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.

Mackenzie Mgbako
No. 21 – Indiana Hoosiers
PositionSmall forward
LeagueBig Ten Conference
Personal information
Born (2004-11-18) November 18, 2004 (age 19)
NationalityNigerian / American
Listed height6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight217 lb (98 kg)
Career information
High school
CollegeIndiana (2023–present)
Career highlights and awards

Early life and high school career edit

Mgbako grew up in 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 edit

Mgbako 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]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
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 
Recruiting star ratings: ScoutN/A   Rivals:    247Sports:     ESPN:    ESPN grade: 92
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 9  247Sports: 10  ESPN: 9
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Indiana 2023 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
  • "2023 Indiana Hoosiers Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
  • "2023 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved October 21, 2023.

Career statistics edit

Legend
  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

  1. ^ "Boys Basketball: CN Player of the Year powered Gill St. Bernard's". Courier News. March 26, 2022. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  2. ^ Frank, Evan (April 28, 2023). "Mackenzie Mgbako will play for Mike Woodson, Indiana basketball. 5 things to know". Indianapolis Star. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  3. ^ Zagoria, Adam (August 1, 2022). "Duke commit Mackenzie Mgbako transfers to N.J. powerhouse Roselle Catholic". NJ.com. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ Minnick, Kevin (March 3, 2023). "Mgbako returned just in time to impact Roselle Catholic's championship run". NJ.com. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  7. ^ "Another major Kentucky-Duke battle. And the top UK basketball recruiting links". Lexington Herald Leader. March 9, 2022. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ Marks, Brendan (April 11, 2023). "Five-star power forward Mackenzie Mgbako decommits from Duke: Where could he land?". The Athletic. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  10. ^ Borzello, Jeff; Biancardi, Paul (May 12, 2023). "Mackenzie Mgbako commits to Indiana basketball team". ESPN.com. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
  11. ^ "5-star 2023 recruit Mackenzie Mgbako considering KU Jayhawks". The Kansas City Star. April 28, 2023. Retrieved May 14, 2023.

External links edit