Hoosier Hysteria High – Ballo Rocks; Men and Women Showcase Potential

Friday, October 18

Bloomington, Ind.

7:30 PM

Indiana University

Hoosier Hysteria presented by Smithville

Hoosier Hysteria High – Ballo Rocks; Men and Women Showcase Potential

10/18/2024 10:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball

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By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Oumar Ballo walked and danced to rocking music, flames and a huge Hoosier Hysteria Presented by Smithville roar. He is a big man (7-foot, 265 pounds) with a big game (preseason All-Big Ten) and the fact he's now an Indiana Hoosier is among the reasons why basketball expectations are so high, among the reasons why around 8,000 fans gathered at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall Friday night for this annual event.

IU's men's and women's teams provided the first public look at what promises to be special seasons. The men are ranked No. 17 in the AP preseason poll. The women are at No. 25. Add the top-20 football team and it's the first time all three have been ranked at the same time in school history.

"Winning is contagious," women's coach Teri Moren said.

Ballo is a key piece in men's coach Mike Woodson's championship plans. The two-time All-Pac-12 player totaled 1,273 points, 867 rebounds, 140 blocks, 109 assists, and 76 steals in 132 career games at Arizona and Gonzaga. Last season at Arizona, he averaged 12.9 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks.

He will join with 6-9 returning forward Malik Reneau, who averaged 15.4 points and 6.0 rebounds, to form one of the Big Ten's most imposing frontcourts.

Ballo said he can't wait.

"The season hasn't started yet, but I'm confident we have all the tools we need. From coaches to players to managers, we have everything we need to get to where we want to go."

Woodson and his staff hit the transfer portal hard, highlighted by bringing in heralded guards Myles Rice from Washington State, Kanaan Carlyle from Stanford, forward Luke Goode from Illinois, and center Langdon Hatton from Bellarmine. He also got five-star high school standout Bryson Tucker from Maryland.

That's in addition to key returning veterans Reneau, Mackenzie Mgbako Trey Galloway, Anthony Leal and Gabe Cupps.

"The coaches did a good job in bringing a lot of good guys here," Ballo said. "The only purpose is to win as many games as possible."

Ballo could have gone anywhere after entering the transfer portal last spring. He said he's been impressed with the IU program for a long time.

"I knew it was a great program with a great fan base," he said. "That's something I wanted to be part of."

Woodson's success in developing big men such as Trayce Jackson-Davis (a projected starter for the NBA's Goden State Warriors) and Kel'el Ware (a No. 15 NBA draft pick last summer) intrigued Ballo, who talked to both before committing to IU.

"They said only good things about Bloomington, Woody and the coaching staff," he said.

Ballo faced Ware during Ware's freshman season at Oregon and saw how much improvement Ware made while playing for Woodson.

"In a span of nine months, he was a completely different player," Ballo says. "That's not a cheat code. It the work the coaching staff does to help guys out. That affected my decision to come here."

Woodson demanded a lot from Jackson-Davis and Ware and is doing the same with Ballo.

"We all have different games," Ballo says, "but at the same time, it's the same coaching methods. We're different, but we have the same things as far as being tough. Woody asks his big guys to do a lot. So far so good. (Jackson-Davis and Ware) did what he asked. I have to do the same thing."

IU has a charity exhibition at Tennessee, a preseason top-15 team, on Oct. 27, and then a final exhibition against Marian University on Nov. 1 before opening the season at home against SIUE on Nov. 6.

Key non-conference challenges include a Nov. 16 home game against South Carolina and participation in the three-day Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas in late November. The Hoosiers open with Louisville. Also in the field are No. 10/16 Arizona, No. 6/8 Gonzaga, Oklahoma, West Virginia, Providence, and Davidson.

No matter what, Ballo said, "We have to work hard every day and do our jobs."

As for playing in the Big Ten, he added, "Every game is in a full arena. Every game is like a Final Four atmosphere. I'm excited for that. I can't wait for that."

IU opens Big Ten play on Dec. 9 by hosting Minnesota before traveling to Nebraska on Dec. 13.

As far as Hoosier Hysteria, it featured fireworks, music, the IU Red Steppers, videos, cheerleaders, a variety of shooting and skill contests and, finally, a 12-minute men's scrimmage (the Red, led by Ballo and Reneau, tied the White, featuring Rice, Mgbako and Goode, 29-29 when Mgbako hit a last-second, banked-in three-pointer). IU graduate Tricia Whitaker, a Major League Baseball sideline reporter for the Tampa Bay Rays, was the emcee.

Woodson and Moren addressed the crowd.

Here's what they had to say:

Woodson said 45 years ago he left Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall with a Big Ten championship. The fans were great then, he said, and still are.

"We have the best fans in college basketball."

Woodson said this team has an opportunity to win Big Ten and national titles. He thanked his staff, managers, strength coach and everyone else involved for helping put together a powerful roster.

"I love this team. We're deeper than we've been in the past. I have to do my job and put it all together. With our summer play and then the fall and heading into the season, our guys are working their butts off. They're doing all the things needed to be done to win at a high level.

"We've got to continue to work."

Work comes with a remade roster.

"We have a whole new team," Woodson said.

"Everybody in the country wanted to get Ballo. He came here on campus and fell in love with what we were selling."

Woodson mentioned Tucker, the team's only freshman.

"He doesn't play like a freshman. I'm not trying to add pressure because he has a long way to go, but I love everything about him. He's really been good."

As far as the returning veterans, Woodson said, "All the guys who returned, they have no idea how much that means to me and the fan base. It's huge."

Not making the NCAA tourney last year after making it his first two seasons has inspired Woodson and the Hoosiers.

"Last year was a tough season," Woodson said. "Our expectation are always high. Nobody wants to win more than I do. I made it clear we had to get better.

"Only time will tell. We have a lot of work to do. My job to push us in the right direction."

As far as adding a sixth national banner, Woodson mentioned former coach Bob Knight, who won three of them. Branch McCracken won the first two.

"It's about what Bob Knight built," Woodson said. "One day, these young guys might understand. He put a lot of titles on the rafters. It would mean the world to me (to win another), but it's more about the fans. That's what it's all about."

Woodson talked about having the passion to ensure his players are doing all the right things on and off the court to help make them better people when they leave IU. He praised the job football coach Curt Cignetti has done in leading the Hoosiers to a 6-0 record and a top-20 national ranking. He also praised Moren, the men's soccer team and the volleyball team.

"Everybody does a good job."

Moren expressed gratitude to her staff, players and fans. She also said, "We have the best fans in the country."

As far as team goals to follow up last season's 26-6, Sweet Sixteen finish, Moren said, "I don't put a number on how many games we will win because I don't want to limit this group. We have so much potential.

"This group is hungry. Last year we had a bitter defeat against (eventual national champ) South Carolina. We haven't forgotten about it. It's an inspiration to get up each day and get better.

"Our sights are high. I love this team."

IU set a women's attendance record of more than 10,000 per game last season. Moren wants more.

"This is the most difficult place to play in the country," she said. "My goal is I want to see the rafters filled. I believe this team will be special. There's no reason why we can't get this place full every night."

Moren also talked about the football team's unbeaten start as part of a successful athletic department.

"Winning is contagious, but we have 24 sports that are all really competitive. We all want to win. We all want to serve our players. This is the best experience, the best place to be a student athlete. We all want more of those (national championship) banners."