Three things Indiana men’s basketball should look for in the transfer portal

With the 2022-23 season coming to an in depth and loads of expertise leaving the roster, Indiana males’s basketball has its work lower out for it within the switch portal because the Hoosiers look to organize for subsequent yr,

However head coach Mike Woodson has been right here earlier than, plucking Xavier Johnson and Michael Durr from the switch portal previous to his first season with this system. The previous proved important to Indiana’s NCAA Event berth whereas the latter had a key function within the Hoosiers’ win over Purdue.

Right here’s what we predict Indiana is gonna want within the portal:

Open Scholarships

Very first thing’s first earlier than three issues and it’s how a lot house the Hoosiers have to start with. As of the writing of this piece, Indiana could have 4 confirmed open spots for scholarships on subsequent yr’s roster.

Departures:

• Trayce Jackson-Davis
• Race Thompson
• Miller Kopp
• Logan Duncomb

That quantity can enhance to 5 with one other portal entry, the rejection of Xavier Johnson’s harm waiver or freshman Jalen Hood-Schifino’s entry into the NBA Draft, the place he’s extremely anticipated to be a primary spherical decide.

Two of these spots can be taken by incoming freshmen Gabe Cupps and Jakai Newton, leaving Indiana with two particular scholarship spots. These might be crammed by way of the switch portal or a final minute signing from highschool, not not like final yr’s dedication from Malik Reneau.

Expertise within the frontcourt

Each members of Indiana’s beginning frontcourt, Jackson-Davis and Thompson, can be off of Indiana’s roster subsequent yr. The returning expertise consists of Jordan Geronimo and rising sophomore Malik Reneau.

That is factoring in Duncomb’s entry into the switch portal.

That’s simply not rather a lot to go off of as Woodson in all probability seems to maneuver away from beginning two back-to-the-basket bigs shifting ahead, having by no means centered his offense round a put up participant in his teaching profession till he had Jackson-Davis and it turned a necessity.

Indiana ought to, and sure will, look to open issues up with a stretch 4. That would come from the portal or from the event of Reneau, Banks or as a wildcard in Geronimo.

Jackson-Davis can’t get replaced, however I’d anticipate Indiana to see expertise within the put up as Reneau continues to develop. There’s additionally the case of Kaleb Banks, whose potential was lauded by coaches and teammates main as much as final season.

3-point capturing

This isn’t under frontcourt expertise as a result of I view it as much less vital, I’d truly say it’s as vital.

Indiana’s go-to shooter in 2022-23 was Miller Kopp, who has since graduated. There have been different choices in Tamar Bates and as Trey Galloway developed his shot, however the latter went by way of a chilly streak in the previous couple of months and the previous seldom took photographs, together with his proportion being boosted by the standard of these he took.

There isn’t a go-to choice on subsequent yr’s roster, barring a leap from Bates, Galloway, C.J. Gunn or, cease me should you’ve heard this identify already, Banks. Indiana might use that because it seems to develop capturing down the depth chart from the blokes listed above.

That’s what Kopp was introduced in to do, shoot from the perimeter and defend. It’s why he began. Indiana might develop shooters whereas it had one, and Galloway’s efficiency this season was the end result.

If I had been Indiana, I’d need at the least one go-to man for peace of thoughts slightly than banking on growth. Present some spacing for the brand new frontcourt to get to work.

Guard depth

Indiana’s lack of guard depth because the season wore on uncovered the Hoosiers towards versatile groups, culminating in postseason losses to groups like Penn State and Miami.

That’s not totally Indiana’s fault although, it was with out Johnson for a lot of the season because of an harm suffered towards Kansas. That being mentioned, Galloway was only one man and he didn’t have practically sufficient assist.

That drawback will worsen if Indiana’s present depth doesn’t take a leap, if Johnson’s harm waiver is denied and/or Hood-Schifino enters the NBA Draft. The third state of affairs feels all however sure, so including an expertise to assist take the burden off of whoever begins at level guard subsequent yr is a no brainer.