Indiana Hoosiers Basketball Transfer Wish List: Top 5 Targets

5. Ben Humrichous - Forward - Evansville

Indiana would love to add some lineup flexibility in the form of a perimeter shooting forward, and Evansville’s Ben Humrichous is the current top choice. The 6’8” forward is originally from Indiana’s Tipton High School and began his collegiate career at Huntington, an NAIA school. He transferred to Evansville and shot 41.1 percent from three in 2023. He is a decent rebounder and is exploring his options, trying to get workouts for NBA teams before deciding what he wants to do for the 2024-2025 season. Illinois and Indiana are considered his main suitors.

2. Oumar Ballo - Center - Arizona

Teams striving to play a more modern style of basketball often play one big man surrounded by three to four perimeter shooters. IU forward Malik Reneau is an elite post scorer, but he’s only 6’8”, not a great rebounder, and has struggled with foul trouble. He’s also not a good enough rim protector to play large stretches at center. That means IU is often locked into playing two big men, and the Hoosiers are in the market for a good one.

Arizona’s Oumar Ballo is the best true center on the market and among the best transfers, regardless of position. Ballo is a significant presence, standing at 7’0” and weighing an imposing 260 pounds. He averaged 12.9 points and 10.1 rebounds last season and is an elite finisher at the rim. Ballo had 63 dunks and excelled in the pick-and-roll game as a diver to the rim for lobs, something that could work very well with Myles Rice if IU can land both players. Ballo’s fit next to Reneau would make floor spacing a real issue unless Reneau is willing to expand his game to the perimeter more often. Ballo is visiting IU on April 14, and the Hoosiers are considered leaders for his commitment. 

SportsGrid Transfer Ranking: 2 | Top Landing Spots for Oumar Ballo

3. Kanaan Carlyle - Guard - Stanford

Indiana has prioritized getting more dynamic in the backcourt and zeroed in on former blue-chip recruit Kanaan Carlyle of Stanford as an excellent addition to the puzzle. The Georgia native has a good relationship with IU assistant Yasir Rosemond and averaged 11.5 points as a true freshman for Stanford. That came despite missing the first part of the season with an academic issue and an injury that limited him later. IU hopes Carlyle’s speed and ability to get to the rim and create his shot would be an excellent fit next to his friend Myles Rice and in Mike Woodson’s system. Carlyle shows potential as an outstanding three-point shooter, particularly in catch-and-shoot situations where he was above 40% as a true freshman. Carlyle is also considering Georgia and Georgia Tech and will visit IU on April 19.

SportsGrid Transfer Ranking: 18 | Top 25 Available Stars in the Transfer Portal

4. Connor Hickman - Guard - Bradley

IU desperately needs a proven knockdown perimeter shooter (or two), mainly to play in lineups that feature two bigs like Reneau and potentially Oumar Ballo. Bradley transfer Connor Hickman is originally from Bloomington South High School and was a high school teammate to current Hoosier Anthony Leal. He shot 5.9 three-point attempts per game in 2023 and hit 40.2 percent of those shots. He’s not exclusively a shooter, as he proved to be a decent defender and secondary ball-handler, but IU is pursuing him for his shooting ability. Cincinnati and Nebraska are the other contenders for Hickman. Indiana State’s Ryan Conwell is another player to watch for this spot.

SportsGrid Transfer Ranking: 58 | Predicting Landing Spots for the Top 25 Available CBB Transfers

5. Ben Humrichous - Forward - Evansville

Indiana would love to add some lineup flexibility in the form of a perimeter shooting forward, and Evansville’s Ben Humrichous is the current top choice. The 6’8” forward is originally from Indiana’s Tipton High School and began his collegiate career at Huntington, an NAIA school. He transferred to Evansville and shot 41.1 percent from three in 2023. He is a decent rebounder and is exploring his options, trying to get workouts for NBA teams before deciding what he wants to do for the 2024-2025 season. Illinois and Indiana are considered his main suitors.