Correlate that there will be no excuses for Mike Woodson and the Hoosiers this year. At the onset, this looks to be their best College basketball betting team since Victor Oladipo and Cody Zeller were in Bloomington. Now, it’s time for them to go out and finish the job on the hardwood. Indiana must win a league title and have a deep NCAA Tournament run. In turn, big things are within reach. Following a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances in Mike Woodson’s first two years in charge, Indiana blew big expectations 2023-24.
2024-25 Indiana Hoosiers Basketball Preview
| Indiana Hoosiers | Odds |
|---|---|
| National Championship Odds: | +9000 |
2024-25 Indiana Basketball Outlook
Consider that Indiana was fresh off their first postseason win since 2015-16. Also, they had further bolstered their roster with the addition of highly touted true freshman Mackenzie Mgbako.
Last year, The Hoosiers took their sportsbook lumps during a tough non-conference schedule. But IU had a solid start to Big Ten play. Indiana was entering February in position to reach the NCAA Tournament. Instead, a four-game skid in late February, punctuated by a bad loss to Penn State on the road, proved to be their undoing.
Late on, only four straight victories to end the regular season were able to gain them entry into the Big Dance without a strong resume to fall back on. But a blowout NCAABB betting loss in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals to Nebraska was a fitting end to the season.
Certainly, on paper, you could argue that this is the best roster in the Big Ten. The starting lineup has the star power and the experience. Most importantly, there’s the depth on this team that should have been present last season. Of course, you can only guess how a team like this will gel. But with several pieces who have been with the program already entrenched on the roster, they should have a high floor.
Also, it feels like the Big Ten itself sets up perfectly for Indiana to make a run at the league title. Purdue remains the conference favorite until further notice. But a slight step-back without Zach Edey may be expected. Still, beyond them, the rest of the league feels wide open. Namely, with Rutgers, UCLA, Michigan State, and Illinois all likely to be in the hunt.
At 19-14 overall and 10-10 in the Big Ten, it was hard to call the 2023-24 campaign a total bust for Indiana. But Hoosier fans expect more. And watching their arch-rival Purdue go all the way to the National Championship Game added insult to injury.
2024-25 may just be the team Hoosier fans have been waiting for. Feeling some heat after a frustrating winter, Mike Woodson went out and hit the portal hard. Correlate that he was utilizing Indiana’s sizeable NIL war chest to bring in some of the biggest names on the market. Those new additions help. Additionally, the return of both Mgbako and flourishing big Malik Reneau gives Indiana arguably the top roster in all of the Big Ten.
Bloomington is abuzz with all the possibilities on the hardwood this winter. But this isn’t the first time an Indiana team has entered the season with significant hype. Also, the results have sometimes matched. Is this team truly ready to return the Hoosiers to National Title contention?