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Welcome to “That’s A Wrap,” our player-by-player recap of the 2024-25 Indiana Hoosiers. Our player recaps continue with Mackenzie Mgbako.
Mgbako (32 games): 12.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 43.7 FG% in 25.3 minutes per game.
Previously: Bryson Tucker, Kanaan Carlyle
One of the highest-rated recruits in Indiana men’s basketball history and the prized commitment of Mike Woodson’s tenure, Mackenzie Mgbako garnered significant expectations after his co-Big Ten freshman of the year campaign in 2023-24.
There are stretches where Mgbako looks unguardable, but those have been too often coupled with scoring droughts and a lack of activity on defense. Mgbako shined in the season opener, exploding for a season-high 31 points against SIUE on 13-of-17 shooting from the field and a 4-of-5 mark from deep.
He followed it up with 18 and 17 points against Eastern Illinois and South Carolina, respectively. When Mgbako is confident in his shot and taking on defenders in the midrange, he’s proven to be an offensive weapon who can get hot in a hurry.
But for the former 5-star prospect, that confidence has occasionally been a double-edged sword. The 6-foot-8 forward was inconsistent through the remainder of nonconference play. While Indiana struggled mightily in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in The Bahamas, Mgbako still scored 25 points in a win over Providence on Nov. 29.
He followed that performance with six combined points in a pair of games against Miami (OH) and Nebraska. After the New Year, Mgbako endured perhaps his roughest stretch of the season. He scored double figures in wins against Rutgers and Penn State to kick off the full Big Ten slate, but failed to eclipse six points in Indiana’s ensuing four games.
Mgbako played only 15 minutes against USC on Jan. 8, his second-lowest tally of the year. He missed all eight of his shots, including five 3-pointers. Woodson emphasized sticking with Mgbako through his struggles, but the sophomore played just 16 minutes in Indiana’s blowout loss to Iowa on Jan. 11.
Still, starting with a 20-point outing at Northwestern in late January, Mgbako notched five consecutive double-digit scoring outings. His performance at Mackey Arena against Purdue on Jan. 25 was among his strongest of the year.
Mgbako scored a team-high 25 points on 10-of-17 shooting from the field, consistently flashing his strength and physicality on drives to the rim. As Woodson began to lean more on players like Luke Goode and Anthony Leal during Indiana’s postseason push, Mgbako was slightly phased out.
He didn’t score in the Hoosiers’ home win against Purdue and he tallied more than 10 points just once in Indiana’s final four games before the regular season finale. While Mgbako’s two seasons in Bloomington haven’t gone quite as smoothly as he’d hoped, he still remains on the NBA radar due to his size and offensive ability.
With Woodson’s tenure officially over in Bloomington, Mgbako will have a choice to make this spring.
Bottom line: When he first arrived in Bloomington, Mgbako was thought to be a potential one-and-done prospect with NBA firs round potential. He hasn’t quite lived up to those lofty expectations, but Mgbako’s frequently flashed his tough shot making ability. With consistency being his main deficiency through two seasons in college, Mgbako may need another year to round out his game before testing the draft waters.
Quotable: “It’s very encouraging because he’s really starting to extend this game a little bit. You know, he’s been very active, like you said, on hitting the boards. He’s been able to rebound the ball. Tonight he had some assists where he pushed the ball and made the right plays in the open court. It’s just nice to see his growth heading in the right direction. We just got to keep him there,” Mike Woodson on Nov. 10 following Mgbako’s 18-point, seven rebound performance against Eastern Illinois.
Category: Commentary
Filed to: Mackenzie Mgbako
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