That’s A Wrap: Bryson Tucker

Welcome to “That’s A Wrap,” our player-by-player recap of the 2024-25 Indiana Hoosiers. Today, our player recaps start with Bryson Tucker.

Tucker (23 games): 5.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, 0.6 assists and 37.8 FG% in 16.5 minutes per game.

Bryson Tucker entered the 2024-25 season as Indiana’s lone freshman, but one with lofty potential.

A 5-star prospect according to ESPN and Rivals and a 2024 McDonald’s All-American, Tucker hoped to be the third straight Hoosier to win Big Ten freshman of the year.

After a rocky regular season debut, the 6-foot-7 forward put up 12 points and six rebounds against Eastern Illinois on November 10, then posted 14 points against UNC Greensboro on November 21.

Like Indiana as a whole, Tucker struggled in Battle 4 Atlantis. He shot 4-for-17 from the field in 49 minutes and his defensive struggles were exposed against high-major talents on Louisville and Gonzaga.

In the Hoosiers’ conference opener Dec. 9 against Minnesota, Tucker produced his best outing of the season. He scored 16 points and grabbed six rebounds in an 82-67 win.

Following a pair of nine-point outings to wrap up non-conference play, Tucker’s inconsistencies showed when the Big Ten schedule commenced. He scored zero and two points in games against Rutgers and Penn State, respectively, then scored nine points in back-to-back games.

After a blowout loss to Illinois, Tucker missed the next three games. Later disclosed as a finger injury, Tucker was out at Ohio State. He was listed as questionable and warmed up in uniform at Northwestern and had no injury designation against Maryland. However, he did not appear in either contest.

During this time, coach Mike Woodson acknowledged Tucker’s struggles on his weekly radio show. He stated that he’d sat and talked with Tucker and wanted to “figure out some things,” saying Tucker could still help the team.

He returned Jan. 31 at Purdue and logged four minutes, recording just one missed field goal. At Wisconsin the following game, he put up nine points and six rebounds in 24 minutes in a blowout loss.

In IU’s following three games, Tucker produced just five points and one rebound in 22 minutes. After a stat-less five minutes against UCLA on Feb. 14, Tucker failed to appear for the Hoosiers in their final six games of the season.

The preseason hype around the anticipated freshman phenom quickly dissipated and never recovered. Tucker struggled to defend the perimeter and couldn’t score consistently enough to remain a prevalent rotation member.

At his best, Tucker was a threat to score on midrange jumpers or slash to the basket with quickness and athleticism. His size allowed him to take advantage of smaller guards inside or shoot over the top of them.

Like many of IU’s pieces with remaining eligibility, Tucker’s future with the program is uncertain. Given the transfer portal era and Mike Woodson’s tenure ending, the former 5-star may decide to explore his options.

Bottom line: Tucker ultimately wasn’t ready for high-level competition. His limited range – a 15 percent 3-point shooter – and inability to stay in front of guards poorly meshed with IU’s personnel and made it difficult to fit in on the floor. Unlike Mackenzie Mgbako his freshman year, Tucker’s potential failed to progress his game throughout the season, and it cut him out of the rotation.

Quotable: “When we recruited him, we thought he would be a big piece to the puzzle, and he is, and we just got to keep steering him in the right direction and pushing him to play at a high level, play harder and smarter and do the things that we need him to do on the floor.” – Mike Woodson on Dec. 9 following Tucker’s 16-point, six-rebound performance against Minnesota.

Category: Commentary

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