10/23/2022 basketball Edit

Season Preview: Kaleb Banks

Kyler Staley • TheHoosier

Basketball Recruiting Analyst

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The 2022-23 Indiana men's basketball season is right around the corner which is a perfect time to start looking ahead and breaking down each scholarship player of the roster and previewing what to expect out of them this upcoming year.

Today, we take a look at freshman forward Kaleb Banks with a recap of their high school career, preview of this upcoming season, plus some notable quotes.

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Other Season Previews: Xavier Johnson, Race Thompson, Miller Kopp, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Trey Galloway, Jordan Geronimo, Anthony Leal, Tamar Bates, Logan Duncomb, Jalen Hood-Schifino

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High School Review

Banks is one of the two freshman in the four-man class that played in the more "traditional" high school setting playing for Fayette County (Ga.) High School. He also played on the Atlanta Celtics AAU team a part of the Adidas 3SSB circuit.

Banks is from Hampton, Georgia and during his time playing basketball, he saw tons of success both on a team and as a player. During his senior season, Banks averaged 23.0 points, 10.0 boards and 1.4 steals per game which helped lead Fayette County to the Class 4A State Championship game where they were the runner-up. When his high school career was over, Banks had landed himself into the 2,000-point club, was named First Team All-State in Class 4A, won Region 5-AAAA player of the year, and was Georgia Class 4A Player of the Year.

Due to his size at 6-foot-8, 215-pounds at the wing position, Banks was a highly sought after recruit due to his ability to shoot the ball well and make plays. Before committing to Indiana, he had offers from Alabama, Clemson, Cincinnati, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Miami, Mississippi State, and Xavier. With Indiana's recent connection to the state of Georgia with the hiring of assistant coach Yasir Rosemond last year and Mike Woodson wanting to have bigger, athletic wings, securing Banks was a no brainer almost. He committed to Indiana on September of 2021 and finished as the 134th best player in the 2022 Rivals 150 Rankings.

2022-23 Season Preview

Banks comes into the season as probably the most "unknown" freshman when you compare it to the amount of attention that five-star freshmen Jalen Hood-Schifino and Malik Reneau as well as local in-state player CJ Gunn have gotten. While that is not necessarily a bad thing, it does bring out the question of what Banks could bring to this Indiana team this year.

For those that are not familiar with the kind of player that Banks is, he is a highly athletic forward and is just solid in all areas of the game right now whether that be shooting, rebounding, defending, or whatever else as there is just so much balance in his overall game currently. He seems to be that athletic wing that Woodson continues to recruit and should be an impactful player on both the offensive and defensive end.

While his minutes seem to be uncertain going into this year, with Banks' talent and skill you could see him crack the rotation from time to time in certain situations and matchups. A big area of importance for this year's Indiana team is improved shooting obviously and Banks could be one of those options Woodson looks at if needed.

If you were to compare him to players that have recently been on Indiana's roster, guys like OG Anunoby, Troy Williams, and Justin Smith come to mind with the only difference being that Banks may come in a little more finetuned than those players.

While it might not be right away this season, Banks projects to be a very important piece for Indiana down the road, especially when it comes to outside shooting. Under Woodson, the ceiling and potential is as high as ever with Banks as his college career progresses.

Notable Quotes

"Definitely my shooting, being able to spread the floor, my versatility, being able to take the ball up, being able to rebound, going coast to coast," said Kaleb Banks this summer. "Making plays and getting my teammates over and getting my teammates involved and doing the things the coaches want me to, whatever I can bring to the table."

“Kaleb is a great player, Thompson said this summer. “Again, didn't really see him play in high school, didn't really know what to expect when he got here. He is a very talented, big, big wing that can defend, can really shoot the ball, score the ball at all three levels."

"Kaleb is someone who continues to improve his game and has a tremendous future in basketball," said Mike Woodson. "He is a very versatile player both offensively and defensively. His ability to score the basketball and create for him and his teammates is something that was very attractive to our staff. He is a tough-minded player who plays with great confidence and will be an impactful part of our program. I love the way he carries himself and shows his love for what he does."