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BLOOMINGTON – It’s probably fair to say Mike Woodson enters the upcoming season on a seat as warm as any coach in this newly expanded, coast-to-coast Big Ten.
It’s more than fair to say Woodson also brings what looks on paper like his best, deepest and most talented team to that growing conference party, a group picked by a poll of league writers to finish second only to Purdue this winter. Which is another way of saying Big Ten media think the Hoosiers are a serious conference title contender.
It begs a fascinating question: What’s the best-case scenario for these Hoosiers? And, as a companion to that: What’s the worst? Let’s ponder each for a moment.
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That’s how talented this Indiana team is.
It’s up to Woodson to put all these pieces together, and that’s not straightforward. He’s got to balance two-big ball with Malik Reneau and Oumar Ballo next to the smaller, quicker lineups he clearly recruited toward when he retained Mackenzie Mgbako, then signed Bryson Tucker and Luke Goode.
Woodson must sort out his rotation quickly from a deep well of options. He needs a healthy Trey Galloway. He needs shooting improvement from a number of his guards and wings. And he needs some good fortune, as any coach would.
But the tools are there. Myles Rice might make a case as the Big Ten’s best point guard. Reneau and Ballo comprise almost certainly the most dangerous frontcourt in the league. Goode and Mgbako provide shooting depth. It’s not remotely a stretch to see Kanaan Carlyle emerge as one of the best scoring guards in the league. And Indiana goes at least nine, if not 10, deep with impact Big Ten players.
In terms of results, a best-case scenario looks like this: Win Battle 4 Atlantis, win the Big Ten regular-season title (or a share of it) and ride a protected NCAA tournament seed…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/iu-basketball-best-worst-case-083027033.html
Author : IndyStar | The Indianapolis Star
Publish date : 2024-10-30 08:30:00
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