2023 SF/PF Mackenzie Mgbako to INDI-F’N-ANA

[8bucks 6,563]

1 hour ago, Home Jersey said:

I think he will be the three level scoring threat many hoped for when we first signed him next season. And defense may not be the strength of his game, but I think he will have his fair share of moments on that side of the ball too. He's got the physical tools and was getting it figured out toward the end of the year. Could have a special sophomore campaign. 

Yeah he was a different player at the end of the year. Hopefully this offseason he really gets after it.  He could easily be our #1 next year and an All BT player IF it all comes together 

[Dave from Dayton 3,375]

Great news, indeed!  Mac Mgbako certainly made the best of his year.  It was a surprise and a joy seeing him rocket to the socket.  Keep practicing those threes and the finishes at the rim. 

Hope he lays off of the tacos over the off season.

 

[RaceToTheTop 26,798]

2 hours ago, Home Jersey said:

I think he will be the three level scoring threat many hoped for when we first signed him next season. And defense may not be the strength of his game, but I think he will have his fair share of moments on that side of the ball too. He's got the physical tools and was getting it figured out toward the end of the year. Could have a special sophomore campaign. 

Got much better getting to the hoop and much better on the defensive end by the end of the year.

[cleeter 2,250]

Even though he has said he is coming back, as did Reneau, would they still be able to go through the predraft process to get feedback?


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[GloryDays 5,946]

1 hour ago, RaceToTheTop said:

Got much better getting to the hoop and much better on the defensive end by the end of the year.

Needs to get stronger at the rim.Got blocked alot when he should have just dunked on the defense.Get fouled,score or both.

[KNOBYDOX 162]

I think he was also our best FT shooter 

[HoosierHoopster 7,273]

I’m gonna predict a big frosh to soph jump for him. He started to get the green light to shoot, I expect he’ll be ready out of the gate to shoot confidently, to go with a better finish at the rim (which was already improved) with added strength and conditioning over the summer. Tons of upside 

[IU - Kaulie 1,930]

I hope you’re right.  I’m not as high on him as everyone else.  
 

I expect he will score a ton of points but he still has to get a lot better on the other end for us to do anything.  To his credit, he did get better at the end of the season but he was atrocious for most of the year.  He has to at least get to the point where we are not taking him out or even thinking about taking him out late in games.  I still think he plays so stiff I could take him.

[DChoosier 8,884]

1 minute ago, IU - Kaulie said:

I hope you’re right.  I’m not as high on him as everyone else.  
 

I expect he will score a ton of points but he still has to get a lot better on the other end for us to do anything.  To his credit, he did get better at the end of the season but he was atrocious for most of the year.  He has to at least get to the point where we are not taking him out or even thinking about taking him out late in games.  I still think he plays so stiff I could take him.

He was a freshman.
I don’t care if he was a 9 star he was still a freshman and he steadily improved throughout the year. I disagree he, as a freshman, was “atrocious” most of the year. He was the co-Big Ten freshman of the year. 

Agree he plays “stiff” and kudos again for your avatar.

[8bucks 6,563]

11 minutes ago, IU - Kaulie said:

I hope you’re right.  I’m not as high on him as everyone else.  
 

I expect he will score a ton of points but he still has to get a lot better on the other end for us to do anything.  To his credit, he did get better at the end of the season but he was atrocious for most of the year.  He has to at least get to the point where we are not taking him out or even thinking about taking him out late in games.  I still think he plays so stiff I could take him.

Were we taking him out at the end of games at the end of the season?  He went from terrible to ok on defense from what I remember 

[Home Jersey 9,470]

Keeping sophomore Mackenzie is great for a lot of reasons, but one big one that stands out to me... JHS made the right call going pro when he did, but we sure could've used him this year. I know I lamented plenty of times how different things would be if we had him on the roster. As good as he was, as a sophomore he would've been that much better. It helps to have players go pro but we also want to reap some of the benefits of their growth while they're here. Now we get to do that with Mack, and I for one feel we are very fortunate because of that. 

[IU - Kaulie 1,930]

2 minutes ago, 8bucks said:

Were we taking him out at the end of games at the end of the season?  He went from terrible to ok on defense from what I remember 

I said I give him credit for getting better after being atrocious on defense and hope that he continues to improve.  I have my doubts but we will see.  I think calling him ok on defense is being generous.  

[JF87 1,618]

11 minutes ago, DChoosier said:

He was a freshman.
I don’t care if he was a 9 star he was still a freshman and he steadily improved throughout the year. I disagree he, as a freshman, was “atrocious” most of the year. He was the co-Big Ten freshman of the year. 

Agree he plays “stiff” and kudos again for your avatar.

I agree that we should be happy with MgBako's freshman season.  He continued to improve all year and had a solid season.  I was initially disappointed because when I heard that we're getting a 5-star that originally committed to Duke, I'm thinking he's going to be a super athlete that plays above the rim. That wasn't MgBako's game.  It took a while to just sit back and enjoy the skills that he does have.    

[DoctorP 1,318]

14 hours ago, IU - Kaulie said:

I hope you’re right.  I’m not as high on him as everyone else.  
 

I expect he will score a ton of points but he still has to get a lot better on the other end for us to do anything.  To his credit, he did get better at the end of the season but he was atrocious for most of the year.  He has to at least get to the point where we are not taking him out or even thinking about taking him out late in games.  I still think he plays so stiff I could take him.

Awful take

[Adillac 953]

Mgbako has little chance at being drafted unless he can showcase a 40%+ 3pt shot with high volume. He has good size but unless he’s hitting 3s at a high rate, he just doesn’t have the athleticism to do much else at the next level. If he were as athletic as Gallo, he’d be already gone. 

[HoosierTrav 7,928]

17 hours ago, IU - Kaulie said:

I hope you’re right.  I’m not as high on him as everyone else.  
 

I expect he will score a ton of points but he still has to get a lot better on the other end for us to do anything.  To his credit, he did get better at the end of the season but he was atrocious for most of the year.  He has to at least get to the point where we are not taking him out or even thinking about taking him out late in games.  I still think he plays so stiff I could take him.

He got exponentially better towards the end of the season, on the defensive end. 

[8bucks 6,563]

2 hours ago, Adillac said:

Mgbako has little chance at being drafted unless he can showcase a 40%+ 3pt shot with high volume. He has good size but unless he’s hitting 3s at a high rate, he just doesn’t have the athleticism to do much else at the next level. If he were as athletic as Gallo, he’d be already gone. 

I think getting NBA feedback is less about getting drafted now but having NBA people advise on what he needs to improve his stock. 

[bigrod 2,905]

3 hours ago, HoosierTrav said:

He got exponentially better towards the end of the season, on the defensive end. 

True, but he started at a very, very low level.

[HoosierHoopster 7,273]

The guy was co-freshman of the year and there’s still discussion trying to minimize his growth based on early play? Good grief. 
Flip side of that coin - which is getting old - maybe if Woodson had encouraged his shooting and actually run sets for a perimeter game he would have shined earlier? Ya think? I thought he’d come back but honestly we’re lucky, in an actual modern offense emphasizing outside scoring, with plays actually run for it - what a shocker, Woodson - he’d score much more efficiently.

This isn’t directed at anyone in particular above, I just find it surprising that there’s continuing focus on early struggles defensively when the guy earned co-frosh of the year and clearly was a key player for us in doing so

[Stuhoo 82,377]

“Returning B1G co-freshman of the Year” sounds good.