@arioznahoosier4554 We probably see "expectations" a little differently. I do expect to be a program that gets back to having 25+ win type seasons, every few years. Using the last 50 probably isn't a fair measure... RMK did it 5-6 times in his close to 30 year career at IU, with a couple others that were close, obviously with great postseason runs... so I think getting back to being a program that has a 25 win type season every 3 years or so, is a viable expectation. Just seems like actually expecting it from CDD, in his 2nd year... combined with your posting history... might be setting him up for failure. 23-9, (13-7), 5-6 seed in the NCAAs, a couple BTT wins, and a win or two in the NCAAs, is NOT any sort of failure for CDD, this roster, or the program. As an example of a potential sub 25 win season. If, however, CDD has that season for the next 5 years, with nothing better, THEN, yes, not good enough.
When I look at what we pay coaches and players yes I do expect 25 wins. We pay top four big ten money for a coach and top couple big ten in NIL. We did the same with woodson yet we are not even close to the top of the big ten in results. Yet somehow programs who pay nowhere close to what we do can finish with the same record or ever better than us. Id say we greatly overpay for the results we get.
You get hung up on internet talk. And unless I'm mistaken, there are still 7 unknown non-conference opponents to be announced. This isn't likely to be a top 10 team next year. Just because we had a good portal haul (part of those rankings is based on sheer volume), doesn't mean our roster is better than those who retained really good players and added a few portal players to the mix.@arioznahoosier4554 I know... it does seem realistic. And as our man Cig would say, we shouldn't have self imposed limitations. But man, expecting something to be done that's only been done 4 times in 50 years... with half those years coming under the best coach in college basketball history... Its a bit much.
I think comfortably making the NCAAs (4-7 seed maybe), competing with the top 1/3 of the conference, and playing well in March and winning some post season games, is about as realistic an expectation as I can have, right now. And when I say expectation... I say that should start to become our "floor". With more years than not, a fair bit better than that.
And that is the whole problem with this program we spend 20 million to get a top two portal class and a 7 seed should be the expectation. Its why I am not even close to as invested in this program as I used to be.
The Way-Too-Early National Top 25–35 Landscape
The early national hierarchy features a mix of elite player retention and massive portal hauls. While teams like Florida (retaining Boogie Fland and Alex Condon), UConn, and Duke headline the top tier, the expanded top 25-35 features heavy conference representation across the board.
A consensus look at how the early national rankings are shaping up highlights the key teams expected to navigate the preseason top 35:
| Projected Tier | Key Teams | Primary Catalyst |
| The Top 10 | Florida, Illinois, Duke, Michigan, UConn, Michigan State, Texas, Arkansas, Arizona, Louisville | Elite retention (UConn, Florida) or high-profile roster overhauls (Michigan, Arkansas). |
| The Top 11–25 | Gonzaga, Tennessee, Houston, Virginia, Vanderbilt, Iowa State, Miami, Alabama, USC, St. John's, Purdue, Nebraska, Indiana, North Carolina, Kansas | Landing massive late additions, like Kansas pulling in No. 1 recruit Tyran Stokes. |
| The 26–35 Bubble | UCLA, Saint Louis, Utah State, Baylor, NC State, Oklahoma State, Pittsburgh, Texas A&M, Iowa, Wisconsin | Sneaky portal additions or mid-major rosters maintaining continuity under high-level coaching. |
The Big Ten Outlook: A Brutal, Loaded League
The Big Ten is positioning itself to be arguably the deepest league in college basketball again. Roster retention and aggressive portal hunting have created a clear hierarchy at the top, though a few perennial powers are facing serious transitions.
1. The Clear Favorites
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Illinois: Brad Underwood successfully executed "The Retention," keeping a highly competitive nucleus intact. Anchored by David Mirkovic, the Illini are widely considered the early team to beat in the conference.
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Michigan: Fresh off a national championship, Dusty May has had to re-tool a shifting frontcourt with the departures of Aday Mara and Morez Johnson. However, the backcourt is in phenomenal hands with Elliot Cadeau returning to run the point, complemented by big portal pulls like Jalen Reed (LSU) and Moustapha Thiam.
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Michigan State: Tom Izzo's squad is expected to bounce back in a major way. While they lose their starting frontcourt, they retain explosive guard Jeremy Fears Jr. and welcome incoming wing talent like Cam Ward, giving them top-15 national upside.
2. The Heavy Contenders & Portal Winners
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Purdue: The Boilermakers are officially turning the page on their iconic veteran core. While losing that production hurts, Matt Painter added highly-regarded Princeton transfer Caden Pierce to shore up the wings. Paired with emerging young talent like guard CJ Cox and center Daniel Jacobsen, the Boilers project safely as a top-20 to 25 squad.
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Indiana: The Hoosiers were incredibly active in the portal, entirely reshaping their look. Darian DeVries has proven he can maximize roster talent, and with dynamic additions like Notre Dame transfer guard Markus Burton leading the charge, expectations are high for a major tournament return.
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The West Coast Influx (USC & UCLA): Eric Musselman has USC moving upward, landing a massive freshman class featuring three McDonald's All-Americans alongside portal guard Rodney Rice. Mick Cronin's UCLA Bruins are lurking just outside the national top 25 after building a classic, gritty Cronin roster highlighted by sophomore guard Trent Perry taking over the backcourt.
@arioznahoosier4554 That can be true, and we can still have a very successful season, and not win 25 regular season games. Neither Illinois or Purdue won 25 regular season games last year, as an example, along with a number of other very good teams.
Win totals are tough to use as expectations. NCAA tournament status, seeding, etc... is probably a better measure, in my opinion. Even B10 finish isn't a very good measure, with the un balanced schedules. What appears to be an easy schedule today, might end up being brutally tough when it all plays out. Maybe there are a couple "Nebraska" like emergence teams, that we happen to play twice? Lots of very good coaches right now in the B10.
Make the NCAAs comfortably. Play well in March and win some post season games. That's not an every year acceptable measure, but I do think its "acceptable" for this upcoming year.
And we have no idea whether we're "top 2" in the B10 or not, with regards to NIL. I'd actually strongly guess we aren't any more.
@arioznahoosier4554 That can be true, and we can still have a very successful season, and not win 25 regular season games. Neither Illinois or Purdue won 25 regular season games last year, as an example, along with a number of other very good teams.
Win totals are tough to use as expectations. NCAA tournament status, seeding, etc... is probably a better measure, in my opinion. Even B10 finish isn't a very good measure, with the un balanced schedules. What appears to be an easy schedule today, might end up being brutally tough when it all plays out. Maybe there are a couple "Nebraska" like emergence teams, that we happen to play twice? Lots of very good coaches right now in the B10.
Make the NCAAs comfortably. Play well in March and win some post season games. That's not an every year acceptable measure, but I do think its "acceptable" for this upcoming year.
And we have no idea whether we're "top 2" in the B10 or not, with regards to NIL. I'd actually strongly guess we aren't any more.
They were 15-5 which was pretty close. All I know is we spend a ton and I mean a ton of money the results usually are average to below average.
The Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team finished the 2025–2026 season with an overall record of 28-9 (15-5 in Big Ten
Because they won 4 postseason games.The Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team finished the 2025–2026 season with an overall record of 28-9 (15-5 in Big Ten
The game between IU and Syracuse is confirmed for November 9 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. That's a Monday night game in Indy with a Friday night game followed the next week.
@arioznahoosier4554 24-7 and 15-5 in the regular season, and a Final Four doesn't fit your expectations... is what I'm getting at.
only been done 4 times in 50 years
If you're going to bring Cig into the conversation, he achieved more in his two years than ever in IU Football history, so 4 times in 50 years ought to be a cakewalk 😉
@ams66 True... and RMK achieved it 5-6 times in his 30 ish years. Its astonishing how mediocre IU basketball has been since the Cheaney/Bailey era. 1 damn time IU has won 25+ regular season games in over 30 years... WTF??
And I'm speaking out of both sides of my mouth on this, as I've been on record saying the right coach would "easily" be able to get IU back to competing for B10's and FF's again. I just don't think expecting it, for this next season, is overly realistic. And if CDD continues to flounder, I'll definitely have to change my views on how easy or difficult it should be to win big at IU. Because I do believe CDD is a good coach, and the right kind of coach to be successful at IU.
@ams66 True... and RMK achieved it 5-6 times in his 30 ish years. Its astonishing how mediocre IU basketball has been since the Cheaney/Bailey era. 1 damn time IU has won 25+ regular season games in over 30 years... WTF??
And I'm speaking out of both sides of my mouth on this, as I've been on record saying the right coach would "easily" be able to get IU back to competing for B10's and FF's again. I just don't think expecting it, for this next season, is overly realistic. And if CDD continues to flounder, I'll definitely have to change my views on how easy or difficult it should be to win big at IU. Because I do believe CDD is a good coach, and the right kind of coach to be successful at IU.
The schedule is never going to get any easier than this year .The big ten will not give IU an easy schedule two years in a row next year expect the schedule to be pretty hard. 12-8 in the big ten would be underwhelming to me with that schedule but that is just me I guess.
Usually the view of whose schedule is tough and whose is weak changes dramatically during a season.
Teams thought very strong often had the luck of most bounces or an injury-free year the prior season, bad teams the opposite. And then you have the new roster constructions. At least road games or home games does matter.
Illinois was going to give us all we could handle in football last year.
Predicting out already to the year after this season is far more foolish, especially based on guesses on the big ten sticking it us. Yeah, we need to win. We're Indiana. Or we used to be. Tough schedule or weak schedule.
Just not buying all that much about schedule strength until we're halfway into the big ten season.