The 2026 non-conference schedule for the Indiana basketball program features a great deal of challenges. The Hoosiers will play five games against high-major programs, which includes matchups against four NCAA Tournament teams from a season ago.
Predicting Indiana Basketball’s best and worst case records for non-conference play
Among Indiana's non-conference matchups is a tilt against the Missouri Tigers on December 18. It will be Indiana's 11th game of the season, and will take place at Assembly Hall in Bloomington. The return of star forward Mark Mitchell makes this contest even more challenging for Darian DeVries and company.
Mark Mitchell returning to Missouri after planning to transfer to Kentucky
On Monday, Mitchell announced that he will be returning to play for Missouri for his fifth year of eligibility. He committed to Kentucky via the transfer portal last weekend, but a looming legal battle with the SEC led to the 6'8" playmaker deciding to return to the Tigers.
In summary, Mitchell was granted a temporary restraining order earlier this month by a Kentucky judge. The move allowed him to return to college basketball for a fifth season. Mitchell then entered the transfer portal and decided to take his talents to Lexington. However, the SEC doesn't permit intraconference transfers outside of the regular transfer window, which is in April. Thus, Mitchell has now decided to come back to Missouri.
Mitchell's situation is just the latest chaotic series of events when it comes to eligibility for the upcoming 2026-27 college basketball season. Multiple court battles have led to non-stop chaos and confusion, and there seems to be little clarity surrounding eligibility right now.
But one thing is for sure: With Mitchell back at Missouri, Indiana just got another big problem to worry about.
Mark Mitchell makes Missouri even more dangerous in 2026-27
Mitchell was among the SEC's best players last season. Appearing in all 33 games for Mizzou, he averaged 18.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. For his efforts, he earned Second Team All-SEC honors. It was a true breakout campaign for Mitchell, and now he is poised to be among the conferences best players once again in 2026-27.
Missouri presents an intriguing challenge for Indiana. The Tigers are entering Year 5 under head coach Dennis Gates, and he has led Mizzou to the NCAA Tournament in three of his first four seasons in Columbia. Heading into the new season, Gates has assembled his most talented roster yet in Columbia.
Among Missouri's projected starting five is 5-star freshman Jason Crowe Jr, who is one of the top prospects in the 2026 recruiting class. Top-45 transfers Jamier Jones and Bryson Tiller are poised for big seasons after coming over from Providence and Kansas, respectively. So is returner Trent Pierce, who averaged 10.4 points per game and shot a strong 38.4% from beyond the arc last season.
On paper, the Tigers seem to be rather loaded. They were ranked in the No. 18 spot in ESPN's way-too-early Top-25 rankings for the new season. But those were released before Mitchell entered the fold. Now that he's back, Mizzou could be a Top-10 team entering the new season. The Hoosiers will have their hands full with this one.
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