Indiana Hoosiers

2023-24 Result: 19-14 (10-10 Big 10)

Projected Starting Lineup

Head Coach: Mike Woodson (4th Season)

Guard: Myles Rice (SO)

Guard: Trey Galloway (5th year)

Forward: Mackenzie Mgbako (SO)

Forward: Malik Reneau (JR)

Center: Oumar Ballo (5th year)

Mike Woodson had a great offseason entering his 4th season in Bloomington. The Hoosiers were certainly one of the biggest winners of the portal season with the additions of Myles Rice, Oumar Ballo, Kanaan Carlyle, and Luke Goode. Woodson was also able to bring in the number 20 high school recruit, Bryson Tucker. It could have been an even bigger recruiting year for the Hoosiers had 5-star Liam McNeeley not decommitted and gone to UConn. Kel’el Ware was the biggest loss as he departed after his sophomore season for the NBA. However, Indiana more than replaced him and also set themselves up for the future with two younger guards, Myles Rice and Kanaan Carlyle. With what came in, plus returning players like Mackenzie Mgbako and Malik Reneau, Indiana could be primed for a big season in the BIG 10.

Defensively, Indiana will not be as good at protecting the rim as they were last season. Last year, Ware was a nice backbone to the Hoosier defense, averaging nearly 2 blocks per game. With Oumar Ballo replacing him, he is big so he will pick up his blocks, but he is not the athletic, rim-protecting player that Ware was. The backcourt defense improved a little bit, however, with the addition of Myles Rice. Rice is a long, athletic guard who is active in passing lanes and aggressive on the ball. He averaged 1.6 steals per game last season at Washington State. Rice should lead the backcourt guarding the other team’s top guard every night. This team should do a nice job on the defensive glass with Ballo and Reneau. It feels like Indiana will be similar to how they were last year on the defensive end, just with slightly worse rim protection and better backcourt defense.

This team should be far more exciting than it was a year ago on the offensive end. With the additions of Rice, Ballo, and Carlyle, all of whom were double-digit scorers a year ago, and the return of three double-digit scorers in the starting lineup, particularly Reneau, Indiana’s offense should be much more efficient and dynamic. The Hoosiers were missing dynamic guard play last season, and this year they brought in both Rice and Carlyle to fill that void. The biggest concern offensively is that the Hoosier offense still can’t really shoot it. While you can expect some shooting split improvements from Rice and Carlyle, the Hoosiers' best three-point shooters who played big minutes last season are Mackenzie Mgbako at 32.7% and Reneau at 33.3%. Indiana was always going to play from the inside out this season, much like last year, but unless they shoot it better, they will not reach their ceiling offensively.

Indiana will be an intriguing team this season as they did a huge makeover of their roster and brought in several talented players to hopefully get them back to the NCAA Tournament. The changes they made drastically improved their guard play, which was much needed in a league where the top teams have very good guard play. The Hoosiers are a wild card because there is a world where they could be one of the best teams in the conference if they gel together correctly, but there is also a world where they are a middle of the pack team again. With that, I am expecting the former with Mike Woodson getting the Hoosiers back to the Big Dance in March.