Malik Reneau Enters Freshman Season as Valuable Piece to Indiana Frontcourt

A 6-foot-9, 233-pound body dribbled up the courtroom throughout an Indiana basketball observe early this offseason.

He was taking pictures from the surface, displaying exact footwork and a good deal with. As preseason All-American Trayce Jackson-Davis put it, “He was killing everybody. We couldn’t guard him.”

“Me and Race [Thompson] had been like, ‘How are we guarding this dude?’” Jackson-Davis stated.

It was Malik Reneau, and he made his presence recognized throughout his first week on campus. Reneau decommitted from Florida when coach Mike White left for Georgia, and determined to observe Jalen Hood-Schifino, his teammate at Montverde Academy, to Indiana. Jackson-Davis stated Reneau had a “Huge Ten physique” when he joined the crew this summer season as an ESPN five-star recruit.

Indiana enters the 2022-23 season because the Huge Ten favourite, headlined by veteran forwards Jackson-Davis and Thompson. Meaning Reneau should wait his time – to crack the beginning lineup, not less than – however he initiatives to be a worthwhile depth piece for significant minutes in a convention crammed with gifted frontcourts.

“I am certain in some unspecified time in the future [Reneau] goes to be All-Huge Ten first crew and all of that,” Thompson stated. “He is a very gifted freshman and I am actually excited to look at him develop.”

Throughout matchups in observe, Thompson stated Reneau is hard to protect as a result of he doesn’t get sped up. He’ll play at his tempo it doesn’t matter what, and he’s proven tender contact across the rim with each his proper and left hand. Thompson and Jackson-Davis agreed that Reneau already has a physique constructed for the Huge Ten, however Thompson additionally known as the Indiana freshman “lowkey fast.”

Rising up, Reneau’s favourite NBA participant was Carmelo Anthony. He studied the best way Anthony operated within the mid-post space, and now he enjoys watching Julius Randle of the New York Knicks.

Indiana coach Mike Woodson likes the aggressive spirit the Indiana freshman class has proven, and that’s definitely been the case with Reneau since he arrived. He anticipated a tricky problem with Jackson-Davis and Thompson, so he approached it with a mindset of taking part in exhausting and letting his sport converse for itself. Reneau had his shot blocked just a few instances by the veterans, but it surely’s helped him study  to dam out negativity and transfer to the following play.

“It has been enjoyable going in opposition to Race and Trayce, competing at a excessive degree,” Reneau stated. “Understanding that Race and Trayce have been right here, they know what it takes, and that has been an enormous issue after they begin speaking to us.”

From Jackson-Davis’ perspective, Reneau’s subsequent step of vital enchancment comes on the defensive finish. He has a elegant offensive sport, however Jackson-Davis is instructing Reneau the assorted defensive schemes, serving to him be in the fitting spot and studying easy methods to acknowledge the opponent’s tendencies.

On paper, Indiana seems to have improved frontcourt depth in comparison with latest years. Jackson-Davis and Thompson kind one of many nation’s prime duos within the publish, and all indicators level to Reneau being a direct contributor. Jordan Geronimo stated he’s taking part in extra of the small ahead than energy ahead place in observe, however he’s at all times been a gifted rebounder and inside defender. Add Logan Duncomb, who Jackson-Davis and Thompson stated is stronger in yr two, and Indiana may go 5 gamers deep on the frontcourt positions.

“It should work,” Thompson stated. “We’ve got an awesome coach with Coach Woodson, all the opposite coaches. We’re nice gamers. We all know easy methods to play with one another. We have been taking part in with one another all summer season. Me and Trayce know easy methods to play with one another, after which Malik has match proper in with us.”

Associated tales on Indiana basketball:

• JACKSON-DAVIS AP ALL-AMERICAN: Hoosier ahead Trayce Jackson-Davis was named a preseason AP All-American as the one Huge Ten participant, becoming a member of Oscar Tshiebwe, Drew Timme, Marcus Sasser and Armando Bacot. CLICK HERE
• INDIANA-KENTUCKY RETURNING: Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari commented on the return of the Kentucky-Indiana rivalry on Wednesday at SEC Media Day. CLICK HERE
• ASA NEWELL VISITS INDIANA: Indiana basketball hosted an official go to this weekend for Asa Newell, a top-10 recruit from Montverde Academy. CLICK HERE