The Indiana Hoosiers have made the NCAA Tournament just twice over the last 10 years. Simply put, that is not acceptable in Bloomington. Hoosier basketball fans are starving for a tournament run, and after an underwhelming first season at the helm of the Indiana program, Darian DeVries is looking to make it happen in 2026-27.
After a strong offseason addressing the needs of the roster, DeVries has the Hoosiers primed to take a big step forward. However, ESPN doesn't expect the step forward to be that big.
Indiana fans are ready to see a big improvement from the Hoosiers
On paper, the Hoosiers had one of the best––or possibly even the best––offseason in all of college basketball. DeVries was busy in the portal and brought in a transfer class loaded with talent.
In the frontcourt, bringing in 7'2" center Samet Yigitoglu from SMU gives Indiana the true center it desperately missed last season. But arguably Indiana's prize of the portal comes in the form of former Alabama power forward Aiden Sherrell. The 6'11" Sherrell is a dominating force on both ends of the floor, and together with Yigitoglu, has a chance to makeup one of the best frontcourt combinations in the Big Ten this season.
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In the backcourt, the additions of Markus Burton (Notre Dame), Darren Harris (Duke), Jaeden Mustaf (Georgia Tech), and Bryce Lindsay (Villanova) give the Hoosiers plenty of experience, athleticism, poise, and depth. That is a recipe for success.
Throw in returning forward Trent Sisley as well as a promising group of freshmen that includes Vaughn Karvala, Prince-Alexander Moody, and Trevor Manhertz, and the talent is definitely there to make a deep March Madness run. But ESPN doesn't see it that way.
ESPN doesn't see Indiana making a deep run in the NCAA Tournament this season
Earlier this week, ESPN's Myron Medcalf released his floor and ceiling projections for each Big Ten team heading into the 2026-27 college basketball season. While he sees improvement from DeVries and company, he doesn't see them making a deep tournament run.
Medcalf projects Indiana to finish anywhere from 4th to 8th in the Big Ten this season. After going 9-11 and finishing 10th last season, that seems pretty fair. The Hoosiers should be expected to move up in the conference standings, but it would be surprising to see them overtake teams at the top like Michigan, Illinois, and Michigan State.
When it comes to the NCAA Tournament, Medcalf states that Indiana's floor is the Round of 64 and the ceiling is the Round of 32. Medcalf's ceiling for this team is simply too low.
Indiana can make a serious run in the NCAA Tournament
As previously mentioned, all of the pieces are in place for the Hoosiers to have a strong season. They have a plethora of scoring options, and a handful of players who can shoot the ball at a reliable clip from the outside. That is the system that DeVries wants to run. We didn't see much of that last season, but now with a season of Big Ten experience under his belt, DeVries has this year's team looking much more promising.
Furthermore, the Hoosiers got the necessary size and athleticism at the 4 and 5 positions that should bolster rim protection, shot-blocking, and rebounding on both ends of the floor. The frontcourt depth is bordering on elite, and the freshmen looked ready for the moment at the FISU America Games last month. Together, the rookie class of Karvala, Moody, and Manhertz all have the potential to make immediate impacts this season.
In an expanded NCAA Tournament field, Medcalf is right in saying that getting to the big dance should be the bare minimum for DeVries this season. But once they are there, there's no denying that the Hoosiers have all the pieces in place to make a deep run. Thus, a Sweet 16 or Elite 8 run is well within the realm of possibility.
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