2025-2026 IUBB Season Expectations

[CSP]

took 35 3s against Gonzaga .

took 34 against AZ 

both of these games were in the Bahamas .....in the two games combined they played one player over 6'8-- Andre played 8 mins against AZ, he didn't play against Gonzaga. 

 

Against UL Andre played 11 mins.... WVU took 26 3s that game 

[go iu bb]

28 minutes ago, AH1971 said:

Huh?

Javon Small was a ball dominant, scoring first PG who could light it up from distance----Enright/Conerway had two of the highest assist rates in the country last year and will be pass first PG's in this system; neither are good 3 pt shooters

Okani/Harris were lengthy, athletic slashers slashers who excelled defensively----Wilkerson/Miles are high usage, three level scorers not known for defense that lack elite athleticism

Hansberry and Bailey's games aren't comparable. Bailey is a skilled point forward, Hansberry is a rim runner.

I don't think DeVries West Virginia team and his first IU team could be more opposite if we're being honest.

DeVries WVU teams wore opponents down defensively, IU more than likely going to have to outscore the opposition next year given the personnel. 

Isn't that how you win games regardless of how good the offense or defense is?  ;)

I agree with you though, this team looks like it'll be able to score a lot of points but will likely struggle defensively unless some better defenders are brought in with the  remaining spots.

[Asha’man]

34 minutes ago, Certified Sunshine Pumper said:

I mean, you can tell he isn't a prolific shooter from his stats. He shot less 3s per game last year than Malik did as a SO. 

I was just mentioning he is most like Hansberry, a higher usage big. He didn't start a rim protector last year at WVU and Bailey is bigger than Hansberry. 

 

"he isn't going to be good enough defensively to start with the other offensive weapons"... mmmmk.. well, how exactly do we think we GOT Bailey then? or why exactly would we have prioritized his recruitment, because we clearly did. But now he's not going to start? 

It's just not a coincidence. 

 

But believe what you want. 

Targeting a player doesn’t mean he will start.  He will get plenty of run. I don’t think his skillset leads to a best 5 after an athletic rim protector is added. Glad he is in the team and part of the puzzle. 

[CSP]

1 minute ago, Asha’man said:

Targeting a player doesn’t mean he will start.  He will get plenty of run. I don’t think his skillset leads to a best 5 after an athletic rim protector is added. Glad he is in the team and part of the puzzle. 

oooook. I certainly don't see it that way, but it looks like some  posters are getting butthurt over conversation about our roster, so I won't continue. 

[CSP]

lol jfc

[Golfman25]

Just skimmed the last few pages of this thread.  Some of you are certifiably insane.  

Look it is pretty simple.  Next year we'll be at a min. top half of Big10.  That, based on history, should get us in the tournament.  I would expect we'll be better than those minimums.  One thing is for sure, we'll never be out of a game.  We could erase a 20 point deficit in a single minute with the shooting on this team.  :)  

[jermhoosierfan]

1 hour ago, Golfman25 said:

Just skimmed the last few pages of this thread.  Some of you are certifiably insane.  

Look it is pretty simple.  Next year we'll be at a min. top half of Big10.  That, based on history, should get us in the tournament.  I would expect we'll be better than those minimums.  One thing is for sure, we'll never be out of a game.  We could erase a 20 point deficit in a single minute with the shooting on this team.  :)  

https://iuhoosiers.com/news/2016/2/2/MBB_0202161318  I would love to see a run like this in a game on the road in the B1G next season.  Not only the offense side but to also hold them down on defense too. We haven't had that ability in almost 10 years!!!  Rain down those 3's!!!

[Juwan Moye]

The probability of Reed Bailey starting is VERY high. The question is just if he starts at the 4 or 5. If I were guessing today, I’d guess he’s the starting 4 given his offensive versatility and lack of rim protection.

Most likely starting lineup seems to be:

PG- Conerway

SG- Wilkerson

SF- DeVries

PF- Bailey

C- unsigned

[AH1971]

1 hour ago, Juwan Moye said:

The probability of Reed Bailey starting is VERY high. The question is just if he starts at the 4 or 5. If I were guessing today, I’d guess he’s the starting 4 given his offensive versatility and lack of rim protection.

Most likely starting lineup seems to be:

PG- Conerway

SG- Wilkerson

SF- DeVries

PF- Bailey

C- unsigned

I don't think he starts. I think you'll see a rim protecting big, 3 wing shooters (DeVries and Wilkerson are locks), and then Conerway. The above lineup is really bad defensively out on the perimeter and Bailey is still going to struggle guarding quicker, smaller 4's. I think Bailey will play the 4 and 5 next year tailored to the remaining personnel. 25-27 mpg sounds about right.

[Class of '66 Old Fart]

And FYI, Yogi was never at 30%

[ebridges24]

......and starting at power forward for the Hoosiers.............Reed Bailey!

[BA47591]

We're resembling Pat Kelseys approach from last year. Noah Waterman,  James Scott and Pryor didn't blow ya away statistically and Pryor went down early in the season. Scott was really solid positionally. 

Bailey has more to offer than Waterman but down the stretch Louisville had wings and guards around Scott. 

If we had a Louisville year this year, I think we'd all be happy. It's the Big Ten not the ACC so we need a man or two to platoon at the 5. 

[lillurk]

It’s April 24th, today’s the first full day that Bart Torvik made his homepage the ‘25-‘26 projections and not last year’s final outcomes.

IU slots in projecting 34th overall, 10th in conference. 34th in offense, 37th on defense.

If you fiddle with it just a little — add Goode, subtract Zrno and former walk-on Rayford — they jump to 24th (though the components get wonky, as they’d be like top 15 on both sides, which A. Would make you higher than 24th and B. Doesn’t pass the smell test  on D w/o also adding a d-first C). 24th is about 6th or 7th in conf.

[Asha’man]

Regardless of what preseason polls and torvik ratings say, IU will be a top 25 team by the end of the year. Still need to get that defensive big, but that will happen imo. Plenty of cohesion needs to be built with all new faces and new coach. 

[Dave from Dayton]

I just do not know what to expect beyond better shooting, better offense from the guards and wings, better outside ball movement, better outside defense, better plays, better competitiveness, more wins.  What I do not know is about the front court and overall team performances.  Also I do not know who will start in the B1G.  The coach is also a big unknown with all the variables he and his staff and the team have to deal with.  Finally, I do not know about the competition. 

The head coach DeVries and his staff obviously will be a serious upgrade in many areas with experience in college basketball coaching.

I just hope that the team performs well and meshes.  Glad that it is happening, finally.  If they compete very well in the B1G and get into the top 6 then that is decent.  Of course we want them to compete for the top of the B1G but as of yet they do not have the experience playing together, in a new system, with upperclassmen that are well seasoned, and we are missing 5 players. 

And I hope that everyone stays healthy and grows in a positive manner.

Things could be worse...The Purdue Boilermaker Special just had an accident on US 52...crossed the centerline and hit a car head on...one fatality...this is no joke: One dead after crash with Boilermaker Special on U.S. 52

[CSP]

On 4/23/2025 at 4:30 PM, ebridges24 said:

......and starting at power forward for the Hoosiers.............Reed Bailey!

It seems that way to you? 

[ebridges24]

5 hours ago, Certified Sunshine Pumper said:

It seems that way to you? 

I have no idea, i was just spit balling

[Ghost of Rick Majerus]

I find myself being more excited about next year than I have for many years.

How great will it be to see a well coached team playing a modern offense? 

[Pagoda]

29 minutes ago, Ghost of Rick Majerus said:

I find myself being more excited about next year than I have for many years.

How great will it be to see a well coached team playing a modern offense? 

I suspect most, if not all of the players will be very easy to like and support as well.  I'm really looking forward to next season too, which is a nice change from the last decade...

[Demo]

13 minutes ago, Ghost of Rick Majerus said:

I find myself being more excited about next year than I have for many years.

How great will it be to see a well coached team playing a modern offense? 

I'm not even sure "modern" fully covers it. I've been trying to figure out, aside from just money, how hes's been able to pretty easily get literally 2 deep 1-3 when all 6 of those kids probably entered the portal with starting expectations. Dorn was the capper. I just thought there was no way there because he'd be able to find 25 mins somewhere, but not here. The only thing that makes sense is he's selling these kids on playing hyper-fast. Not even Illinois-level fast, Bama-level fast. I know he talked about 12 sec possessions but, hell, Tony Bennett talked about early clock offense. Yet it sure as $hit looks like he's building a roster to actually do that, which is pretty wild given that he's never done it before. If that's the case and this team's pushing 80 possession games next year, IUBB will be unrecognizable and no team in the B1G would be doing anything like that. Crean at his wild and craziest was nowhere close to that pace of play.