Oumar Ballo is on his way to Bloomington.
Ballo, who was the top-ranked player in the transfer portal this spring, committed Tuesday to play at Indiana next season. The 7-foot center spent the last three seasons in Arizona, and he was easily one of the best big men in the Pac-12.
Ballo, who got his start at Gonzaga and then moved to Arizona to succeed head coach Tommy Lloyd in 2021, has dominated the past two seasons in the Pac-12. He averaged a double-double with the Wildcats last year with 12.9 points and 10.1 rebounds per game, taking them to the Sweet 16. Ballo had 20 double-doubles this season, shooting just under 66% from the field. .
Clemson defeated Arizona in the Sweet 16 last month to reach its first Elite Eight in decades. Ballo had 15 points and 15 rebounds in that game.
Ballo announced last week that he was entering the portal as a graduate transfer. He will now join Mike Woodson in Indiana for his final season of eligibility, where he should play a key role in turning the Hoosiers around after a rough campaign last spring. They went just 19-14 last season and missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time in Woodson’s tenure. The Hoosiers also reportedly considered parting ways with Woodson, but the school opted to retain him for a fourth season.
Ballo will now join former Washington State Guard Myles Rice in Bloomington. Rice committed to Indiana on Saturday after his impressive first season with the Cougars, where he earned Pac-12 Freshman of the Year honors while posting 14.8 points and 3.8 assists per game. The duo should be a big boost for Woodson’s group as they look to rebuild in what will be an expanded Big Ten conference this fall.
