Indiana Hoosiers forward Mackenzie Mgbako is choosing to enter the transfer portal as his sophomore year with the Hoosiers is ending. As a sophomore at Indiana, the 6-foot-9 forward averaged 12.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 25.1 minutes per game.
There is also talk of Mgbako going pro, as he’s declared his name for the 2025 NBA Draft. However, if his projection isn’t high in the NBA Draft, we could see Mgbako play another year of college basketball. Now, the only question is where the forward could land.
Top 5 Landing Spots for Mackenzie Mgbako
Duke Blue Devils
Starting strong, Mgbako could transfer to a school like Duke. If he hopes to go far in a March Madness tournament and make a run to win the whole thing, Mgbako could choose the Blue Devils. This wouldn’t be the first time Mgbako tried to go to Duke.
Mgbako originally signed with Duke but was released from his National Letter of Intent with the Blue Devils. Going to a college basketball powerhouse like Duke and potentially playing alongside Cooper Flagg, Tyrese Proctor, and others could be very enticing for the young forward.
Purdue Boilermakers
Following Duke, we could see Mgbako transfer to a team he knows very well, the Purdue Boilermakers. Mgbako has some fantastic success playing on the Purdue floor, and if he is superstitious, Mgbako could have his best season yet on the court for a team he plays very well against.
One of his best performances in a Hoosiers uniform came against Purdue at Mackey Arena on January 31. Mgbako torched the Boilermakers for 25 points on 10-for-17 shooting. With his good look against Purdue, we could see him look to make Purdue his full-time home.
Baylor Bears
Another team we could see Mgbako entertain is the No. 9 ranked Baylor Bears. Despite falling to Duke in the second round of the 2025 March Madness tournament, Baylor had a successful season by their standards.
With strong years by Norchad Omier, VJ Edgecombe, Robert Wright III, and Jeremy Roach, adding Mgbako to the fray could be ideal to help get Baylor over the hump. Mgbako could be enticed by a young team like Baylor and potentially join the ranks as a Bear.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
A Darkhorse team we could see Mgbako check out in the transfer portal comes in his home state of New Jersey, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Meanwhile, Rutgers didn’t have a fantastic season by their standards. After starting the season with four wins and zero losses, Rutgers only won 11 of their next 28 games.
After a very strong start to the 2025 campaign, Rutgers finished 11th in the Big Ten. Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey each had good years for Rutgers, and adding a player like Mgbako to the team could completely change its outlook going forward.
St. John’s Red Storm
The final team Mgbako could check out in the transfer portal is the St. John’s Red Storm. Similar to the school above, St. John’s is practically in his backyard in Queens, NY. St. John’s had a strong season but was bounced in the second round of the 2025 March Madness tournament by the Arkansas Razorbacks.
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St. John’s continues to be a great basketball college. With strong years by RJ Luis Jr., Zuby Ejiofor, and Kadary Richmond, adding Mgbako to the fray could be what St. John’s needs to reach that next level. Mgbako could be enticed to go there due to the locality, which could be a recipe for success.
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