Freshman Focus: Bryson Tucker

  • 08/12/2024 8:58 am in

Indiana added a commitment from a highly-touted high school player for the fourth straight spring.

Bryson Tucker, a 6-foot-6 wing from Bishop O’Connell in Arlington, Virginia, committed to the Hoosiers in late March. He signed with Indiana just a few weeks later.

While Indiana fans were familiar with Tucker, winning his commitment was another example of Mike Woodson and the Indiana coaching staff winning an abbreviated recruitment.

In 2021, the Hoosiers landed Tamar Bates, who had been committed to Texas but decided to reopen things after Shaka Smart left for Marquette. In 2022, Indiana added Malik Reneau after the lefty big man came back on the market following Mike White’s departure from Florida to Georgia. And in 2023, Mackenzie Mgbako chose the Hoosiers after parting ways with Duke.

Tucker’s circumstances for ending up in Bloomington didn’t involve reopening his recruitment. However, Liam McNeeley’s decision to part ways with Indiana facilitated the need for the Hoosiers to find wing talent for the 2024-25 roster.

The loss of McNeeley, who Indiana recruited for several years, was a crushing blow to the program. A consensus top-15 player in the 2024 class, the Montverde Academy wing announced in early March that he was requesting his release from Indiana.

The Indiana staff only let the sting last for a short time. Three weeks after McNeeley reopened his recruitment, Tucker announced his commitment to the Hoosiers.

Tucker’s recruitment was unconventional and his commitment was a surprise. The son of Byron Tucker, who played for NC State and George Mason from 1988 through 1992, Bryson Tucker was thought to be headed to the NBA’s G-League Ignite following high school.

As late as January, Tucker told 247Sports that he had narrowed his choices to Kansas, Michigan State or the G-League Ignite.

For those unfamiliar with G-League Ignite, it was developed in 2020 as an alternative to the college basketball route. G-League Ignite players could earn up to $500,000 while playing against other G-League teams, foreign national teams and NBA academy teams.

However, the introduction of name, image, and likeness in college athletics, along with the growth of Overtime Elite, lessened the appeal for G-League Ignite over its four-year history. In February, commissioner Adam Silver announced that the NBA was “reassessing” the future of G-League Ignite.

With Ignite no longer an option beyond college, Tucker turned his focus back to college as his primary option. In late January, Tucker was named a McDonald’s All-American.

Shortly after he visited Bloomington in late March, Tucker announced his commitment to the Hoosiers.

“Bryson has a chance to be impactful for our ballclub right away,” Woodson said in a release announcing his signing. “He has a polished offensive game with the size and strength to get to his spots on the floor. His midrange game is very impressive, and he has the athleticism to get to and score efficiently at the rim. He is a talented young man that we cannot wait to work with when he gets to campus.”

Indiana fans have plenty of reasons to be excited about Tucker and what he can bring to the IU program.

Off the court, he’s a soft-spoken, dedicated student. This summer, Tucker was named a Hudson and Holland Scholar. The Hudson and Holland Scholars Program is a “scholarship and academic-support program for high-achieving students from marginalized and underrepresented communities.”

Tucker’s potential on the court makes him one of the most intriguing long-term prospects in the Big Ten.

Offensively, he’s known for a solid mid-range game. He can reach his spots effectively and loves scoring from the 12-to-17-foot range. Because of his size as a wing coupled with his athleticism, Tucker can create space and shoot over smaller opponents without issue.

Defensively, Tucker has the length and the size to be disruptive as a wing defender. If he can get up to speed quickly with Indiana’s defensive concepts, Tucker should be a rotation regular from day one.

Tucker just turned 18 in early July and an entire summer spent with Clif Marshall on Indiana’s campus aided him in preparing for the rigors of the college game.

Indiana will have the luxury of easing Tucker into its rotation as a freshman. The Hoosiers return Mackenzie Mgbako at the three, one of the most talented wings in the conference. But Tucker’s talent is such that keeping him off the floor will be hard. And competition for minutes is a sign of a healthy program.

Woodson has proven with Trayce Jackson-Davis, Jalen Hood-Schifino and Kel’el Ware that he can mold talented players into professionals. Tucker and several of his teammates on this season’s Indiana roster could be ticketed for a similar path.

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