Gabe Cupps was thrust into a larger-than-expected role for Indiana as a freshman.
Ohio’s 2022 Mr. Basketball, Cupps committed to the Hoosiers in November 2021, before his junior season at Centerville High School.
Prior to the 2023-24 season, Cupps was expected to serve as Xavier Johnson’s backup. Playing behind Johnson, a sixth-year player, would afford him — and the program — an easing into the rotation role in his first college season.
But that isn’t how it worked out.
Johnson dealt with multiple injuries and struggled to stay healthy in his final season in Bloomington.