2023 SF/PF Mackenzie Mgbako to Texas A&M via Portal

[Certified Sunshine Pumper 12,113]

  On 5/11/2025 at 7:56 PM, HoosierHoopster said:

Time will tell. McD’s players don’t usually fall apart, but a sh@t coach who runs a front court offense only can turn a good perimeter player into a nonproductive player.

Where's the evidence hes a good perimeter player though? 

[Certified Sunshine Pumper 12,113]

Best part of the box score.. MMs team lost by 40. How fitting 

[AZ Hoosier 10,997]

  On 5/11/2025 at 10:16 PM, Certified Sunshine Pumper said:

Best part of the box score.. MMs team lost by 40. How fitting 

Look again... MM was on team THREE who won 101-63...

[Certified Sunshine Pumper 12,113]

  On 5/11/2025 at 10:19 PM, AZ Hoosier said:

Look again... MM was on team THREE who won 101-63...

Don't let the facts get in the way of a good story!!! 

[HoosierHoopster 8,464]

  On 5/11/2025 at 10:15 PM, Certified Sunshine Pumper said:

Where's the evidence hes a good perimeter player though? 

Plenty of it. Obvious you don’t like him. 

[Demo 23,898]

Mgbako and Tamar Bates both with the call up to the NBA Combine. Good for the young men. 

[jermhoosierfan 334]

  On 5/12/2025 at 12:29 PM, Demo said:

Mgbako and Tamar Bates both with the call up to the NBA Combine. Good for the young men. 

Good for them.  It wasn't their fault they had a coach at IU who didn't bother to run stuff to get shooters shots.  It wasn't his job to do that.

[Hoosierinbham 208]

Bucky will know how to use MM. He’ll force him to learn to drive, and also create open looks for him from 3. He doesn’t have the post game of Trendon Watford, but plays very similarly on the wing.

[Home Jersey 16,345]

After shining at last weekend's G-League Elite Camp, Mgbako and Bates were among five of 4 players called up for the upcoming NBA Draft Combine. The other three to get called up for the NBA Draft Combine are Gonzaga guard Ryan Nembhard, Penn State center Yanic Konan Niederhauser and Australian forward Lachlan Olbrich. 

Across two scrimmages at the G-League Elite Camp, Mgbako tallied 41 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists and two steals in 41 minutes, shooting 48.0 percent (12-for-25) from the field, 53.8 percent (7-for-13) from 3-point range and 10-of-11 at the free throw line. Mgbako recorded a +31 plus/minus to help lead his team to a pair of wins.

Bates posted 28 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals in 36 minutes, shooting 47.6 percent (10-for-21) from the field, 2-of-10 from 3-point range and 6-of-6 at the free throw line. Bates started both games which resulted in victories.

Mgbako transferred to Texas A&M this offseason after spending his first two years at Indiana. Bates played his first two seasons at Indiana before finishing his final two years at Missouri. 

The full G-League Elite Camp roster is here:

https://gleague.nba.com/news/2025-g-league-elite-camp#

[BannerVille 293]

  On 5/15/2025 at 12:43 AM, Home Jersey said:

After shining at last weekend's G-League Elite Camp, Mgbako and Bates were among five of 4 players called up for the upcoming NBA Draft Combine. The other three to get called up for the NBA Draft Combine are Gonzaga guard Ryan Nembhard, Penn State center Yanic Konan Niederhauser and Australian forward Lachlan Olbrich. 

Across two scrimmages at the G-League Elite Camp, Mgbako tallied 41 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists and two steals in 41 minutes, shooting 48.0 percent (12-for-25) from the field, 53.8 percent (7-for-13) from 3-point range and 10-of-11 at the free throw line. Mgbako recorded a +31 plus/minus to help lead his team to a pair of wins.

Bates posted 28 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals in 36 minutes, shooting 47.6 percent (10-for-21) from the field, 2-of-10 from 3-point range and 6-of-6 at the free throw line. Bates started both games which resulted in victories.

Mgbako transferred to Texas A&M this offseason after spending his first two years at Indiana. Bates played his first two seasons at Indiana before finishing his final two years at Missouri. 

The full G-League Elite Camp roster is here:

https://gleague.nba.com/news/2025-g-league-elite-camp#

Obviously we see when coaching results in a team being greater than the sum of its parts, but I've never seen a coach actively make his players worse like Woody.  It's remarkable in the absolute worst way.

[str8baller 7,627]

  On 5/15/2025 at 4:39 AM, BannerVille said:

Obviously we see when coaching results in a team being greater than the sum of its parts, but I've never seen a coach actively make his players worse like Woody.  It's remarkable in the absolute worst way.

Several Archie players transferred out and had success elsewhere. But yea…I wrote at the beginning of transfer season that I understand why CDD cleared out the roster entirely but some posters are going to be surprised when they see these guys go to other schools and play well. Mbako was an obvious one. Rice could be another one. 

[cybergates 518]

  On 5/15/2025 at 4:39 AM, BannerVille said:

Obviously we see when coaching results in a team being greater than the sum of its parts, but I've never seen a coach actively make his players worse like Woody.  It's remarkable in the absolute worst way.

I remember watching the UT scrimmage and thinking Mbako looked like he had a good offseason and may have a good season. He looked progressively worse instead.

[jermhoosierfan 334]

  On 5/15/2025 at 12:43 AM, Home Jersey said:

After shining at last weekend's G-League Elite Camp, Mgbako and Bates were among five of 4 players called up for the upcoming NBA Draft Combine. The other three to get called up for the NBA Draft Combine are Gonzaga guard Ryan Nembhard, Penn State center Yanic Konan Niederhauser and Australian forward Lachlan Olbrich. 

Across two scrimmages at the G-League Elite Camp, Mgbako tallied 41 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists and two steals in 41 minutes, shooting 48.0 percent (12-for-25) from the field, 53.8 percent (7-for-13) from 3-point range and 10-of-11 at the free throw line. Mgbako recorded a +31 plus/minus to help lead his team to a pair of wins.

Bates posted 28 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals in 36 minutes, shooting 47.6 percent (10-for-21) from the field, 2-of-10 from 3-point range and 6-of-6 at the free throw line. Bates started both games which resulted in victories.

Mgbako transferred to Texas A&M this offseason after spending his first two years at Indiana. Bates played his first two seasons at Indiana before finishing his final two years at Missouri. 

The full G-League Elite Camp roster is here:

https://gleague.nba.com/news/2025-g-league-elite-camp#

Woodson just didn't know how to feature any wing players because he did a disservice to any he had in my view.  Those are 2 "5 Star" players he had that were a lot better than what they shown in his system.  He had the players, but he just didn't know how to allow them to flourish, and that is why he failed.

[Home Jersey 16,345]

  On 5/15/2025 at 1:24 PM, jermhoosierfan said:

Woodson just didn't know how to feature any wing players because he did a disservice to any he had in my view.  Those are 2 "5 Star" players he had that were a lot better than what they shown in his system.  He had the players, but he just didn't know how to allow them to flourish, and that is why he failed.

I am rooting for them both. Mgbako was definitely pitched/sold on the Carmelo Anthony development path. I am surprised that Woodson, having spent so much time with Melo, apparently could not develop wings but could with big men… didn’t he say TJD was the first time he had a big man that he ran an offense through? Idk… the whole era with Mike was a sh!t show that I’m very pleased we’ve flushed. 

[str8baller 7,627]

  On 5/15/2025 at 1:24 PM, jermhoosierfan said:

Woodson just didn't know how to feature any wing players because he did a disservice to any he had in my view.  Those are 2 "5 Star" players he had that were a lot better than what they shown in his system.  He had the players, but he just didn't know how to allow them to flourish, and that is why he failed.

 

  On 5/15/2025 at 1:29 PM, Home Jersey said:

I am rooting for them both. Mgbako was definitely pitched/sold on the Carmelo Anthony development path. I am surprised that Woodson, having spent so much time with Melo, apparently could not develop wings but could with big men… didn’t he say TJD was the first time he had a big man that he ran an offense through? Idk… the whole era with Mike was a sh!t show that I’m very pleased we’ve flushed. 

Yep, he had issues with perimeter players both offensively and defensively. Otoh, he did allow our bigs to flourish. TJD, Ware, Teneau and even Ballo were at least good under him. 
 

Now we have posters freaking out because we don’t have bigs. Gotta love IU basketball!

[BA47591 1,060]

  On 5/15/2025 at 12:25 PM, cybergates said:

I remember watching the UT scrimmage and thinking Mbako looked like he had a good offseason and may have a good season. He looked progressively worse instead.

Rice ate Zeigler up and we locked Lanier down. That was after both teams had been playing pick-up predominantly and had not been "coached" up. Then we started getting coached. 

Mgbako has been tearing it up in the scrimmages during the process, on both ends. The groovy OG of coaching approach, treating kids like 30 yo's  wasn't a culture builder. 

Rice under DeVries would've thrived and a Ware or Ballo would have me pretty excited.  

[steubenhoosier 1,906]

MM chosen at the end of the 2nd round by Cleveland in latest ESPN mock draft 

[jermhoosierfan 334]

  On 5/19/2025 at 2:26 PM, steubenhoosier said:

MM chosen at the end of the 2nd round by Cleveland in latest ESPN mock draft 

I can see that happening.  As was stated before, Woodson didn't exactly help him by not utilizing wings like CDD will, and I can see him being serviceable at the next level with a coach who can coach him up.  I, like my here, was thinking he was going to have a break out year, but he didn't have a coach to motivate or help him out to get there.  

[Certified Sunshine Pumper 12,113]

  On 5/19/2025 at 3:39 PM, jermhoosierfan said:

I can see that happening.  As was stated before, Woodson didn't exactly help him by not utilizing wings like CDD will, and I can see him being serviceable at the next level with a coach who can coach him up.  I, like my here, was thinking he was going to have a break out year, but he didn't have a coach to motivate or help him out to get there.  

Man. Shew... if we have to turn you up, that's an issue. To each their own on MM. 

[jermhoosierfan 334]

  On 5/19/2025 at 3:52 PM, Certified Sunshine Pumper said:

Man. Shew... if we have to turn you up, that's an issue. To each their own on MM. 

Don't be surprised if he stays at A&M and he does really well there.  That is the theme from Woodson, a wing goes somewhere else and looks a lot better.