The offseason portal additions that Darian DeVries and his staff have brought to Bloomington are giving Indiana basketball fans hope. The Hoosiers have missed the NCAA tournament in three consecutive seasons, but with a fresh haul of impact transfers as well as a talented group of incoming freshmen, DeVries is looking to change that in 2026-27.
3 under the radar Big Ten portal moves Indiana basketball fans need to worry about
The start of the college basketball season is still about six months away, but the Hoosier hype is getting real. Indiana's schedule is also rounding into form.
Last week, the Big Ten released the conference matchups for the 2026-27 season. Exact dates and times are not yet known, but Indiana's slate of Big Ten opponents and locations is as follows:
Home only:Â Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Rutgers, UCLA, and USC
Away only:Â Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, Penn State, Washington, and Wisconsin
Home and Away:Â Maryland, Northwestern, and Purdue
Life in the Big Ten is never easy, and after posting a conference record of 9-11 and finishing 10th in the league this past season, DeVries and company are looking for a much better campaign in Big Ten play.
There are several intriguing matchups in store, but one game in particular will tell us a lot about where the Indiana basketball program stands under DeVries.
Road games at Wisconsin have given Indiana fans nightmares for nearly three decades
At some point this season, the Hoosiers will hit the road for Madison to take on the Wisconsin Badgers. As Hoosier fans know all too well, Madison is a place that has haunted Indiana for the past several decades.
The Hoosiers have not won a road game at Wisconsin in nearly 28 years. IU's last win in Madison came all the way back during the Bob Knight days, which is wild to think about. That win came on January 25, 1998. Since then, the Hoosiers have lost 21 straight games in Madison.
Entering Year 2 of the DeVries era, the Hoosiers are desperate to exorcise some demons in Madison.
Indiana's trip to Wisconsin carries a ton of weight for Darian DeVries
This past season, Wisconsin narrowly defeated Indiana by a score of 78-77 in overtime on February 7 at Assembly Hall. The Hoosiers held the lead for the vast majority of the game, and even had a win probability of 96.6% with 10 minutes to go according to ESPN Analytics.
Unfortunately, their lead would clip away late and the loss caused a significant ripple effect. Following that game, Indiana would win just two of its last eight games to close the season. After looking like a surefire NCAA Tournament team in mid-February, the Hoosiers' 2-6 finish down the stretch ultimately doomed their March Madness hopes. Now, DeVries and company are looking to revenge against the Badgers.
Wisconsin has been a steady program under head coach Greg Gard, but they haven't been dominant. Still, this season's matchup against the Badgers will be a great litmus test to see where the Hoosiers stand with DeVries at the helm. Indiana can make a strong statement with a win in Madison.
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