Darian DeVries' first season at the helm of the Indiana basketball program ended in disappointment. The Hoosiers were 17-8 and 8-6 in Big Ten play after defeating Oregon on February 9, but a 1-6 record to finish the season ultimately doomed any chance IU had of qualifying for March Madness. Heading into Year 2, Hoosier basketball fans are eager for a better campaign.
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The offseason has brought reasons for optimism, as Indiana's transfer portal class has garnered plenty of attention and praise. DeVries has brought in seven players through the portal, and six of them have multiple years of high-major college basketball experience. As it stands, Indiana's group of transfers is currently ranked as the No. 5 transfer portal class in the country according to 247Sports.
Throw in the fact Indiana boasts a top-25 incoming recruiting class and rising sophomore Trent Sisley is poised for a larger role next season, and the Hoosiers could be on the verge of an impressive 2026-27 season.
But the latest rankings from ESPN have the Hoosiers on the outside looking in when it comes to the preseason top-25.
Indiana misses the top-25 in ESPN's early college basketball rankings
Throughout the offseason, Indiana has been receiving plenty of top-25 hype. In April, CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein stated that Indiana is a top-25 team on paper entering the 2026 season. DeVries and company have also received top-25 praise on multiple other media platforms so far this offseason.
But now that the NBA Draft withdrawal process has concluded, the rankings have changed. The Hoosiers are noticeably missing from ESPN's way-too-early top-25 rankings following the NBA Draft withdrawal deadline.
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Instead, Indiana is listed in the "Next five" category just outside of the top-25. They are joined in that group by the Saint Louis Billikens, UCLA Bruins, BYU Cougars, and Texas A&M Aggies.
Big Ten stars skipping NBA Draft creates tougher road for Indiana
The withdrawal deadline for the 2026 NBA Draft was last Wednesday, and several high-profile Big Ten players chose to forgo the draft and return to college basketball next season.
Among the most notable players in the Big Ten opting to return to college for the 2026-27 season include Michigan State's Jeremy Fears Jr, Michigan's Elliot Cadeau, and Illinois' Andrej Stojakovic. Those players returning to three of the Big Ten's top teams make life even more difficult for conference opponents, including Indiana.
DeVries has landed a talented transfer portal class that is receiving high praise, but returning production will not be a strength of the Hoosiers next season. The only returning player for Indiana will be Trent Sisley, who averaged just 4.2 points per game while playing just over 13 minutes per game as a freshman.
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