Indiana men’s basketball is reportedly lining up another high-major test for its non-conference schedule, with a December 18 home game against Missouri in the works, according to Jon Rothstein.
If it gets finalized, the Tigers would give Indiana a third recognizable opponent outside the Big Ten, joining neutral-site matchups in Indianapolis against Syracuse on November 9 and Kentucky on November 20. Rothstein’s report also indicates this would be a one-off game, with no return trip to Missouri planned.
Missouri enters its fifth season under Dennis Gates, who has guided the Tigers to the NCAA Tournament in three of his four previous years. Last season, Mizzou finished 10-8 in SEC play, lost in the first round of the SEC Tournament, and still slipped into the NCAA field as a 10 seed.
On paper, that sounds like a solid addition. But the numbers from last season tell a more complicated story. Indiana actually finished with a higher KenPom ranking and NET score than Missouri, even though the Hoosiers missed the tournament.
That’s where the debate around this kind of scheduling starts to sharpen. A home win over Missouri probably won’t move the needle much in March, and the Syracuse game offers similar questions. But a loss to either team could hang around and hurt Indiana’s resume if the Hoosiers are on the bubble.
There’s also the bigger picture: Indiana is expected to roll out yet another brand-new roster, with Trent Sisley as the only returning player. That makes the margin for error in non-conference play feel even thinner.
To be fair, Missouri and Syracuse could both end up looking a lot better by the end of the season. The portal can change everything, and last year’s bracket already showed how quickly a supposed quality win can disappear - Marquette’s collapse wiped out a good neutral-court opportunity for Indiana.
Still, with Darian DeVries needing to get Indiana to the NCAA Tournament in year two, this feels like a risky place to be taking chances against middle-of-the-pack high-major teams.
In Other News...
Respected IU Board Member Walks Away As Bigger Concerns Grow
James Fielding, an Indiana University alumnus and three-term member of the IU Foundation board, is stepping away after deciding not to seek a fourth term, a move that lands at a sensitive moment for the university. Fielding said his concerns have grown around how the administration has handled questions from the board, along with the broader pressures now shaping higher education, and he pointed to frustrations over diversity and inclusion efforts as part of that unease.
Fielding also tied his departure to the shifting political climate around IU governance, where state actions have altered who holds influence inside the universitys leadership structure. Even as he leaves the board, he said he plans to keep supporting IU through other philanthropic channels, a sign that his break is with the institutions direction rather than the school itself. [Read more 🡒]
Trevor Manhertz Just Gave IU Fans An Early Reason To Watch
Trevor Manhertz has already spent more than a month around Indiana, and the early read on the 6-foot-8 forward is the kind Hoosier fans tend to like. As the third commitment in IUs 2026 class, he has been getting a head start on college life while the team gets ready for its trip to Lima, Peru, for the FISU America Games, and he spent part of a recent media session talking through the adjustment, the staff around him and the way he sees his own game fitting in.
Manhertz said the biggest change so far has been the physicality of college basketball, but he also sounded encouraged by the support system he has found on campus. He pointed to the coaching staff and to teammates such as Trent Sisley and Markus Burton as people helping him settle in, and the upcoming international run should give him and IU an early chance to build chemistry in a real game setting before the seasons bigger questions arrive. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Recruiting Momentum Is Starting To Take Shape This July
Indianas first July evaluation period is already giving Darian DeVries and his staff a chance to get around and see the next wave of targets in person. The Hoosiers were at the adidas 3SSB event, where they took in a busy slate of games and continued the early work of building out relationships with prospects across multiple classes, a process that matters even more with a new staff trying to establish itself quickly.
The trip also included a look at Indiana commit Chase Branham, giving the Hoosiers a live check on a player already in the fold while the rest of the board keeps coming into focus. With DeVries and his assistants expected to keep moving from event to event through the evaluation period, the bigger question is how many of those in-person sightings turn into real traction once the summer circuit settles down. [Read more 🡒]