Finding shooting is one of Indiana’s top priorities in the college basketball transfer portal, but fixing the point guard position was also paramount. That’s why the April 13 pledge from guard Myles Rice of Washington State — one of the best players in the portal, by any measure — was my favorite fit from the weekend flurry of commitments.
Two seasons ago, Indiana was one of the best ball-screen offenses in the country, kickstarted by Trayce Jackson-Davis and Jalen Hood-Schifino.
Even with All-Big Ten big man Kel’el Ware (an excellent lob threat), IU’s ball-screen offense was ridiculously uninspiring. Indiana averaged just 0.854 points per possession in the 576 ball-screens that ended with a shot attempt or turnover, per Synergy.
Indiana’s guards, namely point guard Xavier Johnson, were especially frustrating. IU’s ball-handlers rated in the 16th percentile nationally in pick-and-roll offense, via Synergy.
It just had to be fixed.
Insert Rice. The Pac-12 Freshman of the Year beat cancer and can beat lots of ball-screen coverages, too.
Rice checked in 81st nationally among all Division I players, averaging over five points per game in pick-and-rolls.
Rice has some real giddy-up off the bounce, and he can settle into some tough jumpers against drop coverage. Rice shot over 61% at the rim which is an impressive feat for a 6-foot-3, 180-pound guard playing his first season of college basketball. Rice was a good player for Washington State in Year 1, but he can be an All-League type guard for Indiana as quickly as next season.
The Hoosiers are also the favorite for No. 1 transfer Oumar Ballo, the big man out of Arizona. It’s shaping up to be a great offseason for coach Mike Woodson in Bloomington.
