Indiana’s preseason range is wide, but the message is pretty consistent: the Hoosiers are being viewed as an NCAA Tournament team, just not yet as a true national heavyweight.
Across 11 projections from national writers, polls and computer models, IU lands anywhere from No. 24 to No. 47. That puts the Hoosiers squarely in the conversation, but well short of the elite tier.
The most bullish outlook comes from The Field of 68, which has Indiana at No. 24. Jeff Goodman and Rob Dauster were impressed by the portal work, noting that, “The Hoosiers were also big spenders this offseason, grabbing a transfer starting five of Markus Burton (Notre Dame), Bryce Lindsay (Villanova), Darren Harris (Duke), Aiden Sherrell (Alabama) and Samet Yigitoglu (SMU).”
Sports Illustrated follows close behind at No. 25, with Kevin Sweeney placing IU sixth in the Big Ten. His view centers on the frontcourt, especially after last season’s issues inside.
“The Hoosiers beefed up their front line after getting pummeled in the paint in Darian DeVries’s first season. Alabama transfer Aiden Sherrell headlines a loaded portal class that should help the Hoosiers get back to relevance.”
CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish has Indiana at No. 26 in his top-25-and-1, pointing to the return of Sam Alexis and Trent Sisley and the additions around them. Parrish wrote that the ranking is based on Indiana returning “two of the top eight scorers - specifically Sam Alexis and Trent Sisley - from a team that finished 18-14 and missed the 2026 NCAA Tournament.” He added that the core will be joined by a group led by Markus Burton, Bryce Lindsay, Aiden Sherrell, Samet Yigitoglu, Darren Harris, Jaeden Mustaf, Justin Monden, and four-star prospects Vaugn Karvala, Prince-Alexander Moody and Trevor Manhertz.
Jon Rothstein has IU at No. 31 in his daily top-45, while Andy Katz slots the Hoosiers at No. 37 in Power 44. CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander also has Indiana at No. 37 in his top-100-and-1, and his breakdown is one of the more detailed reads on the roster.
He noted that Indiana was “one of the final bubble victims in the 68-team tournament era” and said the Hoosiers’ NCAA Tournament drought, with the last trip in 2023, should end in March of 2027. Norlander pointed to the money invested in the roster rebuild and highlighted the additions of Aiden Sherrell and Samet Yigitoglu in the frontcourt.
He also wrote that Indiana “made 60.3% of its 2s last season; I’d bank on DeVries keeping his team near that clip.”
Norlander also flagged the shooting question, saying Indiana needs “a shot in the arm” from beyond the arc. He said Markus Burton, Bryce Lindsay and Jaeden Mustaf are not “knock-down distance shooters,” but can create offense and avoid clogging the lane. His bottom line: with better defense and rotation management, Indiana should settle somewhere between fifth and eighth in the Big Ten, a league he expects to send at least 10 teams to the NCAA Tournament.
The final pieces of the national picture are a little less rosy, but not dramatically different. Indiana is unranked in both the Coaches Poll and the AP Top 25, though it did receive votes in each, which effectively places the Hoosiers at No. 33 and No. 36, respectively.
ESPN’s Jeff Borzello left IU out of his top-25 and the next five as well, and The Athletic’s C.J. Moore did not include the Hoosiers in his top-25.
The computer models land in a similar neighborhood. KenPom has Indiana at No.
47, Torvik has the Hoosiers at No. 26, and Evan Miya places them at No. 45.
So while the numbers vary, the broad shape of the projection is clear: Indiana looks like a team that should be in the mix for March, with the portal class doing the heavy lifting in most of these preseason evaluations.
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