Indiana men’s basketball sixth-year senior center Oumar Ballo and sophomore forward Mackenzie Mgbako earned recognition on awards watchlists Wednesday.
Ballo, a transfer from University of Arizona over the offseason, was named to watchlists for the 2025 National Association of Basketball Coaches Division I Player of the Year and Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Men’s College Player of the Year presented by AXIA Time.
The NABC Player of the Year watchlist features 20 players, while the Naismith Trophy consists of 50 athletes. Ballo is one of three Big Ten players on the NABC list and one of 10 on the Naismith Trophy.
The Koulikoro, Mali, native averaged 11.2 points and 7.7 rebounds across three seasons at Arizona. In the 2023-24 season, he earned All-Pac-12 First Team and Pac-12 All-Defensive Team honors.
Ballo’s career stats at Arizona totaled over 1,000 points and 800 career rebounds, joining only nine other players in program history to reach those numbers.
In Indiana’s charity exhibition against No. 12 University of Tennessee on Sunday, Ballo scored 6 points and secured 11 rebounds.
The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame recognized Mgbako and 19 others on the Julius Erving Award watchlist. The honor goes to the top small forward in Division I men’s college basketball, as determined by a national committee of top college basketball personnel.
Mgbako returned to Indiana following a freshman campaign that included co-Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors. He totaled 12.2 points and 4.1 rebounds through 33 starts in 2023-24.
The Gladstone, New Jersey, native led the Hoosiers in 3-pointers last season with 50. Mgbako was one of only two freshmen in the NCAA in 2023-24 to record at least 400 points, 50 3-pointers, 90 free throws and 125 rebounds.
Against the Volunteers, Mgbako scored 12 points on 6-for-11 shooting. He scored double digit points 25 times last year.
Indiana faces Marian University at 7 p.m. Friday in an exhibition match at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The Hoosiers will begin their regular season against Southern Illinois University Edwardsville at 8 p.m. Nov. 6 in Bloomington.
Follow reporters Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) and Quinn Richards (@Quinn_richa) and columnist Mateo Fuentes-Rohwer (@mateo_frohwer) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s basketball season.
