Indiana basketball sophomore Kaleb Banks enters transfer portal
Indiana basketball sophomore Kaleb Banks intends to transfer, a source confirmed to IndyStar.
Mike Woodson and staff were hoping the 6-8 wing would take a step forward in his second season.
“CJ (Gunn) and Kaleb Banks, I'm expecting more out of them,” Woodson said during IU's media day before the 2023-24 season. “They're not freshmen anymore. I need more. We need it as a ballclub.”
He was part of the nonconference rotation, but Banks' offensive struggles saw his playing team decrease drastically. He went from one of the first players off the bench to an unused sub between Jan. 19 and March 6.
Osterman: Woodson must bring modern game here, or Hoosiers will be old news.
Doyel: Woodson quit on his team in final game. And he's supposed to fix this?
A top-100 recruit out of Fayetteville, Ga., Banks averaged 2.6 points and 1.8 rebounds and shot 39% from the field this season.
Banks' most-impactful performance came in the win against Louisville, despite scoring just four points. He grabbed eight rebounds, had three assists and three steals in the Nov. 20 win.
“For a guy not to play as much before coming in this game to show what he did today, I’m really proud of him," senior point guard Xavier Johnson said after the game.
He scored a career-high 12 points in a Dec. 29 win over Kennesaw State. But that was his last meaningful contribution of the season.
Junior forward Payton Sparks also entered the portal. That gives IU five open scholarships for the 2024-25 season, not including a potential NBA draft departure of Kel'el Ware.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana basketball sophomore Kaleb Banks enters transfer portal
