1 Active NBA Player Comparison for Each Indiana Men's Basketball Player
Myles Rice = Dennis Schroder, Brooklyn Nets
Myles Rice has "blink and you will miss him" type acceleration when he wants to run and push the pace. His jumper is a work in progress (27.5% on 3.7 attempts from deep last season), but he is a genuine floor general and we all know that speed kills.
Dennis the Menace is among the association's fastest players (if not THE fastest) and has assumed both primary and ancillary playmaking duties for the 7 squads he has suited up for. Schroder has never been renowned as a scary shooting threat (34.2% on 3.6 attempts from deep in his first 11 NBA seasons) but has cemented his reputation as a high quality pro point guard.
Oumar Ballo = Andre Drummond, Philadelphia 76ers
Andre Drummond is a one-man wrecking crew on the glass, and has scored nearly all of his NBA points at/near the rim. He may not be the most prominent rim protector, but his 6'11", 280 pound frame make opposing scoring threats think twice prior to attacking the basket.
Oumar Ballo has a nearly identical build (7'0", 260 pounds), single-handedly controls the boards (roughly 15.6 rebounds per-40 minutes last year), and scores exclusively in the paint. It is difficult to recall a big man of Ballo's brand when sifting through the Indiana history books, and his bouldering presence will make a big difference for this team after losing Kel'el Ware to the NBA.
Kanaan Carlyle = Malik Monk, Sacramento Kings
Monk became a bit of an afterthought following his first 4 NBA seasons produced extremely volatile shot-making and lackluster playmaking in Charlotte. Since then, however, the 6'3" high flyer has definitely come into his own as a microwave scorer at all levels who has progressively gotten better and better as a secondary table setter (career high 5.1 APG in 2023-2024). Now, it looks like the former Kentucky Wildcat will be a perennial Sixth Man of the Year candidate.
Speaking of Sixth Men of the Year candidates, Kanaan Carlyle appears to be cut from the same cloth as Monk. The transfer from Stanford was very streaky throughout his freshman season, but has the explosiveness and shot-making ability to sprout into one of the more dynamic perimeter scorers that has ever graced the Assembly Hall hardwood.
Bryson Tucker = Jalen Johnson, Atlanta Hawks
Mike Woodson will likely bring Bryson Tucker along slowly to begin his collegiate career, but as time goes on and the freshman becomes more comfortable on the court it is going to be difficult for Woody to keep him off of it. Tucker has some work to do when it comes to fine tuning his outside shot, but there are not many (if any) glaring holes in his game. The athletic wing has the potential to come in and change games right away via his extreme versatility on both ends of the floor.
When you look at a guy like Jalen Johnson, you see a lot of the same tangible traits that you see in Tucker: freaky athleticism, lanky wingspan, etc. There was a ton of hype surrounding Johnson prior to his arrival at Duke a few years back, but his collegiate output fell well shy of expectations. Regardless of what folks thought of him then, he now looks like a player on the verge of stardom following an incredibly impressive 3rd NBA season (16.0 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 3.6 APG, 0.8 BPG, 1.2 SPG).
Trey Galloway = Anthony Black, Orlando Magic
Every basketball team needs energetic connectors who "play the game the right way". Trey Galloway and Anthony Black are never going to mistake anyone for superstars, but their respective teams are certainly blessed to have them on board. Neither of the two are going to shoot the lights out of the ball, but both can be counted on to roll their sleeves up defensively, drive and dish to open teammates, and make winning plays offensively and defensively.
Luke Goode = Davis Bertans, NBA Free Agent
Nearly 80% of Davis Bertans's career NBA field goal attempts have come from beyond the arc, and the gravity which he creates on the court can cause serious dilemmas for opposing defenses. Roughly 83% of Luke Goode's career NCAA field goal attempts have come from downtown, and Indiana is going to rely on him heavily to provide spacing and make things easier for the team's playmakers/post threats on their pursuits of the rim.