Oumar Ballo transfers to Indiana: Arizona big man gives Hoosiers a top-10 prospect in portal

Ballo is one of the top players of the 2024 portal cycle after earning all-conference honors at Arizona

By David Cobb Apr 16, 2024 at 3:47 pm ET• 2 min read

Indiana made another big addition to its transfer class on Tuesday, when coveted center Oumar Ballo committed to the Hoosiers. Ballo is the No. 9 player in the CBS Sports transfer rankings after earning all-conference honors at Arizona each of the past two seasons. The 7-foot bruiser began his career at Gonzaga and has one season left to play.

He will be critical in replacing the production void left by Kel'el Ware, a 7-footer who declared for the NBA Draft after leading Indiana in scoring, rebounding and blocks during a breakout sophomore season. Ballo should pair well with junior power forward Malik Reneau to give IU one of the Big Ten's top frontcourts next season.

The upcoming campaign is critical for coach Mike Woodson after the Hoosiers missed the NCAA Tournament with a 19-14 record in 2024. Woodson, who is entering his fourth season, is enjoying a strong portal cycle thus far after also landing a commitment from 2023-24 Pac-12 Rookie of the Year Myles Rice over the weekend.