Indiana basketball has a chance to feel like itself again in 2026-27.
That may sound like a modest goal for a program with IU’s history, but after what has been a rough stretch, fun would be a welcome change. For much of the last decade - and some would argue the last 25 years - Hoosiers basketball has been, in a word, soul-sucking.
That hits harder in Bloomington because the program is woven into people’s lives. It shapes moods, family spending and weekend plans.
When IU is rolling, it matters everywhere. When it isn’t, everyone feels it.
The numbers back up the frustration. Indiana has finished above .500 in Big Ten play only once in the last 10 seasons.
That came in Trayce Jackson-Davis’ final year, when the Hoosiers went 23-12 overall, 12-8 in the league, tied for second, and reached the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament. It wasn’t a landmark season by IU’s old standard, but it was fun.
And fun is still the baseline expectation, even if nobody is seriously expecting a stretch like 1975-1987, when the Hoosiers won six Big Ten titles and three national championships.
There’s reason to think 2026-27 can get back there in some form, and the schedule is a big part of it.
Indiana got a break in conference play. It has one meeting each with Illinois, Michigan and Michigan State, the three teams widely expected to sit at the top of the Big Ten, and all three trips come to Bloomington.
That matters. It matters a lot.
The nonconference setup helps too. IU’s 12-game slate includes five high-major opponents, but four of those games are in Indiana, none are true road games, and two are on the home floor. Kentucky, Arkansas and Missouri will all test the Hoosiers, but the setup could have been tougher.
The Big Ten portion doesn’t present any obvious nightmare stretch either. As always, road games will be tricky, but there isn’t a segment of the schedule that screams losing streak.
The final five-game run - vs. Purdue, at Wisconsin, vs.
Michigan State, vs. Ohio State and at Purdue - will be a grind, but three of those are at home and Purdue doesn’t look like the same juggernaut it has been lately.
Indiana also gets its biggest home tests while students are on campus: Jan. 16 vs. Michigan, Jan. 24 vs.
Illinois, Jan. 30 vs. UCLA, Feb. 16 vs.
Purdue and Feb. 23 vs. Ohio State.
The West Coast swing at Oregon and Washington lands when students are away, and that road trip is part of a broader list of winnable league games that includes Northwestern, Maryland, Penn State and Minnesota.
Put it all together and it’s fair to think this team can get north of 20 wins in the regular season. A 21-23 win year would count as something close to fun, and that’s not a ridiculous ceiling for this group.
The roster is the other reason for optimism.
Indiana has a very good point guard in Markus Burton, Jr. It has a potential First Team All-Big Ten big man in Aiden Sherrell. Those are the kinds of building blocks that usually matter most.
Around them is a group with real high-major production. Jaeden Mustaf, Bryce Lindsay, Sam Alexis, and Samet Yigitoglu all bring proven experience.
Duke transfer Darren Harris could be a breakout name. Trent Sisley gives the roster a glue guy.
Sherrell, Yigitoglu and Alexis bring size, which was badly missing a year ago. Freshman Prince-Alexander Moody adds needed depth in the backcourt.
The only real cloud hanging over that picture is Alexis’ eligibility, which appears to be shifting by the minute. He is seeking an injunction in an Indiana court, and that could change as soon as this week. It’s an important issue because he can help this team a great deal.
Still, the broad outline is easy to see. This is a roster with the pieces to finish in the top third of the Big Ten and to be a problem for just about anybody on the schedule, even if it doesn’t project as a top-10 team on paper.
For Indiana fans, that’s enough to dream on.
And after everything, a little fun would go a long way.
In Other News...
Darian DeVries Has A Chance To Change Indiana's Recruiting Buzz
Darian DeVries is already giving Indiana fans a reason to pay attention to the future, with the Hoosiers hosting 5-star 2028 combo guard Brady Pettigrew for an official visit. Pettigrew is one of the more coveted young guards in the country, and Indiana will have to make its pitch while he continues a busy recruiting calendar that includes official visits to other programs.
The visit matters for more than just one prospect, because Indiana is also in the mix for 5-star 2027 recruit Darius Wabbington as DeVries works to reshape the programs recruiting profile. The Hoosiers already have commitments from 4-star Chase Branham and Felix Kiehlneker, but landing elite targets like Pettigrew would go a long way toward changing the buzz around what Indiana is building next. [Read more 🡒]
Indianas Title Run Just Raised The Pressure On Curt Cignetti
Indianas national title run in 2025 did more than change the conversation around the program, it also sharpened the expectations around how Curt Cignetti keeps it going. The Athletic estimated the Hoosiers NIL budget for 2026 at between $36 million and $40 million, a figure that would place Indiana fourth in the Big Ten and still below some of the leagues biggest spenders.
That gap matters because the championship showed Indiana can do more than keep pace with bigger brands, it can beat them with a disciplined, strategic approach to roster building. Now the challenge is sustaining that edge, because success has a way of raising the price of staying successful, and Indianas next step will test whether Cignetti can keep the programs spending sharp enough to match the standard it just set. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Gets A Chance To Pounce Before The Real Tests Begin
Western Kentucky arrives in Bloomington in an early-season rut, which gives Indiana a useful chance to keep building momentum before the schedule turns serious. The Hilltoppers have already taken two significant losses to open 2026, and the early returns have been rough on both sides of the ball. Rodney Tisdale Jr. has not yet thrown a touchdown, and after being benched in the second half against Georgia, the quarterback picture has at least shown a flicker of life with Brock Glenn stepping in.
For Indiana, the matchup comes at the right time, since Western Kentucky has given up plenty of points and yards and is still searching for answers ahead of conference play. These are the kinds of games where a home team can separate early, clean up execution and avoid letting a struggling opponent hang around long enough to make things awkward. The Hoosiers still have bigger tests waiting, but first they get a chance to make this one look comfortable. [Read more 🡒]