Mackenzie Mgbako
| No. 21 – Texas A&M Aggies | |
|---|---|
| Position | Small forward |
| League | Southeastern Conference |
| Personal information | |
| Born | November 18, 2004 |
| 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
[edit]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
[edit]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: | ||||||
| Overall recruit ranking: Rivals: 9 247Sports: 10 ESPN: 9 | ||||||
Sources:
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College career
[edit]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] As a sophomore, Mgbako averaged 12.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game. Following the season he entered the 2025 NBA draft and the transfer portal.[13]
Mgbagbo ultimately withdrew from the draft and transferred to Texas A&M.[14] He started seven games and averaged 10.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.3 assists before undergoing a season-ending foot fracture.[15]
Career statistics
[edit]| 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
[edit]| 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
[edit]- ↑ "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.
- ↑ Williams, Madison (March 24, 2025). "Indiana's Mackenzie Mgbako Enters Both Transfer Portal and NBA Draft". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 15, 2025.
- ↑ Lopez, Alejandro (April 17, 2025). "Indiana transfer Mackenzie Mgbako commits to Texas A&M". Zagsblog. Retrieved December 15, 2025.
- ↑ "Texas A&M coach Bucky McMillan gives update on injured Mackenzie Mgbako, expects him to return next season". 247Sports. Retrieved 2026-03-28.
External links
[edit]- 2004 births
- Living people
- American men's basketball players
- Basketball players from Somerset County, New Jersey
- Gill St. Bernard's School alumni
- Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball players
- Texas A&M Aggies men's basketball players
- McDonald's High School All-Americans
- People from Peapack-Gladstone, New Jersey
- Power forwards
- Roselle Catholic High School alumni
- Small forwards
- 21st-century American sportsmen