When we talk about the biggest 2025 NCAA tournament snubs, West Virginia tops the list, with Indiana Hoosiers closely following. While the latter has concluded its season fully, it continues to teeter on the edge. As if the Selection Sunday didn’t sting enough, Mike Woodson’s departure had everyone bracing for a reset. Amidst this chaos, the team has begun to turn itself into a year-in, year-out championship program. And they wish to not leave any stones unturned as they jumped at the possibility of hiring Darian DeVries as their new head coach.
However, it seems like they just cannot catch a break as another bombshell dropped just two hours ago. One of their star forwards posted on X: “I want to thank Coach Woodson and his entire staff for giving me an opportunity to play for the University of Indiana.” That’s not just a farewell — that’s an exit. And now, the Hoosiers’ offseason has gone from uncertain to chaotic.
Their second-leading scorer, one of the Big Ten’s most versatile forwards, Malik Reneau, has decided to walk away — despite the promise of a new era. The timing couldn’t be worse. The ink on DeVries’ contract is barely dry, and Indiana’s $7 million NIL war chest already looks like a losing hand.
Reneau’s departure was first reported by Joe Tipton of On3Sports, who posted on X:“NEWS: Indiana forward Malik Reneau is entering the transfer portal, source told @On3sports. The 6-9 junior from Miami averaged 13.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per game this season.”
NEWS: Indiana forward Malik Reneau is entering the transfer portal, source told @On3sports.
The 6-9 junior from Miami averaged 13.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per game this season. https://t.co/y3tj5BXT4w pic.twitter.com/WfeeQVDIFp
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) March 19, 2025
Reneau’s story with Indiana began with high expectations. Coming out of high school, he was ranked No. 23 in ESPN’s Top 100 and was a five-star recruit with a 90 rating. He had offers from several major programs, including the Florida Gators — who now sit as the No. 1 seed in the West Region — but ultimately chose Indiana over Miami, Florida State, and Memphis. In his freshman year, he played in 35 games, steadily developing into one of the Big Ten’s most versatile forwards. By his sophomore season, Reneau was averaging 15.4 points and 6.0 rebounds per game and drawing NBA Draft buzz.
But things changed this past season. His minutes took a hit under Mike Woodson, especially in Big Ten play, where he averaged just under 21 minutes per game this season. His production dipped to 11.4 points and 4.8 rebounds in conference play. Despite the reduced role, Reneau finished the season strong, posting five straight double-digit scoring performances at the end of February, shooting better than 61% from the field.
Despite that, the team was not probably expecting this goodbye. Hiring their full-time seventh head coach since 2000, they were finally hoping for some stability. Considering that Hoosiers will only have to pay around $4.66 million for the buyout, they must have already been making a list of all the resources DeVries would need to propel IU to success. Which, pretty glaringly, is a lot less sum they would have had to pay to hire Mike Cronin of UCLA or Buzz Williams of Texas A&M. Cronin’s buyout is $16 million until March 31 and Williams’ is $18 million, so welcoming DeVries leaves the team with a winning pedigree and also more money to compensate its players.
Furthermore, as shared by Matt Norlander, Indiana also is building toward having north of $7 million in NIL + revenue-sharing resources. Naturally, this was supposed to be a key factor in retaining top talents like Reneau. Especially when IU has always had a proactive approach to NIL including deals with platforms like Opendorse. The university’s athletic department has also launched the Indiana NIL Exchange, a dedicated portal connecting student-athletes with businesses for NIL opportunities. With a vision to streamline the NIL process from start to finish, Vice President Scott Dolson said, “This technology is a tremendous resource to both parties, and it will enable our student-athletes to continue to maximize their personal brands and market themselves to businesses who can benefit greatly from these partnerships.“
Well, now, the spotlight is on DeVries to step into a high-pressure situation in Bloomington — and his first major challenge is figuring out how to replace Reneau’s production.
DeVries’ First Hurdle: Reneau’s Exit Tests Indiana’s $7M Gamble
Malik Reneau’s timing isn’t accidental. The NCAA’s transfer window for men’s basketball opens on March 24 and closes on April 22, giving him a month to find his next destination. He did, however, have an even longer window thanks to Woodson’s departure — NCAA rules allow for an extra 30-day transfer window when a coach leaves a program.
Now, Reneau isn’t the first player to explore his options. Last offseason, Indiana added six transfers, including Myles Rice, Kanaan Carlyle, Oumar Ballo, Luke Goode, Langdon Hatton, and Dallas James — but they also lost CJ Gunn, Kaleb Banks, and Payton Sparks.
NCAA, College League, USA Basketball: Big 12 Conference Tournament Second Round – Colorado vs West Virginia Mar 12, 2025 Kansas City, MO, USA West Virginia Mountaineers coach Darian DeVries watches game play during the first half against the Colorado Buffaloes at T-Mobile Center. Kansas City T-Mobile Center MO USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xWilliamxPurnellx 20250312_szo_pa6_0174
DeVries’ hire marks a major shift in Indiana’s basketball landscape. But hopes are high. Doug McDermott, who played under DeVries at Creighton, had high praise for his former assistant coach: “His work ethic is through the roof and he’s so good with relating to people. I think he gets community, and he’s just going to work relentlessly. That’s who he is.”
When he started with WVU, he had readily established this mentality. He emphasized on how he wanted to form a locker room of winners and not only transform it into a place with great players, but also great men. So, with Reneau’s departure, it’s fair to say that he must not be too worried. He is known for adapting his style to best fit his roster. He can take a group of players, figure out what they do well on their and then put that on the basketball floor.
DeVries again echoed that mindset in his first statement as Indiana’s head coach:
“This is unquestionably one of the top jobs in America. As someone who grew up in the Midwest loving the game of basketball, I’ve always admired the IU Basketball program for its championship-level success, tradition, and fan support,” DeVries said. “There’s a passion to succeed at the very highest levels both within the Big Ten and in the NCAA Tournament, and that’s a desire that as a coach I share. On top of that, the alignment is there on a department and university level to make that happen. I’m excited for this opportunity and am ready to work relentlessly to assemble a staff and a roster that competes for championships.”
The Hoosiers certainly made a big bet. Now they have to see if it pays off.
The post Indiana’s $7 Million Splash Isn’t Enough as College Basketball Player Set to Enter Transfer Portal After Big Announcement appeared first on EssentiallySports.