Hoosier CJ Gunn A 7-foot-5 prospect announced return with full commitment Mike Woodson welcome…..
Indiana guard CJ Gunn joins Kaleb Banks and Payton Sparks as a trio of Hoosiers that entered the transfer portal on Tuesday.
Gunn, a 6-foot-6 guard, played two seasons under coach Mike Woodson. He joined Indiana as a four-star recruit out of Lawrence North High School in Indianapolis, where he scored 23.5 points per game as a senior.
Gunn came off the bench in 49 career games for the Hoosiers. As a freshman in 2022-23, he averaged 2.0 points per game. Gunn was more efficient as a sophomore, shooting 34% from 3-point range and averaging 3.9 points, but he was unable to build a consistent role in the rotation.
In wins over Michigan and Ohio State, Gunn provided a scoring boost off the bench. But his minutes decreased later on in Big Ten play, and he didn’t see any game action in four games. Gunn finished his season scoring a career-high 17 points in a blowout loss to Nebraska in the Big Ten Tournament.
With Gunn, Banks and Sparks in the transfer portal, Indiana has six open scholarships heading into the 2024-25 season. Coach Mike Woodson doesn’t have any commitments in the high school class of 2024, so he’ll likely have to fill those spots with transfers.
Indiana sophomore CJ Gunn will enter the transfer portal, according to media reports.
The Lawrence North grad scored a career-high 17 points in his final game as a Hoosier, the 93-66 loss to Nebraska in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinal.
Mike Woodson and staff hoped the 6-6 guard would take a significant step forward as a sophomore, but he struggled to find consistent playing time this season.
“CJ (Gunn) and Kaleb Banks, I’m expecting more out of them,” Woodson said during IU’s media day before the 2023-24 season. “They’re not freshmen anymore. I need more. We need it as a ballclub.”
Gunn averaged 3.9 points and 1.0 rebound in 12.9 minutes a game. He arrived in Bloomington with a reputation as a shooter, but he shot just 25% from behind the arc in his two seasons, including many wild misses. Overall, he shot 33% from the field as a Hoosier.
There were times when Woodson would turn to Gunn off the bench hoping to get a jolt or find someone who could defend on the perimeter. Despite his limited minutes, Gunn was second on the team with 24 steals. But Gunn could never put it all together and show the offensive force he was in high school.
