With a revamped roster and hopes for a deep postseason run, expectations are excessive for Indiana basketball this season.
Mike Woodson gathered one of many prime switch courses within the nation, filling a once-depleted backcourt with depth and bolstering the frontcourt. Wednesday evening, IU begins common season play towards SIU Edwardsville.
Contained in the Corridor writers Will Foley, Matt Press and Kevin Vera provide their preseason crew superlatives and predictions for the season:
Staff MVP
Will Foley: Oumar Ballo is unanimously the highest-ranked IU participant in preseason participant rankings, however I’ll say Myles Rice would be the crew’s Most worthy piece. The lightning-quick guard ought to lead a refreshing change of tempo in Indiana’s backcourt. A dependable scorer with stable playmaking skills, how effectively Rice performs may dictate IU’s season.
Matt Press: You’ll be able to’t overlook how a lot Myles Rice transforms Indiana’s backcourt, however I’ll go along with Oumar Ballo for my MVP. IU was a poor rebounding crew final season and Ballo is a menace on the glass. He averaged a double-double with Arizona in 2023-24 (12.9 factors and 10.1 rebounds) and is an intimidating shot blocker. The free throw taking pictures is a priority, however with an opportunity to broaden his recreation below Mike Woodson, I foresee a dominant 12 months in retailer for Ballo.
Kevin Vera: It’s onerous to select towards Myles Rice for this superlative. Rice provides loads of dimensions to this Indiana crew in all the precise methods. His intuition as a pure level guard will add layers to the IU offense and his management on and off the ground is plain. Rice is the precise kind of participant Indiana wanted to get within the portal, and now, in his first season as a Hoosier, Rice needs to be the heartbeat for this 12 months’s crew.
Prime newcomer
Foley: Since Rice is the apparent alternative as my MVP choose, I’ll go the standard route and say Bryson Tucker because the season progresses. The highly-touted freshman displayed his expertise within the Hoosiers’ exhibition win over Marian with 19 factors on 9-of-12 taking pictures. Whereas adjusting to Large Ten-level physicality could take a while, I’d financial institution on him bettering steadily all year long and inserting himself in an instrumental position.
Press: Ballo was my MVP choose, and Rice might be equally as deserving, however I’ll swap issues up and go along with Kanaan Carlyle. Carlyle averaged 11.5 factors per recreation as a freshman for Stanford final 12 months and he has an opportunity to match that manufacturing this season. He’s athletic and assured, and whereas he wasn’t a extremely environment friendly shooter in 2023-24, he gained’t be relied upon fairly as a lot to guide the offense at IU. Woodson raved about Carlyle’s scoring skill, and relying on his utilization, I feel Carlyle may star alongside Rice within the backcourt.
Vera: Mike Woodson introduced in Ballo, which ought to excite many Hoosier followers. The Arizona switch ought to discover success in Woodson’s system. With the items round Ballo and his fierce presence across the rim, it’s a recipe for achievement. He has the instruments to place up one among his finest seasons but.
Greatest shock
Foley: Indiana sweeps Purdue. Mike Woodson has gained in West Lafayette earlier than (due to Jalen Hood-Schifino’s finest efficiency) and has a 3-3 file versus the Boilermakers by means of three seasons. Now going through perhaps the weakest Purdue squad since Woodson arrived, it wouldn’t be too stunning if the Hoosiers gained bragging rights over their rivals.
Press: Jakai Newton turns into a serious contributor. A lot of that hinges on his well being, as he’s constantly handled harm since arriving in Bloomington final 12 months. Nonetheless, his expertise is plain. Woodson dubbed Newton the very best athlete on the crew, and his stint of play within the exhibition towards Marian backed that declare. Newton is quick, robust and artful on the rim – barring any setbacks, I feel he has some attractive scoring potential.
Vera: My prediction right here stands once more with the expertise this crew provides. There are a number of attractive items on this 12 months’s squad, however I feel Bryson Tucker will shock many individuals along with his mature type of play. The one freshman on this crew, Tucker displayed nice potential in Indiana’s exhibition towards Marian and has been stirring conversations about how good he may be in his first season. I wouldn’t be shocked if Tucker begins a number of video games in the precise scenario and performs vital minutes for IU. He’ll turn into a stable piece within the IU rotation.
Hardest matchup
Foley: Quite a lot of attractive selections, however I’ll settle with the matchup towards Rutgers in Meeting Corridor on Jan. 2. The Scarlet Knights’ star freshman tandem of Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey will likely be one of the crucial thrilling duos to observe in not simply the convention, however the nation. Steve Pikiell has constantly carried out effectively towards the Hoosiers and each matchup between the groups is a battle.
Press: With a comparatively weak nonconference slate, I’ll make a bland choose and go along with IU’s recreation towards Purdue on Jan. 31 in Mackey. Rutgers needs to be entertaining and I’m curious to see the Hoosiers towards the brand new Large Ten additions, however Purdue ought to determine to stay in rivalry atop the convention. Even with out Zach Edey, the Boilermakers boast a Large Ten participant of the 12 months candidate in Braden Smith and IU will likely be coming into the sport hoping to avenge final 12 months’s sweep.
Vera: Indiana and Illinois will likely be a really entertaining recreation to observe. Each rosters have loads of new items and each groups are full of expertise. Brad Underwood is a coach with a knack for placing all his items collectively and Woodson ought to have the ability to do the identical along with his squad, giving us a enjoyable head-to-head matchup in mid-January. Their lone matchup of the 12 months has the potential to be an especially enjoyable battle in Meeting Corridor.
Postseason predictions
Foley: I take into account this a down 12 months for the Large Ten, which leaves issues huge open. The Hoosiers have the strongest roster on paper and I feel that is the 12 months it will get put collectively. I’ll say they only miss out on a daily season title however make a run in March and win the Large Ten event, earn a No. 3 seed and make the Elite Eight.
Press: All the pieces appears to interrupt proper for Indiana this season. The Large Ten isn’t fairly as robust because it’s been lately, and Woodson definitely boasts essentially the most gifted crew he’s coached at IU. A loaded switch class and potential star freshman in Bryson Tucker ought to vault Indiana to a prime three end within the convention and I agree with Will a few Large Ten Match victory. Whereas I gained’t rule out a deeper NCAA event run, I feel their journey ends within the Candy Sixteen.
Vera: That is the 12 months for Indiana to make a deep run within the event. It’s their most gifted roster in fairly a while and is gifted sufficient to push them late within the season. They are going to be one of many prime groups within the Large Ten and in the event that they get the whole lot clicking, this crew may have robust momentum come March. I feel Candy Sixteen is the place this crew will land, however there’s loads of promise for this 12 months’s crew that would give them higher outcomes on the finish of the season.
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