It seemed like just 15 minutes ago, Liam McKneeley was decommitting from Indiana.
It was a continuance of what was another disappointing season in Bloomington.
Indiana was 19-14 and failed to make it to the NCAA tournament for the first time in the three-year stint of the Mike Woodson era.
Woodson led Indiana to the tournament in the first two years but couldn’t get out of the first weekend.
In the world of the Transfer Portal, it’s hard to project who will come back on what team, but on paper, Indiana had players coming back and a solid roster to add a five-star to.
Enter Bryson Tucker.
Tucker is the bonified star, err five-star, who played in the storied WCAC at Bishop O’Connell (Arlington, VA).
On paper, Tucker allows Hoosier fans to think this is an apples-to-apples replacement, if not an upgrade because the G League Ignite was targeting Tucker before the NBA shelved the program.
But it’s fair to cast a cautionary eye.
Tucker has transferred throughout his high school career.
His strength on offense lies in the midrange and the ability to outmuscle high schoolers to the basket.
Does Woodson have actions to spring a player who has yet to show an ability to space the floor?
Time will tell. Bringing the 2024 version of Calbert Chaney to Bloomington isn’t the correct answer to the questions surrounding the program.
Tucker has the ability to learn how to space the floor, but a fair question would be if he will still be in Bloomington when he has the ability.
The transfer portal is the Wild West, and it isn’t unfair to ask if a player who went to three high schools will be patient enough to develop before transferring, especially one whose first choice wasn’t college.
If more and more players understand that they will start in the G League anyway, why not get the clock started early?
NIL could keep him there, but for how long? How binding is NIL when we just saw a football player enter the portal, college NIL from another school, and then transfer back to his former school?
It was a modern-day heist.
So, for Indiana and its fan base, this could be equivalent to Bitcoin.
Boom or bust.
