What they’re saying: A look at where Indiana stands in updated preseason rankings
We’re more than five months from the start of the 2024-25 college basketball season, but several preseason rankings have been updated since the NBA draft withdrawal deadline passed earlier this week.
Here’s where Indiana stands in the updated rankings:
ESPN.com, Jeff Borzello: No. 18
“Mike Woodson got his offseason work done early, as the Hoosiers were the big winners of the first wave of portal season. The Hoosiers landed Arizona transfer Oumar Ballo, the top-ranked player in the portal, as well as top-15 guard transfers Myles Rice (Washington State) and Kanaan Carlyle (Stanford). Three starters also return: Malik Reneau, Mackenzie Mgbako and Trey Galloway. They added Illinois transfer Luke Goode to address their shooting woes, although another perimeter sniper with size could help.”
Other Big Ten teams: Purdue (No. 15), UCLA (No. 21), Rutgers (No. 25)
CBSSports.com, Gary Parrish: No. 18
“This ranking is based on Mike Woodson’s Hoosiers returning three of the top four scorers — specifically Malik Reneau, Mackenzie Mgbako and Trey Galloway — from a team that finished tied for sixth in the Big Ten. The additions of Myles Rice (Washington State), Oumar Ballo (Arizona), Kanaan Carlyle (Stanford) and Luke Goode (Illinois) from the transfer portal means Indiana is adding four experienced pieces, three of whom just spent a season starting in the Pac-12.”
Other Big Ten teams: Purdue (No. 12), Ohio State (No. 14), UCLA (No. 19), Rutgers (No. 23)
“The Hoosiers could end up being the Big Ten champs with a roster that returns Mackenzie Mgbako, Malik Reneau, Trey Galloway and a portal haul of Oumar Ballo, Myles Rice, Kanaan Carlyle and Luke Goode.”
Other Big Ten teams: Purdue (No. 10), Ohio State (No. 14), UCLA (No. 18), Rutgers (No. 19), Illinois (No. 27), Oregon (No. 29), Michigan State (No. 30),
The Athletic, CJ Moore: No. 19
“If going by portal rankings and name recognition, no one had a better offseason than Indiana. Mike Woodson has shown a preference for playing through the post, and he has two of the best low-post scorers in the Big Ten now in Reneau and Ballo. Indiana had spacing issues last year, but Rice, Carlyle and Goode should help. Rice (27.5 percent) and Carlyle (32 percent) did not shoot the ball well from 3 as freshmen, but both are good foul shooters and it’s within reason to expect progression from deep based on their mechanics and skill. Both should also help in the shot creation department, which was an issue for the Hoosiers last year. Overall, Indiana is just way more talented and deep. Cupps, who started last year, might be sixth in line on IU’s depth chart at guard. All that guard depth also will allow IU some lineup versatility. When one of the bigs goes to the bench, Mgbako can slide to the four and get more shooting and skill on the floor. It’s a huge year for Woodson. Based on this class, Indiana’s donors are coming through financially, but that could quickly change if results don’t follow.”
Other Big Ten teams: Purdue (No. 13), Michigan (No. 17), Illinois (No. 20)
FanDuel, Jon Rothstein: No. 15
Other Big Ten teams: Purdue (No. 9), Ohio State (No. 16), UCLA (No. 18), Oregon (No. 24), Michigan State (No. 27), Rutgers (No. 30), Michigan (No. 32), Maryland (No. 38), Illinois (No. 39), Wisconsin (No. 43)
Other Big Ten teams: Purdue (No. 12), UCLA (No. 13), Michigan State (No. 20), USC (No. 25), Rutgers (No. 28), Michigan (No. 31), Northwestern (No. 36), Ohio State (No. 37), Wisconsin (No. 41), Nebraska (No. 42), Maryland (No. 46), Oregon (No. 47), Washington (No. 50)
On3.com, James Fletcher: No. 21
Other Big Ten teams: UCLA (No. 17), Purdue (No. 20), USC (No. 22)
Other Big Ten teams: Purdue (No. 10), UCLA (No. 17), Maryland (No. 20), Ohio State (No. 21), Rutgers (No. 24)
Filed to: 2024-25 season preview