Mackenzie Mgbako (born November 18, 2004) is a Nigerian-American college basketball player for the Indiana Hoosiers of the Big Ten Conference. He was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2023 class.
| No. 21 – Indiana Hoosiers | |
|---|---|
| Position | Small forward |
| League | Big Ten Conference |
| Personal information | |
| Born | November 18, 2004 |
| Nationality | Nigerian / American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Listed weight | 217 lb (98 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | |
| College | Indiana (2023–present) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Early life and high school career
editMgbako grew up in the Gladstone section of Peapack-Gladstone, New Jersey and initially attended Gill St. Bernard's School.[1] He averaged 19.5 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 2.9 assists as a junior.[2] Mgbako transferred to Roselle Catholic High School before his senior season.[3] Mgbako was selected to play in the 2023 McDonald's All-American Boys Game during his senior year.[4][5] He averaged 16.3 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists over 16 games during the season and missed one month due to an ankle injury.[6]
Recruiting
editMgbako was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2023 class, according to major recruiting services.[7] He initially committed to playing college basketball for Duke during his junior year after considering offers from Kentucky, Ohio State, and Memphis.[8] Mgbako decommitted from Duke late into his senior season.[9] After being granted a release from his National Letter of Intent from Duke, he committed to playing college basketball for Indiana after also considering Kansas.[10][11]
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mackenzie Mgbako SF / PF |
Gladstone, NJ | Roselle Catholic (NJ) | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | May 12, 2023 | |
Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 92
| ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 9 247Sports: 10 ESPN: 9 | ||||||
Sources:
| ||||||
College career
editMgbako averaged 12.2 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game as a freshman. He earned Big Ten co-Freshman of the Year honors alongside Iowa's Owen Freeman.[12]
Career statistics
edit| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
College
edit| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023–24 | Indiana | 33 | 33 | 27.0 | .395 | .327 | .821 | 4.1 | 1.3 | .4 | .4 | 12.2 |
References
edit- ^ "Boys Basketball: CN Player of the Year powered Gill St. Bernard's". Courier News. March 26, 2022. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
- ^ Frank, Evan (April 28, 2023). "Mackenzie Mgbako will play for Mike Woodson, Indiana basketball. 5 things to know". Indianapolis Star. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
- ^ Zagoria, Adam (August 1, 2022). "Duke commit Mackenzie Mgbako transfers to N.J. powerhouse Roselle Catholic". NJ.com. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
- ^ Minnick, Kevin (January 24, 2023). "Boys Basketball: Trio of N.J. standouts to play in McDonald's All-American game". NJ.com. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
- ^ Kinney, Mike (January 30, 2023). "Roselle Catholic's No. 1 boys basketball team without 2 stars after double scare". NJ.com. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
- ^ Minnick, Kevin (March 3, 2023). "Mgbako returned just in time to impact Roselle Catholic's championship run". NJ.com. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
- ^ "Another major Kentucky-Duke battle. And the top UK basketball recruiting links". Lexington Herald Leader. March 9, 2022. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
- ^ Borzello, Jeff; Biancardi, Paul (April 8, 2022). "Elite junior Mackenzie Mgbako verbally commits to Duke, giving Blue Devils five five-star commits in 2023 class". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
- ^ Marks, Brendan (April 11, 2023). "Five-star power forward Mackenzie Mgbako decommits from Duke: Where could he land?". The Athletic. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
- ^ Borzello, Jeff; Biancardi, Paul (May 12, 2023). "Mackenzie Mgbako commits to Indiana basketball team". ESPN.com. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
- ^ "5-star 2023 recruit Mackenzie Mgbako considering KU Jayhawks". The Kansas City Star. April 28, 2023. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
- ^ Niziolek, Michael (March 12, 2024). "Indiana basketball: Mackenzie Mgbako wins Big Ten co-freshman of the year". The Herald-Times. Retrieved December 8, 2024.