Pre season rank

[Jssanto]

I see us as high as 9 and commonly in the 10-15 range.
It seems high to me.
I agree Race and Trace are nice bigs and JG off the bench will help. But I am not sure what we have in Logan, and Kopp is not a rebound banger.
Malik is highly ranked but so was Lander; hard to count on a Freshman as a guarantee. Same with Shiff.
To really battle for a big title, to beat Michigan in AA, PU in West Lafayette, etc, we need some combo of Trace develops a midrange shot, Tamar and/or JG make a leap, and Jalen can play as a sophomore.
Maybe I am too glass half empty.

 

[Harry Hondo]

I see us as high as 9 and commonly in the 10-15 range.
It seems high to me.
I agree Race and Trace are nice bigs and JG off the bench will help. But I am not sure what we have in Logan, and Kopp is not a rebound banger.
Malik is highly ranked but so was Lander; hard to count on a Freshman as a guarantee. Same with Shiff.
To really battle for a big title, to beat Michigan in AA, PU in West Lafayette, etc, we need some combo of Trace develops a midrange shot, Tamar and/or JG make a leap, and Jalen can play as a sophomore.
Maybe I am too glass half empty.

Not sure I’d compare every new freshman to Lander. He was an outlier and most top 25 freshmen will produce some their first year. Lander’s biggest problem was coming out early and not playing his senior year of high school.

 

[T.M.P.]

I see us as high as 9 and commonly in the 10-15 range.
It seems high to me.
I agree Race and Trace are nice bigs and JG off the bench will help. But I am not sure what we have in Logan, and Kopp is not a rebound banger.
Malik is highly ranked but so was Lander; hard to count on a Freshman as a guarantee. Same with Shiff.
To really battle for a big title, to beat Michigan in AA, PU in West Lafayette, etc, we need some combo of Trace develops a midrange shot, Tamar and/or JG make a leap, and Jalen can play as a sophomore.
Maybe I am too glass half empty.

Have you looked at every roster in the conference and nation and compared them or are you viewing IU in a isolated vacuum?

In competitive activities, proficiency is relative to the competition.

Also, if you would pick the correct sized glass to begin with, this stupid argument about half empty or full wouldn't be an issue.

 

[Hoosierfan1901]

We will probably be ranked #16

 

[.Gerdis]

Not sure about where we should be ranked but imho we could have a roster similar to last year (and having no one make a big jump in improvement), improve in our ability to close games and we could be in that 3-5 conference position. It seems to me that the conference will be down quite a bit.

In other words, even modest improvement and having one player break out and I could see us finishing top 3 in the conference. Would that makes us a top 10 team, who knows?

 

[bsmitty08]

Possibly a top 25 team. Remember this almost exact lineup went below .500 in conference

 

[T.M.P.]

Not sure about where we should be ranked but imho we could have a roster similar to last year (and having no one make a big jump in improvement), improve in our ability to close games and we could be in that 3-5 conference position. It seems to me that the conference will be down quite a bit.

In other words, even modest improvement and having one player break out and I could see us finishing top 3 in the conference. Would that makes us a top 10 team, who knows?

Yea, we have a roster similar to last year, I'd say better but that's yet to be seen, while many teams have rosters worse than last year. Purdue, OSU, Michigan, MSU, Iowa, Maryland, Illinois, Wisconsin all lost key players. IU didn't. and, fwiw none of them, not one, is better equipped for this year vs last.

We don't have to improve to move up if other teams regress, right?

Also, the coaching becomes exponential .. last year the only person experienced in the system was the head coach, everyone was a freshman. This year, we have experienced players in the system, who will teach and guide new players as much as the coaches do. Next year, that multiplies again.. etc.

 

[Spartans9312]

Yea, we have a roster similar to last year, I'd say better but that's yet to be seen, while many teams have rosters worse than last year. Purdue, OSU, Michigan, MSU, Iowa, Maryland, Illinois, Wisconsin all lost key players. IU didn't. and, fwiw none of them, not one, is better equipped for this year vs last.

We don't have to improve to move up if other teams regress, right?

Also, the coaching becomes exponential .. last year the only person experienced in the system was the head coach, everyone was a freshman. This year, we have experienced players in the system, who will teach and guide new players as much as the coaches do. Next year, that multiplies again.. etc.

It amazes me the amount of people that either don’t understand your last paragraph or totally dismiss the importance.
Spot on

 

[Jssanto]

Have you looked at every roster in the conference and nation and compared them or are you viewing IU in a isolated vacuum?

In competitive activities, proficiency is relative to the competition.

Also, if you would pick the correct sized glass to begin with, this stupid argument about half empty or full wouldn't be an issue.

Good point. I do not follow other teams closely so I compare us to our teams in the past. It may be my faulty memory but I remember Jordan Hulls and Yogi dropping crucial threes.

 

[Victorbmyboy]

It amazes me the amount of people that either don’t understand your last paragraph or totally dismiss the importance.
Spot on

It’s the hardest thing to explain. When my son first started playing football his team was full of kids that would say he sucked. They all posture like they have been playing for years. I explained to the kids that you will only get better if you start helping each other. If you teach each other and listen the whole team gets better. Took them awhile but they started seeing it. My son progressed so fast and ended the travel season starting. It was so damn fun watching him beat out those kids who told him he sucked.

 

[Jssanto]

Yea, we have a roster similar to last year, I'd say better but that's yet to be seen, while many teams have rosters worse than last year. Purdue, OSU, Michigan, MSU, Iowa, Maryland, Illinois, Wisconsin all lost key players. IU didn't. and, fwiw none of them, not one, is better equipped for this year vs last.

We don't have to improve to move up if other teams regress, right?

Also, the coaching becomes exponential .. last year the only person experienced in the system was the head coach, everyone was a freshman. This year, we have experienced players in the system, who will teach and guide new players as much as the coaches do. Next year, that multiplies again.. etc.

I do not go to those school’s boards, read their papers, etc so I will have to take your word for it.
So, great for us. We have a better roster than last year and CMW likely learned something last year he will use this year.
4 1/2 months to start.

 

[iubud]

I see us as high as 9 and commonly in the 10-15 range.
It seems high to me.
I agree Race and Trace are nice bigs and JG off the bench will help. But I am not sure what we have in Logan, and Kopp is not a rebound banger.
Malik is highly ranked but so was Lander; hard to count on a Freshman as a guarantee. Same with Shiff.
To really battle for a big title, to beat Michigan in AA, PU in West Lafayette, etc, we need some combo of Trace develops a midrange shot, Tamar and/or JG make a leap, and Jalen can play as a sophomore.
Maybe I am too glass half empty.

You forgot to mention X. Name a B1G school that has a trio better than X, TJD and Race. Add in JG, Galloway, Bates, and the freshmen and there is a significant increase in talent and development compared to November 2021.

We have reason to be optimistic with a core of experienced proven players and an influx of talented recruits. The recruits could contribute this year, but we won't need them to lead us like we have required other young players to do.

 

[Cavanagh]

Yea, we have a roster similar to last year, I'd say better but that's yet to be seen, while many teams have rosters worse than last year. Purdue, OSU, Michigan, MSU, Iowa, Maryland, Illinois, Wisconsin all lost key players. IU didn't. and, fwiw none of them, not one, is better equipped for this year vs last.

We don't have to improve to move up if other teams regress, right?

Also, the coaching becomes exponential .. last year the only person experienced in the system was the head coach, everyone was a freshman. This year, we have experienced players in the system, who will teach and guide new players as much as the coaches do. Next year, that multiplies again.. etc.

A brand new point guard and coach year one .
Year two of X and all the other returning players is huge. X will be a top 10 PG in the country. Maybe top 5.

 

[T.M.P.]

A brand new point guard and coach year one .
Year two of X and all the other returning players is huge. X will be a top 10 PG in the country. Maybe top 5.

Plus, we also have JHS.

 

[rocketo]

I see us as high as 9 and commonly in the 10-15 range.
It seems high to me.
I agree Race and Trace are nice bigs and JG off the bench will help. But I am not sure what we have in Logan, and Kopp is not a rebound banger.
Malik is highly ranked but so was Lander; hard to count on a Freshman as a guarantee. Same with Shiff.
To really battle for a big title, to beat Michigan in AA, PU in West Lafayette, etc, we need some combo of Trace develops a midrange shot, Tamar and/or JG make a leap, and Jalen can play as a sophomore.
Maybe I am too glass half empty.

I don’t see either of JHS or MR turning out like Lander. If you have watched them play, they are far more ready for college ball. And don’t forget Lander reclassified and went through a coaching change. Cards were stacked against him.

Doesn’t change my opinion that Top 10 is a pretty tall task. Top 20 is more realistic. We need a lot of development to make top 10, but we shall see.

 

[kkott]

I don’t see either of JHS or MR turning out like Lander. If you have watched them play, they are far more ready for college ball. And don’t forget Lander reclassified and went through a coaching change. Cards were stacked against him.

Doesn’t change my opinion that Top 10 is a pretty tall task. Top 20 is more realistic. We need a lot of development to make top 10, but we shall see.

There's nothing magical about the top 10, and no reason this team with it's talent, depth and experience shouldn't expect to be there... other than one of our big problems as a program: we've been bad for so long we've lost the expectation of expectations! Look at that early list of top 10 teams, which includes Houston, Creighton, Gonzaga, Baylor and Arkansas. All good teams and programs, but ones that have developed during our swoon. Every reason to believe with our resources, tradition, talent pool and passion that we should be among that group, many/most years, but certainly when we are returning a talented and veteran core with some good freshmen joining. This team should be top 10 imho and should expect/strive for that.

 

[Lucy01]

What’s more important is the team’s ranking in March! Anything earlier is just smoke and mirrors.

 

[Hoosier Clarion]

There's nothing magical about the top 10, and no reason this team with it's talent, depth and experience shouldn't expect to be there... other than one of our big problems as a program: we've been bad for so long we've lost the expectation of expectations! Look at that early list of top 10 teams, which includes Houston, Creighton, Gonzaga, Baylor and Arkansas. All good teams and programs, but ones that have developed during our swoon. Every reason to believe with our resources, tradition, talent pool and passion that we should be among that group, many/most years, but certainly when we are returning a talented and veteran core with some good freshmen joining. This team should be top 10 imho and should expect/strive for that.

Like the way you think.

 

[MG80]

Possibly a top 25 team. Remember this almost exact lineup went below .500 in conference

First of all, the roster is very different. Durr, Lander, etc are gone and 4 newbies in, especially JHS & Malik, who were outstanding players on a great high school team. Last years’ youngsters are a year older. Woody and staff have had a year to acclimate. Even with all the young and new blood, the team now has a veteran feel to it, and should have plenty of toughness and on court leadership. I know it’s all potential, but the upside is there for the taking.

 

[bsmitty08]

First of all, the roster is very different. Durr, Lander, etc are gone and 4 newbies in, especially JHS & Malik, who were outstanding players on a great high school team. Last years’ youngsters are a year older. Woody and staff have had a year to acclimate. Even with all the young and new blood, the team now has a veteran feel to it, and should have plenty of toughness and on court leadership. I know it’s all potential, but the upside is there for the taking.

I dont disagree but we are talking about a team who couldn’t win more than half of its conference games.

 

[Jssanto]

There's nothing magical about the top 10, and no reason this team with it's talent, depth and experience shouldn't expect to be there... other than one of our big problems as a program: we've been bad for so long we've lost the expectation of expectations! Look at that early list of top 10 teams, which includes Houston, Creighton, Gonzaga, Baylor and Arkansas. All good teams and programs, but ones that have developed during our swoon. Every reason to believe with our resources, tradition, talent pool and passion that we should be among that group, many/most years, but certainly when we are returning a talented and veteran core with some good freshmen joining. This team should be top 10 imho and should expect/strive for that.

What is the secret of the programs you named? It might be as simple as who is the head coach.
I guess in today’s market you must add in NIL.

 

[kkott]

What is the secret of the programs you named? It might be as simple as who is the head coach.
I guess in today’s market you must add in NIL.

I'd say the Coach is the biggest part for sure, followed by support from AD and school. Whether you consider NIL as part of that or a 3rd leg of the stool, I'd think any school who wants top talent going forward better have that in place and figured out too.

 

[Stuffshot]

I see us as high as 9 and commonly in the 10-15 range.
It seems high to me.
I agree Race and Trace are nice bigs and JG off the bench will help. But I am not sure what we have in Logan, and Kopp is not a rebound banger.
Malik is highly ranked but so was Lander; hard to count on a Freshman as a guarantee. Same with Shiff.
To really battle for a big title, to beat Michigan in AA, PU in West Lafayette, etc, we need some combo of Trace develops a midrange shot, Tamar and/or JG make a leap, and Jalen can play as a sophomore.
Maybe I am too glass half empty.

Well, it seems overly optimistic and click-baitishly insane, but here you go.

Jeff Borzello/ESPN picked IU as No. 14 in the country preseason and also wrote:

With Trayce Jackson-Davis withdrawing from the NBA draft and returning to Bloomington, Indiana will likely enter the season as the Big Ten favorite.​

Gonzaga up, Villanova down as three new teams enter Way-Too-Early Top 25 for 2022-23

The potential returns of Drew Timme and Julian Strawther could mean big things for the Zags in 2022-23.

www.espn.com

Keep in mind that the same guy picked Creighton (and its terrifying Bluejay mascot) as No. 5. There is nothing more terrifying than a Bluejay (unless it is a Mudhen or Boilermaker).

 

[Pryght]

 

[gator mcCluskey]

Next season will be a down year for the B10.

 

[Jssanto]

Interesting. Thanks.

 

[rocketo]

There's nothing magical about the top 10, and no reason this team with it's talent, depth and experience shouldn't expect to be there... other than one of our big problems as a program: we've been bad for so long we've lost the expectation of expectations! Look at that early list of top 10 teams, which includes Houston, Creighton, Gonzaga, Baylor and Arkansas. All good teams and programs, but ones that have developed during our swoon. Every reason to believe with our resources, tradition, talent pool and passion that we should be among that group, many/most years, but certainly when we are returning a talented and veteran core with some good freshmen joining. This team should be top 10 imho and should expect/strive for that.

Didn’t say top 10 would be magical. I said it is a tall task. We need players to develop. Some need to make good sized leaps. Another year in CMW system will be a big help, and if we see good development and our team chemistry is strong, top 10 may happen.

I don’t think there are many here who would disagree that we should strive to consistently be a top 10 team. That means we should be in the hunt every year. But we need to win some of those early games against big time teams to get there. We need some serious development from our 1-3 to make it there. I have faith that CMW has built the culture to be successful. And we certainly have some talented players. Going to be fun to watch this year. Looking forward to it…

 

[MG80]

Next season will be a down year for the B10.

Not sure I buy this. Yes, teams lost some very good players, but the league still has a bunch of excellent coaches, lots of good transfers coming in, and the league always surprises with players like Davis of Wisc and Murray of Iowa. Also, B1G road games are always a bear, down year or not.

 

[Eurocyldon]

Things certainly trending in IU's favor. The returning players. The highly rated recruiting class. The rest of the conferences key player losses. Fan expectation will be through the roof. Team expectations should be high but the upgraded non-conference schedule should ensure they stay humble.

If anybody beyond Miller can knock down the three at a decent rate they should be competitive every game. Then it's a matter of getting to tourney time healthy and without some foolish off court incident.

 

[Pryght]

 

[BusdriverE]

I think for us to make run for the final four, not only do we need improvement from certain returning players but improvement from coaching staff as well. I think we are starting to get the types of players CMW wants but now what can he do with that? And in game adjustments will decide if he has gotten better than last year......my explanations are high this year

 

[T.M.P.]

Keep in mind that the same guy picked Creighton (and its terrifying Bluejay mascot) as No. 5

That's because they have a really good roster this coming year.

 

[Victorbmyboy]

Look, veteran rosters matter. The only thing that keeps IU ranked moderately is they still need to prove they can play together, without trouble. Woody is proving he knows what he’s doing. Relax. Let’s frigin gooooooo!!!!

 

[GThomas]

Next season will be a down year for the B10.

...but an up year for IU.

 

[GThomas]

Interesting. Thanks.

Wow, UVa returns 88% of its scoring. So that's, what, 33 ppg??

 

[Victorbmyboy]

Wow, UVa returns 88% of its scoring. So that's, what, 33 ppg??

32.

 

[GThomas]

32.

I rounded up from 32.4. My mistake.

 

[Victorbmyboy]

I rounded up from 32.4. My mistake.

Math is hard. 🤨

 

[82hoosier]

A brand new point guard and coach year one .
Year two of X and all the other returning players is huge. X will be a top 10 PG in the country. Maybe top 5.

X's upside potential on the court is matched by his downside potential off the court.

 

[Hoosier Clarion]

X's upside potential on the court is matched by his downside potential off the court.

Don't entirely agree with his year 2 downside potential. Because we know nothing about any consequences of his Joey Chitwood driving demonstration tells me his choker chain is snugged up tight behind the scenes. Trayce alluded to the same during his IUBB return presser. I have no doubt Coach Woodson assigned the guardianship task to RT and TJD specifically to strongly adjust X's affinity for making negative decisions handicapping his life. Woodson knows what heights this season offers for the Hoosiers BB program. X either flies straight or there will be a Frosh PG. Arithmetic is simple.