The college basketball court is a combat zone when the whistle is blown and the ref flings the orange into the atmosphere. When a war is officially commenced, it is critical to have a qualified commander pulling the strings and calling the shots.
Indiana University basketball is lucky enough to have not one, but two top shelf shot-callers running the show. On the women's side, Teri Moren has cemented her spot on the sidelines. And on the men's side, Mike Woodson has done enough this offseason to salvage the trust of the Hoosier faithful. Through their valiant recruiting efforts, these two have equipped the Indiana University basketball program with ample firepower to make a push back in the direction of title contention.
On the ladies side, losing Mackenzie Holmes and Sara Scalia was a haymaker. However, they do have two solid frontcourt pieces incoming via their 2024 recruiting class, and a third coming over from Tennessee. Those three might not fully fill the void left by the Hoosier icon Holmes, but they should combine to contribute strong outputs next season. And the commitment of sharpshooter Shay Ciezki from Penn State should help relieve some of the pain stemming from Scalia's departure.
On the men's side, the team returns a solid core of it's nucleus in the form of Malik Reneau, Mackenzie Mgbako, Trey Galloway, Gabe Cupps, Anthony Leal and Jakai Newton. However, it does not take a rocket scientist to see that that group in and of itself would not be enough to catapult this team back to genuine relevancy. Many fans worried that the chaotic 2023-2024 season would spell trouble for next year.
Have no fear, Woody is here.
After signing McDonald's All-American Bryson Tucker and landing highly touted transfer targets Myles Rice, Oumar Ballo, and Kanaan Carlyle, questions regarding floor spacing remained. So, Mike Woodson went out and snagged a certified sniper in the form of 6'7" wing Luke Goode, more or the less the exact player prototype which this roster so desperately needed. With 2 spots left to fill, this is now officially a depth chart that should not be taken lightly.
Indiana University hoops is not a program that should be taken lightly, and the ones in charge are not to be reckoned with.