If the message from Indiana's coaching staff to Malik Reneau hadn't been comprehended fully, it likely was when Trayce Jackson-Davis received a phone call from the Golden State Warriors at his draft party, informing him that the former consensus All-American was going No. 57 overall.
Jackson-Davis would never again put on an Indiana uniform. A new leader in the Hoosier's front court must emerge. And Indiana's coaching staff, led by to-be third-year coach Mike Woodson, is asking for Reneau, a former five-star prospect, to be the one taking the torch from Jackson-Davis.
Indiana returns just six players from last season's Round of 32 NCAA Tournament squad. Xavier Johnson's NCAA medical hardship waiver allows him to play a sixth season of college basketball and Trey Galloway returns as a backcourt mate for Johnson. CJ Gunn and Kaleb Banks, seldom used as freshmen, hope to see larger roles as sophomores. Reserve Anthony Leal is the one other returning piece and Leal from last season's team and Leal played just 2.2. minutes per game.
With just three returning consistent contributors -- Johnson, Galloway and Reneau -- Woodson's coaching staff went to the transfer portal for Payton Sparks (Ball State), Kel'el Ware (Oregon) and Anthony Walker (Miami) for college-ready talent.
"Our team was going to be different coming in. We knew that, " Reneau said. "We got key pieces that we needed to help us have a successful season."
Mackenzie Mgbako's late commitment to Indiana -- he previously was signed to play for Duke -- gives the Hoosiers a five-star capable of making shots in a freshman class that also includes Gabe Cupps and Jakai Newton.
"Being a leader on the team because we’re bringing in so many new players," Reneau said on Thursday of what Indiana's coaches want to see him improve with most before his sophomore season. "Helping the new players with the defensive things and all of that. Being that leader just like X {Xavier Johnson's nickname) or Gallo (Trey Galloway's nickname). Being one of those guys because I understand the defensive side and I know what Coach Woodson wants us to do."
As a freshman in 2022-23, Reneau played in 35 games for Indiana, scoring 6.1 points and grabbing 3.7 rebounds a contest in just under 15.0 minutes. He was the Hoosier's third frontcourt piece when Jackson-Davis and Race Thompson, who signed an NBA Summer League deal with the New York Knicks, were healthy.
Last season, Reneau's minutes were limited because of Jackson-Davis and Thompson, an all-time Hoosier and an experienced, high-floor senior who played hard. But Reneau's opportunities last season were also limited, in part, because of his own struggles on the defensive side.
Reneau committed 2.5 fouls per game, despite playing less than 15 minutes. He committed 6.8 personal fouls per 40 minutes, an astonishingly high foul rate. But when the former five-star recruit wasn't fouling, he played good defense, ranking in the 64th percentile last season as a defender, according to Synergy.
"Staying away from putting my hands on defenders to avoid those ticky-tack fouls and stuff like that," Reneau said. "So being aware of what I’m doing on the court and understanding that I can get ticky-tack fouls when I put two hands on a defender and being aware."
Last season, from opening night to January 11 -- the night Indiana lost on the road 85-66 to Penn State to fall to 10-6 on the season -- Indiana adjusted defensive efficiency ranked No. 78 in the country. Bart Torvik ranked Indiana as the 45th-best team in the country at that point.
In the next game, Indiana ended a three-game skid, beating then No. 18 Wisconsin 63-45 at Assembly Hall on Jan. 14. From the night Indiana blasted the Badgers to the end of the season, the Hoosier's defense improved to the 37th-best defensive efficiency in the country, which helped IU to a second-place tie in the Big Ten and a No. 4 seed in Woodson's second straight NCAA Tournament appearance.
"What I’ve learned from Coach Woodson is that our team is going to be a defensive team no matter what. We are going to defend and try to hold people under 60," Reneau said. "That’s really what we do. Defense is a big key to our success when we come onto the basketball court."
That's why Woodson is asking Reneau to lead communication with Ware, Sparks and Walker in the front court. Defensively, Johnson is one of the best guards in the Big Ten. Ware, despite struggles as a freshman at Oregon, blocked 1.3 shots a game in just 15.8 minutes a year ago with the Ducks. Sparks is moving up to Power 6 basketball after starting his career in the MAC.
"Being a guy that they look to when the defense breaks down and they need that help to understand something," Reneau said. "Or on the offensive side, if they don’t know the play, let them know what we are doing and stuff like that. Being that role guy or that leader to help."
Jackson-Davis, Thompson and Miller Kopp are no longer on the court to help direct Reneau to the correct spot. Instead, it's not the sophomore's turn to help incoming transfers and freshmen.
"On the court, we’ve been doing pretty well, having great practices," Reneau said. "Working hard, having great scrimmages, stuff like that. We been competing all throughout. We’re going to be ready to go when the season starts."
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