Indiana

Kyle Mangas’ Indiana Basketball Journey Leads To Contract With Pacers And Mad Ants

Published

5 months ago

August 21, 2024

Kyle Mangas’ Indiana Basketball Journey Leads To Contract With Pacers And Mad Ants

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – FEBRUARY 18: Kyle Mangas #24 of the Indiana Mad Ants looks to pass during … [+] the first game of the G Leauge Next Up Game at Indiana Convention Center on February 18, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

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INDIANAPOLIS — It’s hard to separate basketball in Indiana from Kyle Mangas. The 25-year old was born in Warsaw, a smaller city in Northern Indiana. He played high school basketball at Warsaw Community High School, where he scored 1,450 points before playing collegiately at Indiana Wesleyan University.

For over 20 years, Mangas lived in the state and breathed basketball. During his time at Indiana Wesleyan, who played at the NAIA level, Mangas proved to be a tremendous talent and was named the 2020 Division II Men’s Basketball National Player of the Year.

A player with that resume could have transferred to a more well known college basketball program, but Mangas never looked into it until after his fourth season. “I looked at [transferring] a little bit, but decided I wanted to go pro,” Mangas said. “Loved the school, and never really thought about going anywhere else.”

Turning toward professional basketball forced Mangas to consider his options, and it led to something unknown: the high-scoring wing had to leave the state of Indiana. And he didn’t exactly stay close. Mangas signed his first professional contract in the Czech Republic with USK Praha — which is over 7,000 kilometers away from Warsaw.

“I’ve been in Europe and you don’t know anyone in the crowd,” Mangas said. “It can be a little difficult at times.” The young wing spent the following season in Lithuania as a member of BC Siauliai.

Those two seasons helped Mangas grow and were a reminder that he always needed to prove himself. But he was ready to come back to the United States, and he was talking to a few teams in the NBA G League ahead of the 2023 campaign. He was prepared to make the leap back to the states.

Then, his hometown team called. The Indiana Mad Ants, the G League affiliate for the Indiana Pacers, showed interest in Mangas. Back in 2021, Mangas worked out for the Pacers twice in the pre-draft process. This time, the organization wanted to have him in for another workout and see if he could be a good fit in their program.

Mangas, who was a Pacers and Indiana University fan as a kid, jumped at the chance. The session was with Mad Ants head coach Tom Hankins, yet Mangas felt little pressure after his overseas experience. He impressed enough to get offered a spot with the Mad Ants for the 2023-24 season, and he was suddenly back in him home base in Indiana

“It was a very easy choice for me to go with the Pacers and the Mad Ants,” Mangas said.

It ended up leading to an Exhibit 10 agreement with the Pacers, which put Mangas in the NBA for a day. He was in training camp with the to-be conference finalists, and he helped out with a few drills while meeting a few members of the team.

That transaction and one day of service gave Indiana Mangas’ G League rights, so he was waived the next day. But by signing an Exhibit 10 agreement, the Warsaw native was eligible for a bonus with the Mad Ants — and he was back in Indiana where his career started. This time, though, he was a pro.

“Every level — high school, collegiate, now professionally — to play basketball in Indiana. I mean, that’s a dream come true in itself,” Mangas said. “It’s awesome, and to be able to come back [and] play for Pacers organizations is really cool.”

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – FEBRUARY 18: Kyle Mangas #24 of the Indiana Mad Ants takes a shot during the … [+] first game of the G League Next Up Game at Indiana Convention Center on February 18, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

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The best part of it all, by Mangas’ account, was having his friends and family in the crowd. Many Mad Ants games last year were dominated by fans of Mangas, and they made posters. He was popular locally and called his first year of experience with the Mad Ants a 10 out of 10.

That season was successful for more reasons than just being back home. He also played well and seized the opportunity. Mangas averaged 16.9 points per game for the Mad Ants last season, which was by far the best number by a player on the roster with no NBA experience. He knocked down nearly 39% of his three-point shots while attempting more than six per game, and he dished out 3.5 assists per night. He was valuable right away despite being a G League rookie.

That all led to an impactful season. Indiana’s offensive rating was over 120 with Mangas on the floor, per RealGM, and that was one of the best figures on the team. By the end of the campaign, Mangas had moved into the starting lineup. They needed him there, and he fit well.

While the team was in Las Vegas to battle the G League Ignite in early February of this year, Mangas was rewarded for his hard work. His agent called him to let him know that he had been named to the G League Next Up Game — effectively the G League All-Star game. It was a gratifying nomination for Mangas, and it was even cooler since NBA All-Star weekend was being held in Indianapolis.

“I said, ‘yes, of course. I’ll do it’,” Mangas remembered of getting the invite. “To play in an All-Star game for the G league in Indy, I was like, ‘yes, I’m in’.”

Mangas played for Team Giraffe Stars in the event, but they fell short in the first game of the tournament-style competition. By appearing in that game, he got to attend all of the NBA All-Star weekend festivities, including the Dunk Contest and All-Star game, which took place in his home state.

He closed his G League season strong, too, which led to a playoff berth for the Mad Ants. They fell in the first round of the postseason, but Mangas proved he belonged at that level and was more than worthy of his G League spot.

While maintaining a good relationship with the Pacers organization, Mangas decided to play for the Los Angeles Lakers during summer league back in July. He suffered an ankle injury after scoring six points and pulling in three rebounds during his only appearance with the purple and gold.

Despite the short time with another franchise, Mangas couldn’t stay away from Indiana. He’s coming back to the Pacers/Mad Ants in 2024-25 on another Exhibit 10 contract, meaning this will be the first time he plays for the same organization in consecutive seasons since becoming a pro basketball player.

“Really looking forward to coming back,” Mangas said. He enjoyed the Mad Ants coaching staff and the ability to use Indiana’s facilities, which made returning an easy choice.

Currently, the young wing is rehabbing from that aforementioned ankle injury. But he’s ready to hit the ground running in his second season within the Pacers organization. “Hope we have a really good year again and try to make a run at it. Winning the G league championship would be pretty cool,” he said. It would be a fitting chapter in an Indiana basketball story.

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3 Things To Watch As Indiana Basketball Hosts USC

Published

2 hours ago

January 7, 2025

Press Room

3 Things To Watch As Indiana Basketball Hosts USC

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana is off to a good start in Big Ten play, most recently defeating Penn State 77-71 Sunday to improve to 3-1 in the conference and 12-3 overall. Coach Mike Woodson and the Hoosiers will look to keep that momentum rolling with a 7 p.m. ET tipoff Wednesday against USC at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.

The Trojans are 9-5 overall and 1-2 in Big Ten play in coach Eric Musselman’s first season after Saturday’s 85-74 home loss to Michigan. Musselman built an entirely new roster with 11 transfers and two freshmen after coming over from a successful run at Arkansas, where he had two Elite Eight runs and a Sweet 16 appearance in five seasons. He said Saturday he has no timetable for the return of injured players Terrance Williams (10.6 ppg) and Matt Knowling (3.8 ppg).

Defeating USC won’t do much to help Indiana’s resume – the Trojans are ranked No. 94 in the NET – but the Hoosiers must avoid a loss as they approach a stretch with 11 straight opportunities for Quad 1 wins.

Here are three things to watch as Indiana hosts USC, the first Big Ten newcomer on the men’s side to play at Assembly Hall.

1. Can Indiana sustain success without Malik Reneau?

When Malik Reneau went down with a knee injury on the second possession Thursday against Rutgers, some may have pressed the panic button. Reneau was Indiana’s leading scorer at the time, averaging 14.1 points per game and shooting a reliable 60.3% from the field. But over the next 39 minutes versus the Scarlet Knights, and in Sunday’s road game against Penn State, the Hoosiers put together two of their best performances of the season.

Rutgers star freshman Ace Bailey hung 39 points on the Hoosiers, but Indiana locked down the rest of the Scarlet Knights in a 10-point win. Woodson rolled with a starting lineup of Myles Rice, Trey Galloway, Luke Goode, Mackenzie Mgbako and Oumar Ballo, and the Hoosiers picked up their first Quad 1 win of the season against a tough Penn State team.

Ballo was dominant inside against the Nittany Lions, scoring 25 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. Rice handled Penn State’s pressure defense better than any Hoosier could last season. Without Reneau, Woodson played smaller lineups with more ball handlers and shooters, and Goode and Mgbako combined to make 7-of-12 3-point attempts.

We’ll get a better sense for Reneau’s status when the Big Ten availability report comes out Wednesday afternoon, but Woodson shared an update after Sunday’s win.

“Don’t know when he’s gonna be back,” Woodson said. “It’s kind of in the medical [staff’s] hand. I mean, he didn’t tear up anything, but don’t know when he’s gonna come back. I really don’t, and I just gotta follow the doctor’s lead and he’s gotta do what he needs to do to get back when he can. But it won’t be any time soon.”

2. Does USC have an answer for Oumar Ballo?

Reneau’s potential absence places a greater emphasis on Ballo, offensively and defensively. The 7-footer is averaging 13.6 points and 8.6 rebounds, plus a career-high 66.7% field goal percentage, 2.5 assists and 1.9 blocks per game.

Ballo is tough for any opponent to stop inside, and he may be an even more difficult matchup for USC. Josh Cohen, a 6-foot-10 transfer from UMass, has started all 14 games for USC this season, but he only plays 16.7 minutes per game. Aside from Cohen, USC’s rotation does not include a player taller than 6-foot-8.

In Saturday’s loss to Michigan, Musselman went to a smaller lineup with 6-foot-8 guard Kevin Patton Jr., who played 28 minutes off the bench.

“When we had our traditional center in there, he was minus-23 while he was on the floor, so we’ve gotta have better play when we play with a traditional big,” Musselman said Saturday. “I thought our small-ball lineup did a great job of getting us back in the game. … I’m shocked that our small ball was able to withstand their roster, to be honest with you, but they did.”

3. Can Indiana keep USC off the free throw line?

Staying out of foul trouble is especially important Wednesday for Indiana for a few reasons. Indiana’s depth has taken a major hit with Reneau, Cupps and Newton out. Against Penn State, Indiana’s bench – Anthony Leal, Bryson Tucker, Kanaan Carlyle and Landgon Hatton – combined for three points on 1-for-8 shooting in 46 minutes. Indiana can’t afford to lose Ballo to foul trouble, assuming Reneau does not play. Woodson hasn’t found consistent production off the bench, even with a fully healthy roster.

The other reason for the heightened importance of Indiana’s foul situation is that USC succeeds at getting to the free throw line. The Trojans rank 36th nationally in free throw rate and attempt 22.6 per game. Their offense has not been good overall this season, ranked 101st in KenPom’s adjusted offensive efficiency, so it would benefit the Hoosiers not to give the Trojans opportunities at the free throw line. That’s especially relevant with USC leading scorer Desmond Claude, a 6-foot-6 guard who attempts a team-high 6.3 free throws per game.

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The Indiana Pacers Need Tyrese Haliburton To Find Consistency

Published

9 hours ago

January 7, 2025

Press Room

The Indiana Pacers Need Tyrese Haliburton To Find Consistency

MIAMI, FLORIDA – JANUARY 02: Tyrese Haliburton #0 of the Indiana Pacers shoots the ball during the … [+] third quarter against the Miami Heat at Kaseya Center on January 02, 2025 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Brennan Asplen/Getty Images)

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Last season, the world saw the early-season rise of Tyrese Haliburton, in which the Pacer guard averaged over 26 points, and 12 assists per game, leading his team to the number one offense in the NBA.

Unfortunately, an avalanche of injuries, including to his knee, ankle, hamstring, and back, forced Haliburton to play the majority of the season in limited fashion. His numbers, understandably so, fell to a point where fans and pundits essentially decided to wait for this season, 2024-2025, to see his full production return.

Inconsistencies

37 games into this season, however, Haliburton is nowhere near the same place as he was to start last season. His 18.4 points, 8.8 assists, and 3.7 rebounds are stil All-Star caliber numbers, but for a team that was expecting their point guard to return to his elite levels of production, it’s been a rough year.

Fortunately for the Pacers, they’re 19-18 and are winning at a decent rate, at least decent enough compete for a Top 6 playoff seed, which means avoiding the play-in tournament altogether. This, in large part, is due to the play of Pascal Siakam, Bennedict Mathurin, and Myles Turner.

Haliburton unquestionably plays a big part in their winning record, inconsistencies aside, but there seems to be a lingering feeling that the Pacers would be considerably better if he was back to form.

In seven games this season, Haliburton has failed to crack double-digit scoring. The Pacers have lost each and every one of those.

In the six games he’s scored over 30 points, they’re 5-1, and have outscored their opponents by 51 points in those five wins.

It’s not rocket science to conclude that teams tend to win more when their best player is producing at elite levels, but in the case of Indiana, it’s absurdly relevant given how one small losing streak can put them right back into play-in territory.

Deadline goals

The Pacers do have a little under a month to further upgrade its roster, which should help offset some of Haliburton’s inconsistent play.

Indiana doesn’t have a major pool of assets to toy around with, and they’re currently over the luxury tax limit by a hair over $400,000 which means they’re probably looking to also shed money to get under it.

(Historically, teams that are so close to go under the tax line make deadline moves that save them just enough to get under, so they can partake in receiving payments from the teams that do go over.)

Can the Pacers make a roster upgrade, and simultaneously get under the tax line? It’s not impossible, but they’ll have to carefully construct a deal that helps both of their endeavors, while also making sure to not waste too much of their future flexibility.

If possible, the franchise should seek out a shooter who can also rebound the ball.

The Pacers are one of the worst rebounding teams in the NBA, and while they rank seventh in three-point efficiency, they rank just 27th in attempts, and are thus in need of volume.

Those players aren’t easy to find, so they’ll have to get creative.

Hope ahead

Setting aside the trade deadline, there might be good news coming for the Pacers in regards to Haliburton.

Over his past five games, the 24-year-old has averaged 25.3 points, 9.0 assists, and 5.0 rebounds, including a 33-point, 15-assist performance against Miami.

This has been Haliburton’s best stretch of the season, and the Pacers would love to see him maintain this level of production, especially as they’re paying him over $244.6 million over the next five seasons.

Should the Pacers succeed in making a real upgrade before the deadline, and get Haliburton back to form, they could become a serious surprise team in the East by April.

Unless noted otherwise, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball-Reference. All salary information via Spotrac. All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.

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Indiana basketball vs. USC expert prediction, start time, TV channel for 1/8/25

Published

17 hours ago

January 7, 2025

Press Room

Indiana basketball vs. USC expert prediction, start time, TV channel for 1/8/25

Indiana basketball returns home on a four-game winning streak to host USC in Big Ten action on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025.

The Hoosiers (12-3, 3-1) are coming off a victory over highly regarded Penn State in Philadelphia as Oumar Ballo carried the first half and Mackenzie Mgbako heated up early in the second half. Malik Reneau (knee) missed the game, but team officials have said they don’t expect him to be out long term. IU is the Big Ten’s best rebounding team (76.7% defensive rebounds in conference games, 1st; 37.7% offensive rebounds, 2nd).

The Trojans (9-5, 1-2) lost to Michigan over the weekend as they scored just 3 points in final 3 minutes. USC struggles rebounding (68.9% defensive, 12th; 28.6% offensive, 12th) and it doesn’t attempt many 3-pointers (5.0-of-15.7 per game, 31.9% in conference). The Trojans continue to miss Terrance Williams II, the Michigan transfer who suffered a broken wrist in December.

Want more Hoosiers coverage? Zach Osterman and Michael Niziolek keep up with IU all season. Sign up for IndyStar’s Hoosiers newsletter.

Indiana basketball prediction, pick

Zach Osterman, IndyStar: Indiana 88-81

Indiana has been playing better of late, with good, tough wins against Rutgers and Penn State. USC isn’t bad so much as finding itself, and this feels like the kind of game where a young team rises to the occasion. IU struggles but wins.