The release of the preseason AP Top-25 Poll means that college basketball is right around the corner. The Indiana Hoosiers aren't ranked in the Top-25 to start the season, which isn't necessarily a surprise. The Hoosiers have almost an entirely new roster after going 18-14 and missing the NCAA Tournament last season in Darian DeVries' first season in Bloomington.
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Preseason rankings need to be taken with a grain of salt, but they give us a picture of how some of the top programs in the country are viewed heading into the new campaign. When looking at Indiana's upcoming schedule for 2026-27 season, plenty of teams ranked in the preseason Top-25 are featured both in non-conference play and Big Ten competition. Let's take a look at how many ranked teams the Hoosiers will face in DeVries' second season leading the Cream and Crimson.
Indiana basketball opponents ranked in the preseason AP Top-25 Poll
Non-conference opponents
No. 12 Arkansas
Tuesday, Nov. 17 at 7:30 p.m. ET at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY
No. 23 Kentucky
Friday, Nov. 20 at 8 p.m. ET at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, IN
Missouri (receiving votes)
Friday, Dec. 18 at 6 p.m. ET at Assembly Hall in Bloomington, IN
Big Ten opponents
No. 3 Illinois
Sunday, Jan. 24 at Noon ET at Assembly Hall in Bloomington, IN
No. 6 Michigan State
Tuesday, Feb. 23 at 7 p.m. ET at Assembly Hall in Bloomington, IN
No. 16 Michigan
Saturday, Jan. 16 at 1 p.m. ET at Assembly Hall in Bloomington, IN
No. 21 USC
Tuesday, Dec. 22 at 2 p.m. ET at Assembly Hall in Bloomington, IN
No. 22 UCLA
Saturday, Jan. 30 at Noon ET at Assembly Hall in Bloomington, IN
Nebraska (receiving votes)
Saturday, Feb. 6 at 2:30/6/8 p.m. ET at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, NE
Purdue (receiving votes)
Tuesday, Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. ET at Assembly Hall in Bloomington, IN
Friday, March 5 at 8 p.m. ET at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, IN
Ohio State (receiving votes)
Sunday, Feb. 28 at 3:45 p.m. ET at Assembly Hall in Bloomington, IN
Iowa (receiving votes)
Monday, Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. ET at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, IA
In total, the Hoosiers will face seven preseason Top-25 teams this season. Five more opponents received votes in the preseason AP Poll.
Indiana struggled mightily against ranked opponents last season. The Hoosiers went just 1-7 against Top-25 teams in 2025-26, with their lone ranked win coming on Jan. 27 against Purdue by a score of 72-67 in West Lafayette.
If Indiana is going to take a big step forward in DeVries' second season, getting more wins against ranked teams will be paramount. The good news is that of five of Indiana's matchup against Top-25 opponents come at Assembly Hall. The other two are at neutral sites, meaning the Hoosiers don't have a true road matchup against a preseason Top-25 team. The new season begins on Monday, Nov. 2 with a home tilt against Eastern Michigan.
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