience and minutes continuity freshmen CJ Gunn and Kaleb Banks didn't get much of an opportunity to play last season for the Hoosiers. However, as sophomores, they could be relied on more heavily after the departures of Miller Kopp and Tamar Bates, who played similar positions.
Gunn averaged just 2.0 points last season and Banks was right there with him despite playing in a crowded frontcourt last season that included an All-American Trayce Jackson-Davis and senior Race Thompson.
Currently, one of Gunn or Banks would likely have to take a major stride in their role, but that is assuming Indiana doesn't add another player to the roster, which seems highly unlikely. However, if Gunn or Banks don't improve drastically, the depth of the Hoosiers could be questionable and young with Gunn and Banks being joined by incoming freshmen Gabe Cupps and Jakai Newton.
WHO IS GOING TO BE THE TEAM'S STAR?
For the last two Indiana teams, this question wasn't necessary to ask. The answer was, obviously, Jackson-Davis. Though Jalen Hood-Schifinio turned into a stud in the second half of his freshman season before declaring for the NBA Draft where he is expected to go in the first round.
This upcoming season, though, Indiana doesn't return an All-Big Ten player. That creates some questions about who is going to be the Hoosier's go-to guy. Johnson could be the answer in the backcourt, but so could Mgbako or Dingle, should they commit to joining the Hoosiers.
Ware has the talent to be a lottery pick, but greatly underachieved in his freshman season at Oregon averaging only 6.6 points and 4.1 rebounds a game for the Ducks. Ware's production levels could greatly impact the success that Indiana has next season.
Malik Reneau is a former five-star who averaged 6.1 points and 3.7 rebounds last season for the Hoosiers as a forward, but the potential is also there for Reneau to be an impactful piece for the Hoosiers. He's likely to be a starter as a sophomore.
HOW READY ARE THE FRESHMEN?
Cupps and Newton come to Indiana with an impressive -- but not elite -- track record as high school recruits. Cupps ended his high school career ranked outside of the top 100 and Newton was ranked as the No. 70 prospect in his class coming out of Covington, Ga.
The role for the two of them is likely to be determined, in some part, by the success that Indiana has in adding another impactful guard before the start of the season and the success that Galloway and Johnson have played with each other in the backcourt.
Cupps is heady, he plays that game at a good pace and doesn't often get overwhelmed by the moment, so he projects to be a solid secondary option at point guard behind Johnson. Galloway proved however that he can handle that role in a pinch last season after Johnson's injury.
Newton is likely to compete with Gunn and whatever addition Indiana makes in the backcourt for minutes. But if he proves to be a good shooter the Hoosiers could have a nice young tandem off of the bench.
The good news is that Johnson and Galloway should be steady options, which won't force the two freshmen onto the court into a high-usage role before they are ready.
FRONTCOURT ROTATION
Because Indiana has added three players to their frontcourt this offseason in the transfer portal, the Hoosiers now have four players all fighting for spots in the rotation at two positions. Ware, Reneau, Sparks and Walker are all looking to play good minutes for Indiana next season, but it's likely that only three of them will be consistent contributors.
Walker is the most experienced of the four players having played four seasons with the Hurricanes. However, he averaged just 2.8 points a game last season for Miami on their way to the Final Four. He also hasn't ever shown to be a floor spacer or a high-level rebounder, averaging just 2.5 per game in his career.
Ware and Reneau have the most potential to be high-impact players because of their talent. However, both have a lot to prove at the college level for that to come to fruition. Sparks averaged 13.3 points and 8.7 rebounds in the MAC last season, but he is transferring up a level and could be a bit undersized in the Big Ten, he's under 6-foot-10.
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