F Mackenzie Mgbako out of draft, commits to Texas A&M

Field Level Media|published: Tue 27th May, 11:47 2025

Indiana Hoosiers forward Mackenzie Mgbako (21) drives to the basket during the NCAA men s basketball game against the Purdue Boilermakers, Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024, at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind.

Indiana transfer Mackenzie Mgbako withdrew from the NBA draft and confirmed his commitment to Texas A&M on Tuesday.

"I decided to withdraw to focus on becoming a lock first-round pick next year," the 6-foot-8 forward told ESPN. "I am committed to making the improvements to my game based upon feedback from NBA teams."

Mgbako was projected to be a second-round pick in the June 25-26 draft. Underclassmen have until Wednesday at 11:59 p.m. ET to withdraw and maintain their college eligibility.

Mgbako, a McDonald's All-American in high school and the 2023-24 Big Ten co-Freshman of the Year, averaged 12.2 points and 4.6 rebounds in 32 games (31 starts) for the Hoosiers as a sophomore in 2024-25.

He entered the transfer portal in March and committed to the Aggies before exploring the draft process, including an invitation to the G League Elite Camp in Chicago earlier this month.

"I look forward to building off of my experience at the combine and team workouts and translating that into a full season's worth of basketball at Texas A&M," Mgbako told ESPN. "I look forward to playing in Coach (Bucky) McMillan's system, doing whatever is asked of me to help our team win, play in the NCAA tournament and go deep into March."

Texas A&M finished 23-11 last season under Buzz Williams, who departed to become the head coach at Maryland. McMillan spent the past five seasons coaching at Samford.

--Field Level Media