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Indiana Hoosiers forward Mackenzie Mgbako (21) shoots the ball while Oregon Ducks guard TJ Bamba (5) defends in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Todd’s Take: What Connection Do You Feel With Former Indiana Players?

Originally posted on Indiana Hoosiers on SI
By Todd Golden | Last updated May 22, 2025 11:16 AM ET

Last week, Tamar Bates and Mackenzie Mgbako took part in the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago. Both are former Hoosiers. Both had memorable moments in cream and crimson.

Neither are affiliated with Indiana anymore. Bates left after the 2023 season to transfer to Missouri, closer to Kansas City where he is from. Mgbako arrived at Indiana in 2023 and left after the conclusion of the 2025 season.

Mgbako moved on after Indiana and coach Mike Woodson parted ways. Mgbako decamped to Texas A&M, though a good showing at the combine opens up the possibility he could go pro.

It got me thinking about something mundane, but which takes on relevance beyond just the trivial.

I would assume, if Mgbako is drafted, that he would be announced as “Mackenzie Mgabko, Indiana University” even though Mgbako is no longer with Indiana.

I would think that because Mgbako has never played a game for Texas A&M. It would be confusing to the world at large, since many fans aren’t nose-deep in the transfer portal, to have Mgbako announced for a school where he never played.

It’s a very trivial side effect of the unsettled world of college athletics, where players switch teams with dizzying regularity. Where this takes on relevance beyond the trivial matter of what school is called on draft night is what fans think about all of this.

Players have always come and gone, but there was a time-honored cycle to it. They arrive, they play, they say goodbye, they move on, they are then usually fondly remembered.

Now the process is morphed out of recognition. Players often play somewhere else first, they arrive, they play, they might have a Senior Day ceremony that may or may not be a real farewell, they put themselves in the transfer portal, they move on, or they don’t if the NIL makes it worth their while to stay, and then?

It’s that last bit that has me wondering. As I mentioned, in the past, players left and were mostly fondly remembered. Whether they played well or not was often immaterial to fans’ fond memories.

Whether it was a star player or a bench warmer, they worked hard. They performed a sort of service. Fans attribute loyalty as a factor, and sometimes it was, but really it’s about putting time in. The appreciation from fans to the players for giving them memories was deeply appreciated.

Since that model has been upended, I wonder what fans think of the players who represent their teams now.

Sometimes the old model still applies. Players like Mike Katic, Chloe Moore-McNeil, Trey Galloway and Anthony Leal never played anywhere else. They are beloved in the old-school ways alums always have been.

But what about players like Mgbako? What about Yarden Garzon, an undeniable all-time Hoosier who will finish her career as a Maryland Terrapin?

Are they Hoosiers ‘til they die in your mind? Or do you wash your hands of them once they bolt?

I can honestly see it both ways. If players are going to be transactional about their careers, why shouldn’t fans be the same way in terms of how they feel about the athletes who represent their favorite schools?

On the other hand, they did represent Indiana, even if just for a moment. The bonds might be fleeting, but for fans who picked out a favorite player, who is anyone to judge whether they should continue being a fan of that player once they leave?

For me, it’s always been more personal. Even if on a surface level, I interact with players as people. And while it’s a professional relationship, we’re all human. Ninety-nine percent of the players I’ve covered were good people, and I wish the best for them.

Now, I’m in a unique position to feel that way. Fans are fans. They love from a distance. That love is not always unconditional. Perhaps that’s also for the best.

What I’ve found is that fans are just as conditional about their love of former players as the players are in terms of how they handle their careers.

Generally, a player who didn’t perform well who moves on is quickly swept aside in the consciousness. That’s human nature.

If a player succeeds after they leave, it kind of depends. It hasn’t happened, but if a player went to a rival – Purdue or Kentucky – I doubt they’d be welcomed back with open arms.

Much of it can depend on the nature of their departure. If it was amicable, I think most fans are reasonable about it. If there was something negative attached to their departure or something that happened while they played, they might not be fondly remembered.

Some of it depends on how they do after they leave. There was some pining for Kaleb Banks among some basketball fans last season after he put up good numbers at Tulane. However, I also sensed that some of that was cynical. Banks’ success was a kind of back-handed dig at Mike Woodson, who couldn’t get the same tune out of Banks … even though Banks wasn’t playing the same level of competition. It can make your head spin if you try to think about it too much.

One player who left – former quarterback Michael Penix Jr., now in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons – occupies a special category. He left and continued his rise, nearly winning the Heisman Trophy at Washington. Penix has never spoken negatively of Indiana that I’m aware of, so I feel a sense of longing among Indiana fans. What if he stuck around and did what he did there here?

So how do you feel? If Mgbako beats the odds and hears his name on draft night, do you cheer his accomplishment or ignore it? What about Garzon and some of the other ex-Hoosiers, like Gabe Cupps (Ohio State) and Myles Rice (Maryland), who will compete directly against Indiana next year?

Always A Hoosier? Indiana, Love It Or Leave It? I’m not sure there’s a wrong answer, but it would be interesting to know which camp has more members in it.

This article first appeared on Indiana Hoosiers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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