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Indiana Basketball: 2023-24 season preview for the Hoosiers

By Jerran Anderson

Mar 19, 2023; Albany, NY, USA; Indiana Hoosiers guard Anthony Leal (3) reacts to a play on the court against the Miami Hurricanes during the second half at MVP Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 19, 2023; Albany, NY, USA; Indiana Hoosiers guard Anthony Leal (3) reacts to a play on the court against the Miami Hurricanes during the second half at MVP Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports /

Projected starting lineup

Point Guard: Xavier Johnson

Johnson makes his return after being sidelined with an injury that saw him appear in just 11 games in 2022-23. He produced 9.9 ppg, 4.9 apg, 3.3 rpg and 1.2 spg on 41.5 percent shooting from the floor in limited action this past season. He’s shown he can be a leader on the floor for Indiana already prior to his injury and looks to close things out with a bang as one of their “glue” guys at the point guard role in the lineup.

Shooting Guard: Trey Galloway

Galloway has room to grow into quite the starter at the off-guard spot for the Hoosiers. He put up 6.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg and 2.1 apg across 32 appearances (25 starts) in 2022-23. He was a nice complement in the rotation on the perimeter this past season, shooting a team-high 46.2 percent from 3-point range on just 65 attempts. With more shot attempts potentially available, look for his prowess on the perimeter to carry this team in the backcourt.

Small Forward/Wing: Mackenzie Mgbako, Forward

Mgbako is a highly-rated prospect from the 2023 recruiting class who should find himself in quite the role by season’s end with the Hoosiers. He chose Indiana over Kansas after decommitting from Duke. The 2023 McDonald’s All-American averaged 16.3 ppg and 9.2 rpg as a high school senior at Roselle Catholic (NJ) this past season. He’s a stretch-forward who’s shown he can operate in a variety of ways on the hardwood and is a highly-coveted pick in this year’s NBA Draft.

Power Forward: Malik Reneau

Reneau returns after an impressive freshman campaign for the Hoosiers. He finished with 6.1 ppg and 3.7 rpg on 55.3 percent shooting from the floor across 35 appearances as a reserve in his debut season. He generated a defensive rating of 99.3 when he was on the floor for Indiana this past year. He’ll look to replace Trayce Jackson-Davis with his own prowess as a two-way threat inside the arc.

Center/Forward: Kel’el Ware

Ware is another addition out of the transfer portal from the Oregon Ducks in the Pac-12. He’s another freshman who made their debut this past year, pouring in 6.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg and 1.3 bpg on 45.7 percent shooting from the field. The 7-footer finished sixth in the Pac-12 in the blocks (45) and generated a defensive rating of 94.7 on the floor this past season. He’ll look to form a formidable presence in the frontcourt with Malik Reneau this season.

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