Indiana Basketball: Crystal Ball for two former Pac-12 Standouts for IUBB
Myles Rice has already transferred from Washington State. Two more former Pac-12 standout players look to follow Rice to Bloomington.
By Dante Pryor
Head coach Mike Woodson and Indiana Basketball received quite a bit of flack for not accepting an invitation to the NIT. Their rationale was simple: they must recruit high schools and the transfer portal. So far, their efforts have yielded solid dividends.
After standout forward Liam McNeely decommitted, Woodson and his staff landed McDonald's All-American Bryson Tucker. Indiana isn't entirely out on McNeely, either. They've been equally as busy in the transfer portal. The Hoosiers landed All-Pac-12 Freshman point guard Myles Rice from Washington State.
Now Indiana Basketball has two more former Pac-12 standouts crystal balled to them.
Oumar Ballo
Oumar Ballo is the top-rated player in the transfer portal. Per Peegs.com writer Jeff Rabjohns, Ballo visited campus this weekend. The Mali native has one year of eligibility left. This transfer is Ballo's third of this collegiate career. He began his career at Gonzaga.
Ballo transferred to Arizona after two years in Spokane. His last two seasons in Arizona were his best, as he averaged about 13 points and ten rebounds per game and 1.3 blocks per game. He earned All-Pac-12 (twice) and All-Pac-12 Defensive honors.
Kanaan Carlyle
Combo Guard Kanaan Carlyle is also crystal balled to Indiana. The Hoosiers look to get more athletic in the backcourt, and Carlyle is that type of player. The Georgia native was a top-50 recruit out of high school. He can score at all three levels and function as a primary or secondary ball handler.
Carlyle does need to improve as a defender, and his consistency from the outside also needs work. Woodson and the Hoosiers value offensive efficiency, so Carlyle needs to work on that. However, he is a versatile scorer and gives the Hoosiers a rotational piece in the backcourt with Rice, Cupps, and Galloway.