Welcome to “That’s A Wrap,” our player-by-player recap of the 2022-23 Indiana Hoosiers. Today: Kaleb Banks. Previously: CJ Gunn.
Banks (24 games): 2.0 points, .9 rebounds, .3 assists and 55.2 FG% in 5.6 minutes per game.
Perhaps one of Kaleb Banks’ best moments in his freshman year came in Indiana’s season-ending loss to Miami (FL) in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
Indiana had been down the entire first half and at times looked lifeless. The Hoosiers were down 10 with a minute and a half to play before the break. Then Banks checked in.
The freshman forward didn’t attempt a shot in that stretch, but his effort on the defensive end got him a block which led to a Miller Kopp 3-pointer to cut the lead to five at halftime. Suddenly, the Hoosiers had life.
Obviously, the game didn’t end in IU’s favor. But that moment with Banks at the end of the first half served as a microcosm for his efforts in his first year in Bloomington.
The Hampton, Georgia native flashed his length and athleticism in many ways. At 6-foot-7 and 215 pounds, Banks can compete defensively. He uses his hands well in passing lanes and can be disruptive.
This length also made Banks an above-average rebounder. On Jan. 28 against Ohio State, Banks saw the floor for 12 minutes and tallied seven rebounds — three offensive.
“He’s been patient with me,” Mike Woodson said after Indiana’s win over Ohio State. “He’s been very in tune with what we’re doing in practice and shoot-around and walk-throughs. I thought it was time to give him an opportunity and I thought he came out and played well for us. He shined tonight…his stat line was pretty good for the 12 minutes he played.”
The freshman is stellar at moving off the ball, too. He has good awareness and positioning on the court and played smart basketball when he saw playing time. Banks was mostly used as a cutter and ran the baseline this past year on the offensive end.
The issue for Banks in his freshman season was his offense. Banks struggled to flash a multidimensional skill set on the offensive end of the floor, something he’ll have to develop in his time at Indiana.
In his time with the Hoosiers, and based on his freshman season, it’s unlikely that Banks will be setting screens and playing with his back to the basket. He’ll have to find ways to create his own shot, instead of playing cleanup duty on the baseline. Banks scored 2,000 points in high school and had two seasons…