Indiana basketball: Kaleb Banks, the underrated freshman?

Now at the 10-day mark of our player countdown of the Indiana basketball roster until tipoff, the next Hoosier on our list is freshman forward, Kaleb Banks. Could Banks be one of the more underrated freshmen in the Big Ten?

Kaleb Banks | 6’7″ 215lbs | Freshman Forward

As an incoming freshman with great size, Banks has an opportunity to learn under a coach like Mike Woodson, who has been integral in the development of both Trayce Jackson-Davis and Race Thompson, along with NBA legend, Carmelo Anthony. Though Banks may be a background player this season for the Hoosiers, he has a chance to prove how underrated he was in the 2022 class by making plays and hustling every chance he gets on the court.

Banks comes in as the 89th-best player in the 2022 recruiting class according to 247Sports, along with earning the 16th-best power forward in the country and the fourth-best player from the state of Georgia. As a senior at Fayette County High School, Banks was named the Georgia Class 4A Player of the Year, averaging 23.0 points and 10.0 rebounds. Fayette County finished as the Class 4A state runner-up.

If not for the return of seniors Trayce Jackson-Davis and Race Thompson, Banks would be battling with another freshman forward, Malik Reneau, for a starting spot on a Big Ten basketball team.

This kid can bounce and has the ability to make an impact on the floor right away, alongside four other freshmen in this 2022 class.

Projected 2022-23 stats: 30 GP, 0 GS, 54 total points, 1.8 PPG, 30 total rebounds, 47.5 FG%