Preseason honors continue to feed Indiana’s men’s basketball program.
On Monday, National College Basketball reporters Andy Katz and Jeff Goodman both named Indiana as their preseason favorite, finishing in the Big 10. Big Ten Network and NCAA.com contributor Katz ranked Indiana 7th in the nation. power 36 rankingGoodman’s New College Basketball Publication, almanacalso picked the Hoosiers to win the Big Ten while placing IU at number 20 on the preseason Top 25 rankings.
Indiana is one of two Big Ten teams ranked in Goodman’s top 25, while Illinois ranks 21st, one behind IU. 14th, 15th Michigan, 16th Michigan, 19th Rutgers, 22nd Purdue, 28th Ohio, 35th Iowa.
Here are THE ALMANAC’s predictions for the Big Ten standings:ndiana, illinois, michigan, ohio, iowa, michigan, purdue, rutgers, pennsylvania, wisconsin, maryland, northwestern, minnesota, nebraska.
Additionally, according to Goodman, Indiana won several preseason awards. Senior forward Trace Jackson-Davis will be named Big Ten Player of the Year, a first-team All-Big Ten selection, and a second-team All-American selection. Goodman’s Prediction IU The starting lineup includes senior guard Xavier Johnson, freshman guard Jalen Hood Schifino, senior forward Miller Kopp, sixth-year forward Race Thompson and Jackson Davis.
Two preseason nods came just weeks after Indiana was ranked 6th nationally in Lindy Sports and 12th nationally in the Blue Ribbon Yearbook.
If the Hoosiers are going to reach the high standards set for them, they will need continued influence and development from a roster that returns more than 90% of the production from last season’s NCAA Tournament teams. Indiana will welcome four freshmen this fall, but the starting lineup will return all but one except senior guard Parker Stewart, and the bench will include senior guard Rob Finnishy and senior center Michael Dahl. Lost to the offseason transfer portal.
Second-year head coach Mike Woodson has called up a Top 10 recruiting class headlined by five-star guard Jaren Hood Schifino and top 35 forward Malik Renault. Four-star forward Caleb Banks and four-star guard CJ Gunn round out Indiana’s strong freshman class.
The Hoosiers waste no time testing themselves against some of the best teams in the country this season. Host North Carolina in the Assembly Hall of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, kick off Big Ten play in early December against Rutgers and Nebraska, and take on Arizona. They head to Las Vegas on December 10th and Allen Fieldhouse on December 17th to face reigning champions Kansas.
