This spring’s Burger Boy
Once again, Mike Woodson has landed an elite high school player during a short spring recruitment. Bryson Tucker now joins Malik Reneau and Mackenzie Mgbako on the list of late Hoosier signees.
Before the G-League Ignite team folded, Tucker considered the pro route out of high school, which kept his list of suitors short for a player of his caliber. He also sat out AAU to focus on skill development, making his recruitment even more low-key than usual.
Tucker is no stranger to elite competition though, having played a year of his high school career at IMG Academy before transferring to Bishop O’Connell. This is the second player this staff has landed from IMG after Tamar Bates committed in April of 2021.
Despite being listed as a forward, Tucker has the ball handling skills and athleticism to play the guard spot. He’s not a point guard, but he will be able to create for himself and occasionally others at either the two or three spots.
As of now, driving and creating offense is the best part of Tucker’s game. At 6’6” 180 lbs, he’s going to be a matchup problem in the Big Ten, where most players have either his size or his athleticism, but not both.
When he can’t get all the way to the rim, Tucker has demonstrated an elite midrange game. Before Indiana fans overreact, I’d like to remind everyone that JHS’s midrange game was the reason Woodson went 2-0 against Purdue last year.
Overall, his jumper is a work in progress and he probably doesn’t figure to be a huge threat from deep immediately. Indiana has lacked athletes and guys who can create offense though, and Tucker will be able to do both of those things as a freshman in Bloomington.
His exact role will depend on how the rest of Indiana’s offseason goes, with a number of portal prospects in the mix. Given his size and skills, he could have a season like Mgbako, seeing time at two positions depending on lineup and need.
Indiana needed to upgrade its overall talent level and athleticism this offseason and signing Tucker is a fantastic step in that direction. Landing a third McDonald’s All-American in three years also looks good for Woodson and company, who faced a lot of questions after an underwhelming year three.