Indiana Hoosiers: Five most important Big Ten games for the Hoosiers

The Indiana Hoosiers are picked to finish in the middle of the pack in the Big Ten this year. What are the most important games for the Hoosiers if they want to climb even further up the standings?

If you have been paying attention to the preseason Big Ten rankings, you have noticed that the Hoosiers are being picked anywhere from about seven to eleven. Most have them closer to seven and eight, but others are a little less optimistic about Indiana’s chances.

Last year the expectations were much higher with five-star recruit Romeo Langford on campus and the return of Juwan Morgan. The Hoosiers looked ready to take the next step and maybe make some noise in the NCAA tournament. Things went south midway through the season and that never materialized, leaving Indiana having to settle for the NIT which they made the quarterfinals in.

Many Hoosiers may feel slighted by the preseason picks by the media outlets, but it is probably about right for an Indiana team with a lot to prove. It also lets them kind of lay back and sneak up on other teams and if they can make a leap might actually help their NCAA chances.

But in order to make a jump, the Hoosiers are going to have to beat some good teams in the Big Ten. The conference has Michigan State at the top and then a lot of very good teams. Maryland, Purdue, and Ohio State look like the best chance to test the Spartans, with Michigan, Penn State, Illinois, and Wisconsin looking the next set of teams.

The Hoosiers are looking to make the jump up into that second group and maybe even sniff the top group but it will be a tough hill to climb.

So what games are the most important for Indiana this year? We take a look at the top five games that will influence their standing in the Big Ten. Michigan State is obviously a big game, but with them looking like the class of the Big Ten, it actually may not be as important this year. With that being said here are the five most important games for the Hoosiers.