6-Banner Sunday: Indiana lands Oumar Ballo and Kanaan Carlyle from the transfer portal
Welcome to another edition of 6-Banner Sunday, a joint production between The Assembly Call and Inside the Hall, and presented by our friends at Trueblood Real Estate, where we highlight the five most essential IU basketball stories of the past week, plus take a look at how the other IU sports programs are doing.
Another week and more big-time commitments for IU basketball. This time, two of the top players in the portal committed to the Hoosiers.
Besides this, Mackenzie Holmes was drafted, former Hoosiers are in the NBA Playoffs, Inside The Hall’s player recaps began and Inside the Hall and the Back Home Network had new podcasts. We will, as usual, conclude with a look at other Indiana sports led by Little 5 and the football spring game.
Here is what’s in this week’s edition:
• Oumar Ballo and Kanaan Carlyle commit to Indiana
• Mackenzie Holmes drafted by Seattle Storm
• Hoosiers in the NBA playoffs
• Inside The Hall’s That’s A Wrap series
• Podcast on the Brink and Back Home Network shows
• Hoosier Roundup
Banner #1 – Oumar Ballo and Kanaan Carlyle commit to Indiana
The roster for next season continues to take shape. The week began with a commitment from Arizona center Oumar Ballo, who is considered the top player in the transfer portal. Ballo averaged a double-double last season and figures to be the next elite big man on IU’s roster, following Kel’el Ware and Trayce Jackson-Davis.
Also pledging to Indiana this week was Stanford guard Kanaan Carlyle, who is currently visiting campus. During his time in Bloomington on Saturday, Carlyle made it official. He will bring his double-figure scoring average from the west coast to his new home.
With Ballo and Carlyle in the fold, 10 of the 13 roster spots are now full with Indiana officially announcing the addition of 5-star freshman Bryson Tucker. How IU might fill the final spots remains up in the air. Inside the Hall took a look at who the Hoosiers are targeting.
Banner #2 – Mackenzie Holmes drafted by Seattle Storm
Despite knee surgery keeping her out for next year, IU star and first team All-American Mackenzie Holmes became the third straight Hoosier drafted into the WNBA. She joins current assistant coach Ali Patberg and the Indiana Fever’s Grace Berger as players taken in the last three seasons.
Speaking of the Fever, they will now be at the center of the women’s basketball world with the drafting of Iowa’s Caitlin Clark. While her team was the arch-rival of IU and many of their fans the last few years, she now becomes an ally within the state of Indiana by teaming up with Berger in Indianapolis for their pro careers.
Banner #3 – Hoosiers in the NBA playoffs
While the WNBA season will get underway next month, the NBA year is winding down with the beginning of the playoffs. Five former Hoosiers made the postseason in 2024, including OG Anunoby, Thomas Bryant, Eric Gordon, Trayce Jackson-Davis, and Cody Zeller.
Jackson Davis’ Golden State Warriors were eliminated already in the play-in round. However, the other four remain alive. Anunoby’s New York Knicks secured the two seed in the eastern conference and will take on the Philadelphia 76ers. Meanwhile, the other three will be decisive underdogs as Bryant’s Miami Heat and the New Orleans Pelican’s Zeller were the final teams to make the field in their conferences. They will take on the top-seeded Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder respectively.
Finally, Gordon’s sixth-seeded Suns are taking on the third-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves. Also, while they have no IU players currently, playoff basketball will return to Indiana as the Pacers and Tyrese Haliburton made it in for the first time since 2020. In the opening round, they will take on the Milwaukee Bucks and their banged-up superstar, Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Banner #4 – Inside the Hall’s That’s A Wrap series
With 2023-2024 now over, Inside the Hall started a series looking at all the IU players and their contributions from last season. This week featured Kaleb Banks, Gabe Cupps, Mackenzie Mgbako, Malik Reneau, and Ware.
Banner #5 – Podcast on the Brink and Back Home Network shows
Podcast on the Brink and The Back Home Network had several new shows in the last few days. POTB had ITH’s Ryan Corazza on to recap IU’s additions in the transfer portal.
Meanwhile, Assembly Call had their regular Thursday radio program as well as an emergency episode to discuss Ballo’s commitment. Also, Crimson Cast was on-air three times this week.
Banner #6 – Hoosier Roundup
• The annual Little 5 bicycle race took place this weekend. Kappa Alpha Theta won the women’s race on Friday, while the Black Key Bulls emerged victorious for the men on Saturday.
• Football had its first spring scrimmage game in several years, with the offense beating the defense 34-25.
• Softball won back-to-back games on walk-off home runs against Minnesota and Notre Dame. It also split with arch-rival Purdue and has taken the first two from Iowa in a dominant fashion.
• Baseball topped Penn State last weekend to win that series and took the first game from Minnesota yesterday. However, they suffered a bad midweek loss to Evansville which was sandwiched in between.
• Men’s tennis beat Wisconsin and Northwestern.
• Women’s tennis fell to Northwestern and Purdue.
• Water polo lost to Stanford but came back with a big win over rival Michigan.
• Rowing competed at the Big Ten Invitational.
• Women’s golf finished fourth at the Buckeye Invitational.
• Track and field competed at Lexington and Wake Forest.
• Men’s soccer tied Notre Dame 1-1 in their final exhibition game despite being without several key players.
• Finally, Levy’s is taking over the concession stands at IU games.
Now go enjoy yourself a 6-banner Sunday.
Aaron (Ari) Shifron
Assembly Call Contributor
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(Photo credit: Stanford Athletics)
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