Indiana men’s basketball was left out of the 68-team 2026 NCAA Tournament field, as announced on CBS’ Selection Sunday. The Cream and Crimson were the fourth team out.
The Hoosiers finished the season with an 18-14 record, adding just one win in its final seven games. Indiana peaked at the No. 22 spot in the Associated Press’ Top 25 Poll in week five but dropped out of the rankings for good following losses to Minnesota and the University of Louisville in early December.
After collecting wins over then-No. 12 Purdue and UCLA in January, the Hoosiers appeared on track to return to March Madness. But losses to then-No. 8 Illinois, then-No. 7 Purdue, Northwestern, then-No. 13 Michigan State, Ohio State and a first-game exit in the Big Ten Tournament derailed the once promising debut season of head coach Darian DeVries.
Fifth-year senior guard Lamar Wilkerson led the Hoosiers with 20.9 points per game. The Ashdown, Arkansas, native set a program record with 464 points in Big Ten contests and finished with 104 made 3-pointers, three shy of former Hoosier guard Steve Alford’s record. Wilkerson was named All-Big Ten Second Team by the league’s coaches.
Indiana has now missed eight of the last 10 NCAA Tournaments, and DeVries became the third of Indiana’s past four head coaches to miss the NCAA Tournament in his first season. Mike Woodson reached the NCAA Tournament in each of his first two seasons before coming up short in his final two. Archie Miller did not make an NCAA Tournament appearance through his four-year tenure at Indiana, though the Hoosiers were projected to earn a bid in 2020 before the postseason was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
All 13 of Indiana’s scholarship players were either transfers or freshmen. In 2025, the Hoosiers brought in a top 10 transfer class. This offseason, they’ll look to the transfer portal again to replace crucial lost production.
Indiana had six seniors on roster — Wilkerson, guards Conor Enright and Tayton Conerway and forwards Tucker DeVries, Sam Alexis and Reed Bailey — that accounted for nearly 78% of minutes played. Freshman forward Trent Sisley and junior guards Nick Dorn and Jasai Miles are the only players in Darian DeVries’ inaugural rotation with eligibility in 2026-27.
Heading into next season, the Cream and Crimson boast three top 80 recruits. Guard Prince-Alexander Moody and forwards Trevor Manhertz and Vaughn Karvala will join the next crop of Hoosiers as they look to return to the Big Dance in 2027.
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 offseason.
