Indiana Hoosiers Could Wreak Havoc In The Big Ten

Return to Relevancy

It has been a struggle as of late for one of college basketball's most historic programs, the Indiana Hoosiers, who are coming off of yet another disappointing campaign in 2023-24.

They finished 18-13 overall and 10-10 in Big Ten play, and most importantly, missed out on a NCAA Tournament bid yet again. A blue blood program such as Indiana shouldn't be having this much trouble making the tourney every year, but that has been the reality for the Hoosiers, who haven't made the Sweet 16 since 2016. It has been a grind, but after long last, there is reason for optimism once again in Bloomington with some notable additions coming to town.

Much has been said about head coach Mike Woodson, the former NBA coach who was brought to Indiana to rejuvenate the program. He hasn't had much success yet, but he has dipped head-first into the transfer portal this summer, and I think he has done a tremendous job bringing in three key players to bolster this roster. Myles Rice from Washington State and Kanaan Carlyle from Stanford are huge upgrades at the guard positions that are very versatile, and once they start to gel with each other, could be one of the best backcourts in the Big Ten conference. Then there is the big prize, which is center Oumar Ballo, who comes in from Arizona. He immediately makes this team great in the paint and is one of the best big men in the country.

Indiana needed to replace Xavier Johnson and Kel'el Ware, and they did just that with these additions. They will be bringing back Malik Reneau and MacKenzie Mgbako, who both showed flashes of brilliance last season that they need to turn into more consistency. McDonald's All-American Bryson Tucker also joins the team as a big threat on the wing.

Best Bet

Indiana To Win National Title +6000 (Caesars) | Indiana To Win Big Ten +600 (BetMGM)

When you combine everything I just mentioned, Indiana has plenty of talent, playmaking ability, and size to be able to compete with the big boys. It looks much more promising than any Hoosier team we have seen in years, which is why they are worth a bet as a sleeper team this season at a massive 60/1 price. The biggest issue for Indiana that I worry about is their lack of a true three-point threat and spot-up shooter, which is needed in today's basketball game. Rice and Carlyle will help there, and I expect both to continue to develop, but they don't have a proven threat.

Still, this is a team that is loaded with a very high ceiling and could be the biggest steal since Rick Pitino's sword was swiped, so I wanted to get on the bullhorn as quickly as possible before the line moves. DraftKings already has Indiana at 45/1 to win the title, and it could move fast at other places.