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    Big Ten basketball roster overhauls: The 2022-23 outlook for Indiana

    Mike SchumannBy Big Ten Rosters 22-23 19 Comments

    You didn’t think we could complete the series without a look at Indiana did you?

    Last but not least are the Hoosiers, a team many are calling the Big Ten favorite in 2023.

    Head coach Mike Woodson accomplished the main goal most IU fans had for his first season — getting back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2016.  Indiana went 21-14 in Woodson’s first season at the college level after he spent 25 years as an NBA assistant and head coach.  The 21 wins were also the most by the program since 2016.  Despite the NCAA return, IU went just 9-11 in the Big Ten and finished in ninth place.  A late season run to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals made the difference.

    WHO’S GONE:

    • Parker Stewart (6.2 PPG),
    • Rob Phinisee (4.5 PPG),
    • Khristian Lander (2.9 PPG),
    • Michael Durr (1.5 PPG)

    WHO’S BACK:

    WHO’S NEW:

    Transfer Portal

    • None

    Freshmen (Rankings from 247Sports Composite)

    • Jalen Hood-Schifino PG, (5-star, No. 23),
    • Malik Reneau PF, (4-star, No. 29),
    • Kaleb Banks F, (4-star, No. 88),
    • C.J. Gunn SG, (3-star, No. 174)

    RETURNING MINUTES:   78.1 percent (per barttorvik.com)

    WHY IT WILL WORK

    After going team-by-team through the league, the one thing that really stands out about Indiana is its depth.  There are several Big Ten teams that can put a fairly solid first five on the floor, but few should be able to match IU’s second unit, whoever that ends up being.  Two players we know will be starting are center Trayce Jackson-Davis and point guard Xavier Johnson.  Both are contenders for first team All-Big Ten, and IU could have two of the top five freshmen in Hood-Schifino and Reneau. With what appears to be the best point guard and big man in the league, Indiana just needs to find seven or eight players around them who can be solid and fill roles.  With a league-high 78 percent of their minutes returning and a top-10 national recruiting class, it shouldn’t be difficult to put a highly competent rotation on the floor.

    WHY IT WON’T

    While IU returns plenty, it actually lost its best 3-point shooter in Stewart, and the Hoosiers still have more questions than answers out on the wing, where they were especially vulnerable defensively.  When it comes to their supposed depth, much of the outlook for Indiana depends returning player development and freshmen being ready from the jump.  Neither are particularly safe bets in college basketball.  It is quite possible Indiana will have the same shortcomings of a year ago, meaning the Hoosiers will lack the ability to put teams away, and each league outing will be full of land mines.  Moreover, a non-conference slate that includes North Carolina, Kansas, Arizona and Xavier could rattle their fragile confidence.

    HOT TAKE

    Yes, Indiana is a popular pick to win the league, but those predictions are more about roster losses elsewhere rather than anything profound that has changed in Bloomington.  How much better will Indiana be if a 9-11 team is returning 78 percent of its minutes?  This was a team that was apparently nowhere near the NCAA Tournament at the end of the regular season after it lost five in a row in February and seven of nine to end league play.  Moreover, the Hoosiers will now have a target on their backs after an offseason full of hype.  The bottom line?  Indiana may indeed have the best looking roster in the league, but they also still have much to prove.

    Up next, after taking a close look at each roster, we’ll rank the league 1-14.

    BIG TEN OUTLOOK:  Top third.

    MORE BIG TEN OUTLOOKS:

    The Daily Hoosier –“Where Indiana fans assemble when they’re not at Assembly”

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