Every year, expectations are high for Indiana men’s basketball. As a storied program with five national championships, that's just a natural side effect.
Heading into the 2024-25 season, it felt different. Indiana touted the second-best transfer class in the nation according to 247Sports. It returned three key players from the previous season. Success seemed inevitable for Mike Woodson’s squad as they headed into his fourth season as the Hoosier head coach.
But as the season has progressed, that success was limited. Opportunities for marquee victories were squandered against the University of Louisville and Gonzaga University at the Battle 4 Atlantis. Troubles that plagued the team a season ago reemerged, whether it was perimeter shooting, turnovers or rebounding.
Indiana’s 84-74 victory over Rutgers on Jan. 2 was a step in the right direction, but it was only a start. In their 77-71 win over Penn State on Sunday at the Palestra in Philadelphia, the Hoosiers finally showed what they’re capable of.
A tight affair in the first half ended with the score tied at 29. Nearly half of Indiana’s points came from sixth-year senior center Oumar Ballo, who returned to the court against Rutgers and produced a quality performance.
Scoring 14 points and securing nine rebounds, Ballo’s effort created second chances and kept Indiana in the game despite its lackluster 2-for-11 shooting from 3-point range.
“He was huge for us,” Woodson said postgame. “We featured him, and he responded big time.”
However, as history has often shown for Indiana on the road, a catastrophic collapse in the second half seemed inevitable. Instead, sophomore forward Mackenzie Mgbako’s personal 8-0 run to start the half gave the Hoosiers the early lead, one which extended to as many as 16 later in the half.
“I thought at the start of our second half, it was all Mack that opened the door,” Woodson said. “It was fitting that we got back to making some 3’s because we needed it tonight.”
Indiana’s eventual victory over Penn State came primarily from the work of Ballo and Mgbako, as the duo combined for 45 points on 16-for-28 shooting and 17 rebounds. But more importantly than stats, the two players delivered when it mattered most.
Battling foul trouble with under six minutes to go in the game, Ballo returned to the court with four fouls. Only 13 seconds later, the University of Arizona transfer showcased his strength for an and-one, moving Indiana’s lead from 4 to 7.
Mgbako provided in a similar situation. With Indiana only leading by 2 with under a minute to go, the Gladstone, New Jersey, native knocked down two free throws to give the Hoosiers some breathing room.
It was almost too fitting that Ballo picked up a block and Mgbako secured a rebound in the final moments of the game, capping off two dominating performances.
It's not as if Ballo and Mgbako have not starred for Indiana this season — Ballo excelled against Gonzaga and Miami University, and Mgbako scored a combined 66 points in the first three games of the season. But for the first time, the two players excelled in the same game — turning their star potential into a reality.
Ballo joined Indiana as the No. 2 player in the transfer portal. Mgbako returned after winning co-Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors last season. In what will be the only season the two wear the Cream and Crimson together, the Hoosiers will need them down the stretch, just as they did Sunday.
Although Indiana improved its resume with its first Quad 1 win of the season, one will not be enough. In six days, it’s contest against Iowa grants an opportunity to increase that number.
For the first time this season, Indiana has a spark. Riding a four-game winning streak, the Hoosiers have found their stars — and they’ll need them as they progress through the Big Ten.
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.
