The college basketball season officially begins Nov. 7, and Indiana has a new 11th school playing Division I hoops (welcome, Southern Indiana). In preparation for the 2022-23 season, we asked USA TODAY Network Indiana newspaper reporters five questions about the teams they cover. We will post one each day this week.
DEPARTURE TIME 5
Monday: Potential breakout players
Tuesday: Newcomers to watch
Wednesday: The biggest concern
Thursday: Best case scenario
Friday: Game I’m looking forward to the most
Ball condition
No, Ball State hasn’t been among the top teams in the Mid-American Conference for the past two seasons. However, he was always in the middle of the league, good enough to make the MAC tournament before making an early exit. Best case scenario? Ball State immediately becomes a MAC contender, makes a March run, and ends a 23-year drought by securing an NCAA Tournament bid. The most realistic scenario? Ball State becomes a MAC competitor again and spends more than one night in Cleveland during the conference tournament. —Robby General, The Star Press
After:For Michael Lewis, it’s a matter of when, not if, Ball State returns to the NCAA Tournament
Butler
Back to March Madness. Butler hasn’t played in the NCAA Tournament since 2018 or finished in the Big East’s top three since 2017. Although projected for eighth place in the coaches’ preseason poll and starting last in the KenPom computer rankings, both could happen in 2023.
Coach Thad Matta has an inducted resume, and that’s important. What matters more than the manager are the players – and Matta improved the list with four transfers. Also, survivors Chuck Harris, Jayden Taylor, Simas Lukosius, Myles Tate, and Myles Wilmoth will be better. —David Woods, Indy Star
After:Not much is expected of Butler in 2022-23. Thad Matta’s work? “Make them better”
Evansville
Given the honeymoon vibe around the program, it can be easy to forget why trainer David Ragland was hired in the first place. The Aces finished 6-24 last season, their worst Division I record, and lost nearly all of their key plays from a year ago. With a limited window to bring transfers in, expectations should be kept relatively low.
Ragland’s plans are what the Missouri Valley Conference is all about – a league that plays hard, bounces back and defends. Some of the players he brought in fit that mold, which should help. The freshman coach said his first season at the helm was all about establishing the culture, and it seems to be working. If the EU can be competitive, it would be a huge step forward from the previous regime. The best case scenario is probably around a 10 win season and moving out of MVC’s bottom position. — Anthony Kristensen, courier and press
After:5 things to know about Evansville men’s basketball
Indiana
IU’s experience, depth and defensive ability give the Hoosiers a high floor in a weak Big Ten. Indiana picks up some valuable non-conference wins (e.g., at Xavier and at home in North Carolina) and takes care of business against the bottom of the league, giving the Hoosiers the platform to make a run at a time to a conference championship and a robust NCAA tournament. plant. Come March, it will be seven years since they won a Big Ten title and, remarkably, a full decade since they were among the top four seeds in the 68 field. A best case scenario – but , it must be said, reasonable — sees Woodson’s side end two droughts in March and prepare for a deep tournament. — Zach Osterman, Indy Star
Indiana State
The best case scenario is to post a win record and win an MVC tournament match. When Indiana State let go of longtime coach Greg Lansing, several players were moved out of the program, including NBA No. 1 draft pick Jake LaRavia (Wake Forest). New coach Josh Schertz has brought several players with him from Lincoln Memorial, but completely redoing a roster takes time. The Sycamores went 11-20 in Year 1, and a winning record in Year 2 would be a big sign of progress. Winning an MVC tournament match after losing in the first round to Illinois State is another best-case scenario. —Akeem Glaspie, Indy Star
IUPUI
The best-case scenario for IUPUI would be to end the season with a full rotation of players. Transfers and injuries happen, but the Jags need to avoid the significant number of times they suffered last season. If sophomore coach Matt Crenshaw can keep enough players in place, IUPUI can gain stability and begin to rebuild the program to its former glory. —Akeem Glaspie, Indy Star
our Lady
The self-proclaimed “Big Three” of Mike Brey, Cormac Ryan, Nate Laszewski and fellow super senior Dane Goodwin, bring this program back to the ACC top four and make it to at least the second weekend of the NCAA tournament for the first time. since 2016. This group learned what the NCAA Tournament was like last March by playing three high-energy games (and winning two). Now he wants more. They’re built for the long haul with parts the program hasn’t had in years. It’s time to cash out. —Tom Noie, South Bend Tribune
After:Yeah, these Irish are old, but they’re also good and determined to do more
Purdue
The front line of Zach Edey, Caleb Furst, Mason Gillis and Trey Kaufman-Renn lives up to its reputation as the best in the Big Ten, keeping the Boilermakers in the conference race. Smith is the answer to point guard and Purdue demonstrates that they are one of the best shooting teams in the country on a consistent basis. The defense has been improving for a year and the Boilermakers have emerged as a serious threat to win the league. — Mike Carmin, newspaper and courier
Purdue Primer:Leader, post-game, defense among subjects at the start of training
Purdue Fort Wayne
The Mastodons are using the momentum from last season’s late push (10-game winning streak before a loss in the Horizon League Tournament semi-finals) and keeping it going. Their group knows what the spotlight looks like and they won’t be easily shaken. Led by first-team All-Horizon League preseason pick Jarred Godfrey, Purdue Fort Wayne is taking care of business during the regular season and preparing for a thorough tournament. —Matthew VanTryon, Indy Star
Southern Indiana
Preseason predictions for the Ohio Valley Conference have been all over the map. A widely open conference could be good news for USI. KenPom’s projection could potentially be the best-case scenario – a 17-13 record (11-7 OVC) would likely make USI one of the top three seeds in the OVC tournament. It could also earn them a spot in the CBI post-season tournament. It would be a good introduction to Division I. — Hendrix Magley, courier and press
‘We project ourselves at n°1’:ISU men’s basketball hopes OVC’s first season will be historic
Valparaiso
Ben Krikke and Kobe King take their games to the next level and become one of the best 1-2 punches in the conference. Freshman Maximus Nelson carries on his high school success and becomes an early starter in conference play. —Matthew VanTryon, Indy Star
