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IU basketball enters ESPN’s way-too-early rankings for 2026-27 season at No. 25

 

Photos of IU basketball vs. Baylor at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on October 26, 2025.

ESPN updated its way-too-early rankings for the 2026-27 season on Monday and IU basketball made an appearance in the top 25.

The Hoosiers, who have added six players from the transfer portal this spring, are No. 25.

Indiana is one of seven Big Ten teams in the updated rankings, which were written by Jeff Borzello.

Michigan is No. 3, Illinois is No. 4, Michigan State is No. 9, USC is No. 14, Nebraska is No. 16 and Purdue is No. 22.

Here’s what Borzello wrote about the Hoosiers: “Darian DeVries completely changed his approach to roster construction and the transfer portal after one year in Bloomington, and the Hoosiers now have a squad that is seemingly better equipped to deal with the physicality, size and athleticism of high-major basketball. When healthy, Markus Burton is one of the best playmakers in the country, while Bryce Lindsay and Jaeden Mustaf offer a good balance of shooting and defense on the wings. Indiana made its post group a priority, and landed two of the better bigs in the portal in Aiden Sherrell and Samet Yigitoglu.”

The ESPN rankings are the sixth preseason top 25 that IU basketball has made an appearance in this month.

The Hoosiers are No. 11, according to On3.com, No. 20 in the CBS Sports and Field of 68 rankings and No. 21 in Jon Rothstein’s and Seth Davis’s rankings.

See More: Media, 2026-27 Big Ten preview