Indiana is back at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Thursday night, and the next test comes against Bellarmine in Bloomington. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.
ET on Nov. 5, with the game airing on Peacock/NBC Sports Network. John Fanta will handle play-by-play, with Greg McDermott alongside him as analyst.
On the radio side, the IU Radio Network will carry the broadcast with Don Fischer and Errek Suhr.
The Hoosiers arrive with a win already in hand after rolling past Eastern Illinois 91-57 to open the 2026-27 season on Monday. Markus Burton set the tone in that one, finishing with 19 points and five assists as Indiana controlled the night.
That opener gave Indiana plenty to like, especially on defense. After a sluggish start, the Hoosiers locked down Eastern Illinois and kept the Panthers without a field goal for the final 9:44 of the first half. What had been a close game quickly turned into a comfortable Indiana lead, and that stretch stood out as one of the clearest signs of what this team can be when it gets locked in.
Bellarmine brings a different kind of challenge, even if the first result wasn’t pretty. The Knights were beaten 93-47 at Vanderbilt in their opener, and Indiana will be expected to keep the pressure on from the start.
The matchup is also the first regular-season meeting between Indiana and Bellarmine. Still, the schools have seen plenty of each other over the years. They have played three exhibitions since the 2004-05 season, and Indiana has won all three.
The last time they met was Nov. 5, 2016, when OG Anunoby put together a huge night in a 73-49 Indiana win at Assembly Hall. He scored 26 points on 10-of-11 shooting and added six rebounds and two steals.
Beyond Burton, Indiana’s depth was another major storyline from Monday. The Hoosiers got 40 points from their bench, with Bryce Lindsay scoring 14 and freshman Trevor Manhertz adding 11.
Burton’s line was impressive, but his playmaking mattered just as much. He had five assists against only one turnover, a strong sign that he can steer the offense without having to carry every possession himself.
Thursday is another chance for Indiana to show that the defensive edge from opening night wasn’t a one-game burst. The Hoosiers were overwhelming for long stretches against Eastern Illinois, and the bigger question now is whether that same discipline holds up for a full 40 minutes as the schedule toughens.
There’s also a notable connection in the broadcast booth. Greg McDermott, working as an analyst with John Fanta, spent eight seasons alongside Indiana coach Darian DeVries when DeVries was an assistant at Creighton.
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Still, the numbers also point to the part of the team that could make things trickier down the stretch. Indianas defense has carried its share of the load, but the offense and special teams remain the areas that need the most attention, and the special teams efficiency has been especially low. In a race this tight, that kind of hidden weakness can matter just as much as the headline-grabbing rankings. [Read more 🡒]
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Indianas Early Identity Starts Coming Into Focus Against Bellarmine
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The bigger question now is how the rest of the rotation fits around that interior strength. Guard Jaeden Mustaf is one of the more interesting pieces to watch as the season develops, and his role should become easier to define once Indiana gets a few more games under its belt. For now, the Hoosiers appear intent on making their length and physicality a foundation, and Bellarmine is the next chance to see how real that approach can be. [Read more 🡒]