Malik Reneau could bring frontcourt depth — and more — in his freshman season at Indiana – Inside the Hall

Race Thompson remembered two performs. Throughout a Zoom media availability about a month ago, Thompson was requested to recall a specific transfer that freshman ahead Malik Reneau made. Thompson got here up with two.

Thompson mentioned that Reneau hit just a little shimmy, one-foot fadeaway. “Kinda turned my head just a little bit,” Thompson mentioned. Thompson recalled one other. Reneau did a euro-step on two individuals.

These transient insights from Reneau’s time at IU might get the wheels turning about what the 2022-23 season might seem like for the freshman ahead. Reneau — ranked because the No. 28 participant nationally within the 2022 class, in line with the 247Sports Composite — had an completed highschool profession. He helped Montverde Academy win back-to-back GEICO Excessive Faculty Basketball Nationals titles (2021 and 2022) and performed within the 2022 Jordan Model Basic.

Reneau joins what’s among the many most proficient — and amongst most skilled — frontcourt duo within the Huge Ten: Trayce Jackson-Davis and Race Thompson. Whether or not Reneau begins or not, his greatest affect throughout the 2022-23 season may very well be offering frontcourt depth. Over the past two seasons, Indiana has largely lacked a 3rd frontcourt participant to supply stable manufacturing. Joey Brunk missed your complete 2019-20 season because of a again damage. Final season, Michael Durr didn’t put up important numbers on a constant foundation. That left Thompson and Jackson-Davis to shoulder a majority of the frontcourt manufacturing. However Reneau might step into that position for Indiana throughout the 2022-23 season.

“I’d say having a successful mentality, competing on the courtroom,” Reneau said Thursday via Zoom when requested about what methods he’s most assured in having an affect throughout his freshman season. “You recognize, doing no matter it takes to assist my workforce win, not solely simply, you realize, making an attempt to attain the basketball however assistance on the defensive finish, set good screens for the purpose guards and stuff like that and, you realize, simply attempt to do all of the little stuff.”

In his improvement, Reneau has the good thing about having the ability to study from older gamers, resembling Jackson-Davis, who’s among the many finest returning gamers in faculty basketball. There are numerous similarities between Jackson-Davis and Reneau. Each had been heralded recruits in highschool. Each are left-handed. On IU’s 2022-23 roster, Jackson-Davis is listed at 6-foot-9, 245 kilos and Reneau is listed at 6-foot-9, 235 kilos.

“He’s actual dominant down low and understands how he can management his man within the submit,” Reneau mentioned of Jackson-Davis, “… he simply finds a strategy to get simple baskets down low and I take a look at that and I see how I can (resemble)… Trayce being robust and being dominant down low.”

Reneau’s bodily stature is extraordinarily developed for his age. Reneau mentioned that his plan with males’s basketball director of athletic efficiency Clif Marshall is to keep up weight whereas additionally constructing muscle. That bodily maturity ought to assist Reneau’s transition to the school degree. What’s additionally notable, although, is the potential versatility of Reneau. Reneau mentioned he’s principally been enjoying the 4 place, however has been engaged on perimeter abilities, too, resembling having the ability to guard the one by way of 5 positions.

“Simply having the ability to enhance my capturing from previous the arc and enhance my three-point shot, and simply being assured with my bounce shot and dealing on attacking close-outs, and staying the place I’m snug at within the submit, too,” Reneau mentioned. “Simply making an attempt to the touch on every little thing. However principally my bounce shot.”

Reneau mentioned that his dad and mom have been the most important affect in his basketball profession. His mom performed basketball in faculty. His father, who’s from Belize, performed basketball too, however not in faculty.

“Rising up with my mother and pa, they took me to the skin courts on a regular basis and performed towards them, and so they at all times beat me in one-on-ones and stuff like that,” Reneau mentioned. “However it was enjoyable rising up as a result of they taught me the sport early, and educated me early, so I didn’t have to actually to, you realize, attempt to pay for a coach or something.”

Reneau initially signed with Florida, however head coach Mike White left the Gators and took the top teaching job at Georgia. Reneau advised On3 that he obtained his release from Florida and can be reopening his recruitment. Reneau finally selected IU, that means that he’d be a part of Jalen Hood-Schifino, who he performed with at Montverde Academy. As freshmen, each Hood-Schifino and Reneau have the potential to be integral components of an Indiana workforce that has the potential to win a Huge Ten title and extra.

“To be a spark plug for my teammates, whether or not it’s coming off the bench or… beginning the sport off,” Reneau mentioned when requested about what he expects from himself getting into this yr. “No matter it’s, simply actually being that spark plug for the workforce.”

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