With a multitude of new talent, Indiana basketball looks to regain their dominance in the Big Ten.
The tradition continues! It’s another year of our countdown of the top 100 preseason teams in college basketball until the start of the season. Each day, we will reveal the next team until we reach the team slotted at number one. Up next: Indiana basketball.
As basketball season begins, the storied Indiana Hoosiers will be entering a new era that shifts away from a lot of the tradition that has surrounded the program in years past. At the helm of it all is new head coach Darian DeVries, who comes from West Virginia and brings 24 years of D1 coaching experience with him.
During the 2024-25 season, Indiana finished 19-13 overall and 10-10 in conference play. Their loss to Oregon at the Big Ten tournament would be their final game of the season, as they did not make the NCAA tournament.
As the season ended, all eyes immediately turned to the coaching search and the transfer portal. With virtually a completely new roster and staff this season, there are a lot of questions about how Indiana’s season will go. The Big Ten is always a competitive conference when it comes to basketball, and with the history of the Hoosier program, they are usually expected to be a big part of the competition. Even with all of the new pieces, this expectation is still held for this new Indiana squad.
As we’ve already established, there are an infinite number of unknowns when it comes to this Indiana team. That being said, so far the team has been well-received by Indiana fans, with coach DeVries putting a huge emphasis on connecting with the community of Bloomington. In a recent post-practice press conference, DeVries commented on how he hopes to reconnect with the fan base.
“I think from our standpoint, it was just, we want to make sure that we’re a big part of the community, big part of the campus…They’re a good group of guys, and we want people to be able to see them on a different level besides just on the basketball floor,” said DeVries.
In a highly anticipated start to the season, Indiana will begin play in an exhibition game against Marian on Oct. 17 in Assembly Hall.
Head coach:Â Darian DeVries (1st season at Indiana, 8th season overall)
2024-25 record: 19-13 (10-10)
2025 postseason finish:Â No postseason
Notable departures:
- Malik Reneau (13.3 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 2.0 APG)
- Oumar Ballo (13.0 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 2.1 APG)
- Mackenzie Mgbako (12.2 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 1.1 APG)
- Myles Rice (10.1 PPG, 2.8 APG, 2.8 RPG)
- Luke Goode (9.1 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 0.6 APG)
- Trey Galloway (8.8 PPG, 4.7 APG, 2.3 RPG)
- Anthony Leal (3.3 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 1.8 APG)
Notable non-conference games
- vs. Marquette (Nov. 9) – Chicago
- vs. Kansas State (Nov. 25)
- vs. Louisville (Dec. 6) – Indianapolis
- at Kentucky (Dec. 13)
Projected Rotation
PG: Conor Enright (6-1, 180, Rs.-Gr.-Sr.)
2024-25 stats: 7.5 PPG, 6.2 APG, 3.3 RPG (DePaul)
SG: Tayton Conerway (6-3, 190, Rs.-Sr.)
2024-25 stats: 14.2 RPG, 4.8 APG, 4.6 RPG, 2.9 SPG (Troy)
SF: Lamar Wilkerson (6-6, 205, Gr.-Sr.)
2024-25 stats: 20.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.1 SPG, 44.5 3P% (Sam Houston)
PF: Tucker DeVries (6-7, 225, Rs.-Sr.)
2024-25 stats: 14.9 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 2.8 APG, 1.8 SPG, 47.3 3P%, 8 GP (West Virginia)
C: Reed Bailey (6-10, 230, Sr.)
2024-25 Averages: 18.8 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 3.8 APG, 41.5 3P% (Davidson)
6: Jasai Miles (6-6, 210, Jr.)
2024-25 stats: 15.4 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 1.9 APG (North Florida)
7. Nick Dorn (6-7, 225, Jr.)
2024-25 stats: 15.2 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 0.8 APG, 37.4 FG%, 35.1 3P% (Elon)
8: Sam Alexis (6-9, 240, Sr.)
2024-25 stats: 4.7 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 0.4 APG, 24 GP (Florida)
9: Jason Drake (6-1, 200, Jr.)
2024-25 stats: 11.1 PPG, 3.1 APG, 3.0 RPG, 39.6 3P% (Drexel)
10. Josh Harris (6-8, 225, So.)
2024-25 stats: 13.4 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 0.6 APG, 55.7 FG% (North Florida)
11: Andrej Acimovic (6-10, 240, Fr.)
International recruit from Bosnia and Herzegovina
12: Trent Sisley (6-8, 225, Fr.)
247Sports Composite #83-ranked recruit
13. Aleksa Ristic (6-3, 200, G, Fr.)
International recruit from Serbia
Indiana basketball team MVP: Lamar Wilkerson
Wilkerson comes from Sam Houston, where he spent three seasons with the Bearkats. The two-time All-Conference USA First Team selection will look to be a huge leader for this Indiana basketball squad. Wilkerson is expected to contribute by being a shooting guard, although his ball-handling skills as a point guard are said to be impressive as well.
Wilkerson has already made a good impression on Hoosier fans. When he transferred from Sam Houston, he gave six figures worth of NIL money to that program. The senior guard has stated how important it was to give back to a program that gave so much to him.
Indiana basketball make-or-break player: Tucker DeVries
With the whole roster being new, it is hard to tell who will be the make-or-break player for the Hoosiers this year. The jury is still out on the chemistry of this team, but if you look at some of the more experienced players, you may point to Tucker DeVries as being a potential X factor.
As head coach Darian DeVries came to Indiana from West Virginia, so did his son Tucker. He is a redshirt senior and has spent time playing at Drake and West Virginia. His playing time at West Virginia was cut short as he only played in eight games last season due to a season-ending injury. The two-time Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year is set to be back on the court as the 2025-26 season begins, this time playing with Indiana across his chest. His past experience will undoubtedly be important to this year’s Hoosiers squad.
Key analytic: Three-point shooting
Last year’s Indiana basketball team was extremely inconsistent with its three-point shooting. And while the team this year is completely different, one thing still stays the same: three-point shooting in the Big Ten conference has become a huge factor in games.
Guards like Purdue’s Braden Smith have made three-point shooting a big part of the identity of their teams, and in order for other teams to keep up with it, they must have good shooting numbers as well.
Even though this team has yet to step out on the court together, Hoosier fans should find promise in the fact that many players have impressive shooting numbers from previous seasons. Take, for example, Lamar Wilkerson, who shot above 40% from the 3-point line last season, and freshman Trent Sisley, who shot roughly 43% during his senior year of high school. If Indiana can have a strong and consistent 3-point shooting average, they will be a real contender in the Big Ten conference.
Indiana basketball 2025-26 projections
Projected conference finish:Â 12th in the Big Ten
Projected postseason ceiling: NCAA Tournament round of 32 exit