Mike Woodson and the Indiana Hoosiers couldn't have asked for a better off-season. After a disappointing year on the court, the Indiana staff went to work and made some serious noise to quickly revamp their roster. On paper, this looks like a top-15 kind of team. They have a mix of leadership and youth. They filled several of their weaknesses. And they might have the deepest team we've seen in years.
Games aren't won on paper, but the paper is looking pretty shiny heading into next season.
So what are the realistic expectations for this Indiana team moving forward? Here's what some of the basketball world is saying:
•Jon Rothstein- "Mike Woodson has added Kanaan Carlyle, Oumar Ballo, and Myles Rice. Add Trey Galloway, Mackenzie Mgbako, and Malik Reneau, and Indiana is a consensus Top 25 team entering 2024-2025."
•Joe Lunardi- Lists Indiana as a 4-seed in the NCAA Tournament. Tied with Purdue as the highest Tournament seeds from the Big Ten Conference.
•Sleepers Media Podcast- Bold Prediction: "Indiana will win the Big Ten and sweep Purdue."
•BustingBrackets.com- Lists Indiana as Big Ten Champions. "But the reason why the Hoosiers have climbed to the No. 1 spot is due to how the transfer portal has gone for them. Oumar Ballo averaged a double-double at Indiana and was one of the top players in the portal, while Myles Rice and Kanaan Carlyle are two double-digit scorers at Washington State and Stanford respectively. They even added some needed shooting with Luke Goode, who comes over from Illinois.This doesn’t even include Bryson Tucker, a 5-star wing prospect whom Indiana was surprisingly able to land. There may be concerns as to the overall fits of the current roster but from a talent standpoint, no one has more right now than Coach Woodson’s team.
•ESPN- Way-too-early preseason rankings: Indiana comes in at #16. "The winners of the first wave of portal season. The Hoosiers landed Arizona transfer Oumar Ballo, the top-ranked player in the portal, as well as top-15 guard transfers Myles rice and Kanaan Carlyle.Three starters also return: Reneau, Mgbako, and Galloway. They added Illinois transfer Luke Goode to address their shooting woes, although another perimeter sniper with size could help.
•Bart Tovik- Lists Indiana at #22 in preseason ranking, 4th in the Big Ten.
•SB Nation- Ballo was the best center available. Myles Rice is the floor general they need. Kanaan Carlyle gives them a bucket-getting combo guard. Indiana will have no excuses for missing the NCAA tournament next season. With Purdue and Illinois turning over huge portions of their roster, the Hoosiers will be expected to compete near the top of the Big Ten entering the season.
As we've seen in the past, these projections mean nothing for what actually takes place on the court. College basketball is one of the hardest sports to predict from one year to the next. The Big Ten Conference might be especially difficult to predict with four new teams joining, giving the conference 18 total teams.
At the same time, the Hoosiers have built a roster that should be ready to compete at a high level. Excuses should be few and far between. They've done the leg work to build a strong group, and now it's time to get it done on the court to make these projections hold up.
Let the countdown begin.
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