After starting Big Ten play 3-1, Indiana men’s basketball dropped three consecutive games starting Jan. 10. The Hoosiers have yet to defeat a ranked opponent, losing to No. 7 Nebraska, No. 10 Michigan State and No. 23 University of Louisville.
The Cream and Crimson (12-6, 3-4 Big Ten) now sit tied for ninth in the conference standings and are 0-5 against Quadrant 1 opponents. As the Hoosiers delve deeper into the season without a signature win, their NCAA Tournament hopes have dwindled.
Amid Indiana’s struggles are uncharacteristic performances from formerly reliable redshirt senior forward Tucker DeVries. After scoring in the double digits in nine of the Hoosiers’ first 11 games, the two-time Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year failed to reach 10 points in five of Indiana’s next seven.
In nonconference games, DeVries averaged a team-high 17.3 points per game. But against Big Ten competition, DeVries’ scoring output plummets to 9.3 points per contest, ranking fourth on the team.
While DeVries’ production has slowed, fifth-year senior guard Lamar Wilkerson continues to spearhead the Indiana offense. The Ashdown, Arkansas, native leads the Big Ten with 3.4 3-pointers per game.
Sixth-year senior guard Tayton Conerway has also improved his production since the start of Big Ten play. In conference matchups, Conerway averages 14 points and 4.7 assists per game while knocking down 43.5% of his attempts from beyond the arc. Conerway led the Hoosiers in scoring with 16 points against Iowa on Saturday, frequently driving past defenders and scoring at the rim.
As a team, the Cream and Crimson rank fourth in the Big Ten with 10.3 3-pointers per game. The Hoosiers have made 10 or more shots from beyond the arc in 11 games, translating to eight of their 12 wins this season. However, the three times Indiana has lost with 10 3-pointers are its three matchups with ranked opponents.
The Cream and Crimson will need more than just an efficient night from beyond the arc to earn a marquee victory in the Big Ten. Indiana’s next major test comes in a road matchup with No. 3 Michigan (16-1, 6-1 Big Ten) on Tuesday night.
Dusty May
After a reunion with former “Fab Five” star Juwan Howard ended with an 8-24 season that capped off consecutive years without an NCAA Tournament appearance, Michigan men’s basketball began its search for a new leader.
Dusty May, the former head coach of Florida Atlantic University, took over the Wolverines ahead of the 2024-25 season. May lead FAU to back-to-back tournament appearances that included a run to the Final Four as a nine seed in 2023.
But before FAU, May began his career at Indiana. May, a 2000 graduate of Indiana, spent four years with the Hoosiers as a student manager under head coach Bob Knight before spending time as the Cream and Crimson’s video coordinator and administrative assistant.
After leaving Indiana to become an assistant coach at Eastern Michigan University, May worked his way up with additional stops at Murray State University, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Louisiana Tech University and the University of Florida before landing his first head coaching job at FAU. After that, it was on to Ann Arbor, Michigan.
A quick turnaround
In his first season at the helm of the Wolverines, May went to work in the transfer portal. He brought in key players including Yale University’s Danny Wolf and Auburn University’s Tre Donaldson. He also brought FAU star center Vladislav Goldin with him to Michigan. May’s impact was immediate.
Just a year removed from an eight-win season, the Wolverines amassed 27 victories, peaking at No. 10 in the AP Poll. Michigan won the Big Ten Tournament and advanced to the sweet 16 before being downed by No. 1 Auburn.
In the 2025 offseason, the Wolverines again looked to the transfer portal to add talent. May recruited the No. 1 ranked transfer in UAB forward Yaxel Lendeborg as well as luring 7-foot-3 center Aday Mara from UCLA. Heading into the season, Michigan was ranked No. 7 in the nation.
Early season dominance
Michigan began the 2025-26 season 14-0, not losing a game until it played Wisconsin on Jan. 10. The Wolverines’ win streak featured three victories over ranked opponents by 30 or more points.
Michigan defeated then-No. 21 Auburn by 30 points, then-No. 12 Gonzaga University by 40 points and then-No. 24 USC by 30 points.
Lendeborg and Illinois transfer sophomore guard Morez Johnson Jr. lead the Wolverines, each scoring 14.1 points per game. Lendeborg adds 7.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists per contest while Johnson tallies 6.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. Mara notches 10.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game while shooting 67.9% from the field.
As a team, Michigan leads the conference in points, rebounds and blocks per game while also ranking in the top 10 nationally in field goal percentage, scoring margin and assists.
Indiana has another chance to pick up its first Quad 1 victory in its toughest matchup of the season. The Hoosiers will take on the Wolverines at 7 p.m. Tuesday inside the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Coverage will be available on Peacock.
Follow reporters Dalton James (@DaltonMJames and jamesdm@iu.edu) and Nathan Shriberg (@NShriberg and naashri@iu.edu) and columnist Kasey Watkins (@KaseyWatki8773 and kaslwatk@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s basketball season.
