The 2023-24 season was one in all progress for Indiana’s Malik Reneau.
The 6-foot-9 ahead from Miami, Florida noticed his function broaden with the commencement of Trayce Jackson-Davis.
With Jackson-Davis within the NBA enjoying for the Golden State Warriors, Reneau noticed his minutes practically double from 14.9 to twenty-eight.7 per recreation.
Even with a a lot increased utilization charge and defenses honed in on him, Reneau’s effectivity improved in his sophomore season. After taking pictures 56.9 % on 2s in his freshman season, Reneau shot 59 % on 2s in his second season. In response to KenPom, his offensive ranking grew from 101.8 as a freshman to 106.6 as a sophomore. He had the seventh-highest utilization charge within the Massive Ten at 27.3 %, simply the very best on the IU roster.
In Massive Ten video games, he shot 59.7 % on 2s – the Tenth-best mark within the convention. At occasions, Reneau was unstoppable on the suitable low block. Reneau doesn’t overwhelm defenders together with his athleticism. However when he can attain his spots, his footwork, energy and endurance typically yield him a good look. Regardless of being a below-the-rim participant, Reneau shot 69 % on the rim, in response to Hoop-Math.com.
Reneau additionally prolonged his recreation to the perimeter final season. As a freshman, he tried eight 3-pointers and linked twice. Final season, he took 45 triples and made 15, good for 33.3 %. Whereas 3-point taking pictures received’t ever be a staple of Reneau’s recreation, it was a pleasant wrinkle in his improvement.
He additionally confirmed off his passing capacity, rising his help charge from 9.7 % as a freshman to twenty.3 % in his second season. In Massive Ten video games, Reneau’s help charge of 18.1 % was Nineteenth-best within the Massive Ten.
For his efforts as a sophomore – Reneau averaged 15.4 factors, six rebounds, 2.7 assists – he earned All-Massive Ten honorable point out accolades after the season.
As Reneau prepares for his third season at Indiana, he’s anticipated to take one other step ahead in his improvement.
What areas of Reneau’s recreation have the most important room for progress and may unlock his potential? There are a number of.
Reducing down on fouls ought to be a magnet for Reneau regardless of making important enchancment from his freshman to sophomore season. In his first season, Reneau averaged 6.8 fouls per 40 minutes, in response to KenPom. He lower that quantity to 4.3 per 40 minutes final season. Nonetheless, Reneau discovered himself in foul bother too typically. He fouled out seven occasions, together with six occasions in IU’s remaining 14 video games.
In Indiana’s 79-59 loss at Purdue in February, Reneau dedicated three fouls in 70 seconds, which led him to foul out in 23 minutes. He scored simply six factors.
Determination-making out of the put up is one other space the place Reneau could make good points in his third season. At occasions final season, Reneau waited too lengthy to decide when he felt strain with the ball. His passing is a powerful go well with, however making reads to seek out the open man extra rapidly ought to assist lower down on a few of his turnovers. Final season, Reneau had 10 video games with at the very least 4 or extra turnovers.
With higher expertise round him this season, Reneau ought to really feel much less must attempt to assault double or triple groups. Higher guards on the perimeter ought to assist Reneau belief his teammates extra if he wants to maneuver the ball out of the put up to a teammate.
Indiana was a poor rebounding group on each ends final season, ending 254th nationally in offensive rebounding share and 211th in defensive rebounding share, in response to KenPom.
The Hoosiers did have the Massive Ten’s finest defensive rebounder final season in Kel’el Ware and may need the very best defensive rebounder subsequent season in Oumar Ballo, however they want the remainder of their roster to be higher on the glass. That features Reneau and the guards.
In an offseason when the switch portal garnered a lot of the Indiana basketball headlines, retaining Reneau and Mackenzie Mgbako was pivotal in this system’s quest to return to the NCAA event.
“It was enormous getting them again,” Mike Woodson mentioned in late Might. “However shifting ahead, you gotta put items round them. They will’t do it by themselves. We confirmed a few of that at completely different occasions of the season final yr. We wanted extra items round them. It was enormous getting them again although as a result of they’re an enormous piece to our puzzle. Little question about that.”
Filed to: Malik Reneau
