With the start of college basketball season approaching, we’ve moved from our look at other Big Ten programs to our player-by-player previews of the 2024-25 Indiana roster.
Today, our player profiles continue with redshirt senior Oumar Ballo.
Previously: Bryson Tucker, Jakai Newton, Myles Rice, Mackenzie Mgbako, Gabe Cupps, Kanaan Carlyle, Malik Reneau
Dominant post-play has been a staple of Mike Woodson’s three-year tenure in Bloomington. From Trayce Jackson-Davis to Malik Reneau to Kel’el Ware, the Hoosiers have prioritized playing through the post for the last three seasons.
After Ware left for the NBA last spring, the Indiana coaching staff returned to the transfer portal to find a post presence to pair with Reneau.
The Hoosiers landed one of the nation’s best bigs from last season: Oumar Ballo. He was considered the best big man available in the portal.
“Oumar is a dominating post presence on both ends of the floor with a winning background,” Mike Woodson said shortly after IU signed Ballo. “His experience playing at the highest level will elevate our program. He is a big fella with soft touch around the rim, good hands, and solid footwork. He is very physical and is a perfect fit in our system and our league.”
Ballo, a 7-foot, 265-pound center who began his career at Gonzaga before transferring to Arizona, is one of the most physically imposing bigs in the country.
He’s been one of the nation’s best centers over the last two seasons. In the 2022-23 campaign, Ballo averaged 14.2 points, 8.6 rebounds and shot 64.7 percent. Last season, Ballo averaged a double-double: 12.9 points and 10.1 rebounds while shooting 65.8 percent.
The Koulikoro, Mali native, was named first-team All-Pac 12 each season.
While Indiana is expected to have a more balanced offense this season with improved guard play, it will still emphasize its post players.
The Hoosiers now have one of the most efficient post scorers in the country in Ballo. When Ballo can get into position in the post and seal off his defender, he’s challenging to stop. According to Synergy Sports, Ballo scored 1.33 points per possession last season on post pins.
Not only does Ballo convert at a high clip in the paint, but drawing fouls is a strength of his game. Last season at Arizona, Ballo drew 5.8 fouls per 40 minutes. Converting at the line, however, has been an issue. Last season, Ballo shot just 49.5 percent from the line and he’s a career 56.4 percent free-throw shooter.
Ballo is also expecting to impact Indiana’s rebounding significantly. The Hoosiers were a poor rebounding team on both ends last season despite being the country’s fourth-tallest team. Indiana ranked 254th in offensive rebounding percentage and 211th in defensive rebounding percentage nationally.
Ballo was an excellent rebounder on both ends, but his numbers on the offensive glass stand out. His 15.2 offensive rebounding percentage ranked 15th nationally last season. At Indiana’s media day, there was plenty of talk about emphasizing offensive rebounding and Ballo will be a big part of it.
The pairing of Ballo and Reneau will be a major change from last season’s Ware and Reneau pairing, but Reneau’s passing ability should be an asset to Ballo. Reneau showed last season that he could find Ware for lobs and he’ll do the same with Ballo, a capable lob threat. If Reneau can space the floor, it should open up the paint for Ballo to have more room to operate.
“Ballo has shown that when you throw him the ball down there, he’s a load,” Indiana coach Mike Woodson said at media day last month.
In addition to Ballo’s statistical impact, he brings intangibles that should benefit the Indiana program. The teams he played for at Arizona and Gonzaga combined to go 119-21. He isn’t just hoping to win games; he expects to win every game. That’s a mentality that Indiana needs to become infectious across its roster.
“He’s had some good years. He’s an older guy that’s serious about winning,” Woodson said this offseason. “That was the whole thing that attracted me to him.”
Bottom line: Ballo’s smile and engaging personality will make him an instant fan favorite of Indiana fans. He’s relentless on the offensive glass, will be one of the strongest players in the country in the paint and is an efficient post-scorer. He’s used to playing with another big man from his time at Arizona and he should develop chemistry quickly with Reneau to form one of the Big Ten’s most formidable frontcourts.
Quotable: “He makes the game easier. He’s a big body who can dominate down low. He scores with both hands. It’s kinda easy to get him to ball, especially on high-lows because he can fill up some of my space and move people out of the way.” – Reneau on what it’s like playing with Ballo.
Media day interviews with Ballo:
Filed to: 2024-25 season preview, Oumar Ballo
