NCAA Basketball: Top 10 players to wear jersey No. 21 in 2023-24 season
By Joey Loose
3. Mackenzie Mgbako (Indiana)
Most notable during Mike Woodson’s tenure with the Hoosiers is his ability to land great pieces for his roster. Mgbako was certainly a major example of that, as the 5-star forward was considered by many a Top 10 prospect in the class of 2023. The New Jersey native found his way to Bloomington and lived up to his billing this past season as a freshman for the Hoosiers, and that’s just the beginning.
Mgbako averaged 12.2 points and 4.1 rebounds per game, putting up pretty stellar numbers as a true freshman for the Hoosiers. He was a full-time starter in the frontcourt for an Indiana team that nabbed a 6th place finish in the Big Ten, though not quite enough to reach the Big Dance. He’d still do more than enough to earn Big Ten Rookie of the Year honors, doing a bit of everything to standout on the court for the Hoosiers.
Unsurprisingly, Mgbako needed some time to settle in but was playing inspired basketball by the time Big Ten play rolled around. He had 19 points in a win over Minnesota and would have a series of 20-point efforts after the calendar hit February. He’d have 22 points and 7 rebounds in a tough loss to Nebraska just before 24 points in a nice road win at Maryland. Not only did Mgbako show potential, he actually announced he’d be back at Indiana as a sophomore, with great expectations ahead for him.