5 Interesting 5-Man Lineups for Mike Woodson to Consider from Current IUBB Team
THE SHOOTERS AND THE LITTLE FELLAS
THE SHOOTING UNIT
PG | Trey Galloway
SG | Anthony Leal
SF | Luke Goode
PF | Mackenzie Mgbako
C | Malik Reneau
Back on the subject of shooting, a 32.4% team 3-point shooting percentage for the Hoosiers last season paints the picture of a prevalent problem hitting shots. Luckily, there are a few guys on this team that will help in this area next season, and if they are connecting from distance consistently then Mike Woodson will have no choice but to find them minutes.
In this scenario, you have Trey Galloway back at the point guard spot that he blossomed in last year. His duty would be to penetrate into the gaps of the defense and make plays for himself or his teammates. With hitters Anthony Leal (47.4% from 3 in 2023-2024) and Luke Goode (38.9% from 3 in 2023-2024) along with the assumed improvement from Mackenzie Mgbako flanking Galloway on the perimeter, defenders could find themselves in a pick your poison type situation upon one of Trey's relentless rim attacks.
Sprinkle in even slight improvements from Malik Reneau (who shot 33.3% from 3 on 45 attempts as a sophomore compared to 25.0% from 3 on a mere 8 attempts as a freshman) as a shooter, and this is a lineup who could/should garner serious respect from the opposition.
THE SMALL-BALL UNIT
PG | Myles Rice
SG | Kanaan Carlyle
SF | Bryson Tucker
PF | Luke Goode
C | Mackenzie Mgbako
In the modern age of hoops, small-ball has become an integral tactic that coaches turn to when they need some heightened energy on the court. It is almost a cardinal sin for a coach to not have a designated small-ball lineup anymore, and there are multiple avenues which Woody could follow in putting his together.
The small-ball road which should theoretically result in the most success leads us to the 5-man squad outlined above. Myles Rice, who has been pegged as a potential All-American, would run the show from the point guard spot. Joining him in the backcourt would be fellow Pac-12 transfer Kanaan Carlyle and his electric, microwave style of attack. Those two could run into some hiccups defensively, but this is a lineup geared towards putting more points on the board than an opponent.
The 3-headed frontcourt trio of Tucker, Goode, and Mgbako yields exciting visions of what they could do together on the floor. Tucker, who is known primarily for his versatility and athleticism, would serve as the "glue guy" for this lineup. He would be tasked with defending the opposition's most potent perimeter scoring threat and effectively being "everywhere" on the floor. Tucker would be the guy diving for loose balls, crashing the boards, and sprinting the floor Usain Bolt style.
Goode and Mgbako may seem a little flimsy to man their respective roles in this particular unit, but Goode's 6'7", 210 pound frame intertwined with Mgbako's 6'8", 220 pound stature should offer just enough size to get by. The two are also highly underrated in the rebounding department, utilizing their grittiness to battle with bigger bodies on the boards. It probably would not be a great idea to keep them out there together at these spots for long stretches, but 3-4 minutes of them overwhelming less wing-oriented bigs could prove to be the difference in any given game.