Indiana basketball has officially begun a new era under head coach Darian DeVries. But with a coaching change comes significant roster churning, and the Hoosiers will have a lot of work to do this offseason to rebuild the roster in DeVries’ vision.
While DeVries is only just beginning to meet with IU players from the 2024-25 season, nothing is guaranteed to remain the same due to the coaching change, including the personnel. Players such as sophomore point guard Gabe Cupps and junior forward Malik Reneau have already entered the transfer portal, while several more could explore other opportunities in the coming the days.
But there’s still a chance that DeVries decides he wants to keep players from the previous coaching regime, and there are multiple who could thrive under DeVries’ fast-paced, high-scoring offensive system. Who might those players be?
From Myles Rice’s dynamic speed and playmaking, to Luke Goode and Mackenzie Mgbako’s shooting touch, to Bryson Tucker’s untapped potential, here are four Hoosiers who could stick around in Bloomington and succeed with DeVries’ guidance.
It’s no secret that Luke Goode loves being at Indiana and will do everything possible to be granted an additional fifth year of eligibility.
Goode has exhausted his four years of college eligibility, but after playing in just 10 games during the 2022-23 season he will appeal to the NCAA for a medical redshirt year. The glaring roadblock standing between Goode and gaining a fifth year is that he returned to play in the postseason during the 2022-23 season, thus making it hard to argue that he suffered a “season-ending” injury.
If Goode does win his appeal and get back another year of eligibility, Indiana will likely be at the top of his lists of schools to finish his career at. Of course, DeVries will also have to want Goode to return to Indiana, but his 3-point shooting and natural leadership skills would be hard for any coach to turn down.
The Fort Wayne, Ind. native posted a strong shooting season at IU after transferring from Illinois, where he spent the first three years of his career. Goode led the Hoosiers in 3-point percentage (39.2%) and 3-point attempts (158), and his shot-making and floor-spacing was a major key to IU’s late-season resurgence.
But it’s Goode’s intangibles that make him arguably the most important Hoosier to retain under the new coaching staff. In less than a year at IU, Goode emerged as an emotional and vocal leader, commanding the respect of his teammates and bringing the Hoosiers together on the court. He also quickly became a fan-favorite and would overwhelmingly be welcomed back by Hoosier Nation next season.
In DeVries’ four-out offense, Goode would be a natural fit as a wing player who poses a dangerous shooting threat, especially in spot-up opportunities. With Tucker DeVries, one of the nation’s best shooters, expected to follow DeVries to Indiana, a wing pairing of Goode and DeVries would give Indiana immediate veteran experience and a lethal shooting duo.
A lot hinges on Goode winning his medical redshirt appeal, which could take some time to settle, but if granted a fifth year, Indiana would benefit greatly from bringing back Goode.
2. MYLES RICE
Myles Rice went from Pac-12 Freshman of the Year to Indiana bench player in just one year. Despite Rice’s best efforts to adapt to Mike Woodson’s system and play through the struggles, he never seemed fully comfortable playing in Woodson’s offense. The Hoosiers relied heavily on Rice to be a lead playmaker and ball-handler at the start of the season, only to pivot away from Rice and toward Trey Galloway later in the season.
Rice’s move from Washington State to Indiana meant he had to evolve his style of play from an up-tempo, downhill scorer into a slower-paced, methodical, pick-and-roll heavy point guard. That transition didn’t go over smoothly as Rice experienced drop-offs in nearly every statistical category from his freshman to sophomore year — minutes, points, rebounds, assists, shot attempts, and more.
However, with DeVries bringing a high-tempo offense to Bloomington, which prioritizes scoring in 12 seconds or less and taking advantage of “broken floor” opportunities, it could be an ideal situation for Rice to return to.
Whether Rice enters the transfer portal or decides to stay at Indiana, he will be playing for a third head coach in as many seasons, regardless. It will ultimately be up to Rice to decide if he trusts DeVries enough to get him back to his freshman form.
Rice’s ceiling as a productive shot-creator and a blur in transition is still clearly evident — the Washington State version of Rice didn’t suddenly disappear — but it will take the right coach to reinstill Rice’s confidence and allow him to play as his most comfortable self.
In DeVries’ system, perhaps Rice is allowed to play a freer, more natural combo guard role instead of pigeon-holed as a pass-first point guard. That would likely have to be the pitch to Rice if he’s going to stay at Indiana, but it could be very worthwhile in the long run
3. MACKENZIE MGBAKO
Mackenzie Mgbako was a popular breakout pick for the Hoosiers entering his sophomore season, but the 2024-25 campaign was more of the same from Mgbako rather than obvious steps forward in his development. While the 6-foot-8 wing showed more aggression in attacking the rim, scoring at all three levels and crashing the glass, his defensive struggles and game-to-game inconsistencies still remained weaknesses.
Mgbako was once thought of as a potential one-and-done recruit as a former McDonald’s All-American, yet two years later he still looks more like an unfinished product than a bonafide NBA prospect. Some of that can be attributed to Woodson’s offensive scheme and disadvantageous lineup combinations with Mgbako on the court, but Mgbako’s own individual warts are a work-in-progress.
But it still feels as though Mgbako is capable of breaking out with the right head coach and in the right offense. Mgbako will never be a defensive stalwart, but his shot-making ability as a big wing is coveted at the high-major level.
Should Mgbako decide to stay at Indiana and play for DeVries, it could make for a more comfortable pairing given Mgbako’s shooting-centric play style and DeVries’ propensity for taking 3-pointers. Mgbako also possesses the most raw offensive talent of any player that DeVries has coached, which could be a project that DeVries embraces rather than shies away from.
Mgbako, a New Jersey native, could ultimately decide that a change of scenery is what’s best for him, potentially moving closer back home. However, don’t discount DeVries’ offense as a major pull for any shooter hoping for a fresh start.
4. BRYSON TUCKER
Bryson Tucker‘s freshman season didn’t pan out how he or Indiana would’ve hoped. The Hoosiers gave Tucker a long leash in the first half of the season, but eventually went away from Tucker in the second half of the year as IU made a last-ditch push toward the NCAA Tournament and shortened the rotation. In essence, Tucker went from consistent bench minutes to a string of DNPs to close out his freshman year.
The former McDonald’s All-American clearly has a ton of potential waiting to be unlocked, though. At 6-foot-6, Tucker is the prototypical big guard that made him an NBA prospect coming out of high school. His mature feel for the game showed in spurts as a freshman, but there were also plenty of weaknesses.
Tucker thrived in the mid-range with a soft jumper, and also as a crafty finisher around the rim, but his 3-point shot never came around (3-of-20) and IU couldn’t afford to have a non-perimeter shooting threat on the floor with its season on the line. Tucker’s defensive struggles also made it hard to keep him on the court for extended stretches, which is another area that will have to improve if he’s going to play bigger minutes as a sophomore and beyond.
Tucker has an old-school game that was more of a fit for Woodson’s system than a modern college system. That doesn’t mean Tucker can’t be developed into a respectable 3-point shooter while also leveraging his mature inside-the-arc skills, but the tools are still very raw and in need of refining.
Perhaps DeVries sees enough in Tucker to take a chance on his upside and bring him back as a sophomore. Though Tucker’s shooting concerns will remain a significant question mark, especially with DeVries’ four-out style, there’s a ton of moldable skills that could be unlocked in the right system.