Indiana Basketball: 2024-25 season preview for the Hoosiers
Key Reserves for the Hoosiers
Guard: Gabe Cupps, Sophomore
Gabe Cupps was pushed into a much larger role than expected as a true freshman last season, starting 22 games for the Hoosiers. There were understandable growing pains, but Cupps should benefit from another full offseason with the program and figures to slot in as a reliable backup for Woodson. Being able to bring a quality piece like him, who has experience, off the bench is a luxury Indiana simply didn't have for much of 2023-24.
Guard: Kanaan Carlyle, Sophomore
Another huge get for Mike Woodson and staff, Kanaan Carlyle figures to play an important role on this 2024-25 team. He earned All-Pac-12 Freshman Honorable Mention after averaging 11.5 PPG for the Cardinal, but fled Palo Alto after Jerod Haase was fired.
Carlyle was inconsistent as a freshman and will have to improve his shot selection to carve out a significant role on the Hoosiers, but his 28-point outburst in an upset of Arizona, in which he went 6-8 from three-point territory, showed just how lethal a scorer he can be when he's on his "A" game.
Guard/Forward: Luke Goode, Senior
After playing in 76 games over three seasons with Illinois, Luke Goode made the intra-Big Ten transfer decision in coming to Indiana. His addition gives the Hoosiers a skilled, 6'7" sharpshooter who will play a crucial role in spacing the floor. With Reneau, Mgbako, and Ballo all potentially seeing heavy minutes, this roster desperately needed a player like him to keep defenses honest and open up lanes in the paint. It's unlikely we see Goode dropping 20-plus points a night, but his value on this team will extend far beyond the stat sheet.
Forward/Center: Langdon Hatton, Senior
Langdon Hatton returns to his home state of Indiana to play for the Hoosiers after stops at William & Mary and Bellarmine. Hatton's first two seasons in the collegiate ranks were rather unremarkable, but he had his breakout with the Knights as a junior, starting 31 games and averaging 10.5 PPG and 7.1 RPG.
Hatton isn't the athlete Ballo is, nor the rim protector, even at 6'10", but he'll still be a valuable reserve who should be able to buy the Arizona transfer much-needed rests. He's got a much more diverse game than you might expect, as he attempted 45 threes for Bellarmine last season, and seems to be increasingly adding the shot to his arsenal. Whether or not he'll be able to do that consistently given his role remains to be seen, but it's worth watching as we see what type of minutes he sees with the Hoosiers.