What exactly went wrong with Indiana Men's Basketball this season? It's more than one thing, that's for sure.
By Dante Pryor
It would be easy to say the season was not supposed to be like this, but that simply isn't true. It must be acknowledged that Indiana was not predicted to duplicate the success it had in the 2022-23 season. What could not be predicted was the floor for this season. The Hoosiers were supposed to be a .500 team in the conference, not one of the bottom four teams in the Big Ten.
This begs the question, "What went wrong?" The answer to that question leads to more than one answer.
The Potential was There
Unpacking this season starts at the beginning. The Hoosiers had to replace everyone from the 2022-23 season. That is not hyperbole, either. Every player who started 25 or more games last year is gone except Trey Galloway. In addition, the Hoosiers lost two NBA Draft picks from their roster.
Jordan Hood-Schifino unexpectedly was a one-and-done player, and Trace Jackson-Davis is one of the five best players in school history. That alone is a lot to lose. That is a lot for any team. However, it was hard not to look at the roster and think they could be good again.
The starting line up featured three top 30 recruits. Oregon transfer Kel'el Ware was a top ten recruit with tons of potential. Malik Mgbako spurned Duke and flipped to Indiana. Malik Reneau was a highly-touted high school recruit as well. It was hard not to think, "man, if things break the right way, this could be something."