Hoosiers add Northwestern transfer Miller Kopp

Indiana started the week by bringing in one of the top available guards in the 2021 recruiting class. On Tuesday, the Hoosiers followed up by adding a veteran Big Ten forward with long-range shooting skill.

So, yeah, it’s shaping up to be another very good offseason week in Bloomington.

Miller Kopp’s decision to transfer to IU is the latest bit of good news for Mike Woodson’s program, which has undergone an intriguing overhaul during the new coach’s first month on the job. The former Northwestern big gives IU a player well-suited for the 4-out, 1-in system Woodson plans to install, a 6-foot-7 forward who has shot nearly 36% from beyond the arc across his first three seasons in the conference.

Kopp’s career 3-point shooting percentage took a dive this past season after he shot just 32% from distance for the cellar-dwelling Wildcats. But he’s only a year removed from posting a nearly 40% success rate from long range as a sophomore. At IU, the Hoosiers will expect Kopp to keep shooting and pump his percentages back to where they’ve been in the past.

Last season, the Houston native finished as Northwestern’s second-leading scorer (11.3 ppg) while taking just 15% of his shots at the rim, per Hoop-Math.com. He helped spoil IU’s start to Big Ten play when he shot 3-for-4 from 3-point range and totaled 13 points in the Wildcats’ 74-67 win at Assembly Hall on Dec. 23. Not only has he proven to be 3-point threat, Kopp is also an 85% career free throw shooter.

In three career games in Bloomington, Kopp is shooting 6-for-9 from beyond the arc and averaging 10.3 points.

According to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, Kopp chose the Hoosiers over offers from Oregon State, Texas A&M, Utah, USC, Creighton, South Carolina, New Mexico, Georgia, Vanderbilt, Wichita State, DePaul, Oklahoma State and Xavier.

The addition of Kopp fills IU’s last available scholarship for next season. He’s the third incoming player Woodson has added this offseason, following Pitt transfer Xavier Johnson and 2021 recruit Tamar Bates, who committed Monday.