Despite terrific seasons from big men Kel’El Ware and Malik Reneau and a Big Ten Freshman of the Year campaign from forward Mackenzie Mgbako, the Indiana Hoosiers missed the NCAA Tournament. Many factors contributed to the failure, but the most significant culprits were poor guard play and a complete lack of perimeter shooting. Indiana returns a solid core of six players (including the aforementioned Reneau and Mgbako). It adds five-star freshman forward Bryson Tucker, but they invest heavily in the portal to back embattled head coach Mike Woodson.

The top target on the board for the Hoosiers is point guard Myles Rice from Washington State. Originally from South Carolina, Rice transferred to Sandy Creek High School in Georgia for his final high school campaign and worked with development coach Yasir Rosemond in the Peach State. Rosemond is now an assistant at Indiana, and when Rice hit the portal, IU was all over him. The 6’3” guard took a redshirt season in 2021 and then missed all

of 2022 as he battled and beat cancer. He returned to the court spectacularly in 2023, earning PAC-12 Freshman of the Year and All-PAC-12 First Team honors and leading the Cougars to the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament. Rice is not yet a knockdown shooter, but his strong form and FT percentage show potential for becoming one. His best assets are his work in the pick and roll, plus-level defending, and dynamic ability to get to the rim and finish. Rice is a perfect fit for Mike Woodson’s system, and he would instantly upgrade IU’s backcourt in a significant way. He is visiting Bloomington on April 12-14, and IU hopes to lock up a commitment.