Mackenzie Mgbako
| Texas A&M Aggies | |
|---|---|
| Position | Small forward |
| League | Southeastern Conference |
| Personal information | |
| Born | November 18, 2004 |
| Nationality | Nigerian / American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Listed weight | 217 lb (98 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | |
| College | |
| Career highlights | |
| |
Mackenzie Mgbako (born November 18, 2004) is a Nigerian-American college basketball player for the Texas A&M Aggies of the Southeastern Conference. He previously played for the Indiana Hoosiers of the Big Ten Conference.
Early life and high school career
Mgbako grew up in the Gladstone section of Peapack-Gladstone, New Jersey and initially attended Gill St. Bernard's School.[1] He averaged 19.5 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 2.9 assists as a junior.[2] Mgbako transferred to Roselle Catholic High School before his senior season.[3] Mgbako was selected to play in the 2023 McDonald's All-American Boys Game during his senior year.[4][5] He averaged 16.3 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists over 16 games during the season and missed one month due to an ankle injury.[6]
Recruiting
Mgbako was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2023 class, according to major recruiting services.[7] He initially committed to playing college basketball for Duke during his junior year after considering offers from Kentucky, Ohio State, and Memphis.[8] Mgbako decommitted from Duke late into his senior season.[9] After being granted a release from his National Letter of Intent from Duke, he committed to playing college basketball for Indiana after also considering Kansas.[10][11]
| Name | Hometown | School | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mackenzie Mgbako SF / PF |
Gladstone, NJ | Roselle Catholic (NJ) | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | May 12, 2023 | |
| Recruit ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: (92) | ||||||
| Overall recruit ranking: Rivals: 9 247Sports: 10 ESPN: 9 | ||||||
Sources:
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College career
Mgbako averaged 12.2 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game as a freshman. He earned Big Ten co-Freshman of the Year honors alongside Iowa's Owen Freeman.[12]
Career statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
College
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023–24 | Indiana | 33 | 33 | 27.0 | .395 | .327 | .821 | 4.1 | 1.3 | .4 | .4 | 12.2 |
| 2024–25 | Indiana | 32 | 31 | 25.0 | .437 | .329 | .810 | 4.6 | 1.1 | .3 | .5 | 12.2 |
| Career | 65 | 64 | 26.0 | .415 | .328 | .817 | 4.3 | 1.2 | .4 | .4 | 12.2 | |
References
- ^ "Boys Basketball: CN Player of the Year powered Gill St. Bernard's". Courier News. March 26, 2022. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
- ^ Frank, Evan (April 28, 2023). "Mackenzie Mgbako will play for Mike Woodson, Indiana basketball. 5 things to know". Indianapolis Star. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
- ^ Zagoria, Adam (August 1, 2022). "Duke commit Mackenzie Mgbako transfers to N.J. powerhouse Roselle Catholic". NJ.com. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
- ^ Minnick, Kevin (January 24, 2023). "Boys Basketball: Trio of N.J. standouts to play in McDonald's All-American game". NJ.com. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
- ^ Kinney, Mike (January 30, 2023). "Roselle Catholic's No. 1 boys basketball team without 2 stars after double scare". NJ.com. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
- ^ Minnick, Kevin (March 3, 2023). "Mgbako returned just in time to impact Roselle Catholic's championship run". NJ.com. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
- ^ "Another major Kentucky-Duke battle. And the top UK basketball recruiting links". Lexington Herald Leader. March 9, 2022. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
- ^ Borzello, Jeff; Biancardi, Paul (April 8, 2022). "Elite junior Mackenzie Mgbako verbally commits to Duke, giving Blue Devils five five-star commits in 2023 class". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
- ^ Marks, Brendan (April 11, 2023). "Five-star power forward Mackenzie Mgbako decommits from Duke: Where could he land?". The Athletic. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
- ^ Borzello, Jeff; Biancardi, Paul (May 12, 2023). "Mackenzie Mgbako commits to Indiana basketball team". ESPN.com. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
- ^ "5-star 2023 recruit Mackenzie Mgbako considering KU Jayhawks". The Kansas City Star. April 28, 2023. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
- ^ Niziolek, Michael (March 12, 2024). "Indiana basketball: Mackenzie Mgbako wins Big Ten co-freshman of the year". The Herald-Times. Retrieved December 8, 2024.