If you ask me--and I don't know that you would have--IU seems to have a perfect schedule. It has its share of challenges, it has what appear to be easy wins, and there is a ton of national exposure.
It's too early to make the call on how good this year's squad will be, but it has the potential to be a fun year. There will be more wins, and less blow outs, and in between you might see more upsets or games going down the wire... Games against teams like Pittsburgh or Minnesota. Not IUPUI and Lipscomb.
Last year's team was not fit for the type of schedule they faced, but long-term it may not have hurt guys like Tom Pritchard and Verdell Jones in their development as college basketball players. Throw in a solid group of freshmen and Jeremiah Rivers, and it should be an interesting year.
I don't like making a lot of predictions, but IU has at least six games that appear to be, for lack of a better term, "gimmes." I don't think there will be much concern over some of the weaker opponents, and that is not as much overlooking them as it is recognizing who Tom Crean will be putting out on Branch McCracken Court.
Click the jump for the full analysis.
IU starts with Howard and USC Upstate, before heading to Puerto Rico. Howard was 8-23 last year, including a two-point win against Oregon State, but they lose their leading scorer. USC Upstate, relatively new to Division I basketball, finished eighth in the Atlantic Sun Conference, and was 1-9 in last year's non-conference slate.
The Hoosiers will also host Northwestern State, the same team that came in to Assembly Hall for last year's home opener/the beginning of the "Tom Crean Era." On Dec. 19, IU will face North Carolina Central, your 1989 Division II national champions.
Follow that up with Loyola (Md.) and Bryant, and you've got what appears to be six wins. Bryant, like North Carolina Central, is a DI Independent. They are coming off an 8-21 season, which included a split in a two-game series with 1-30 N.J.I.T.
The non-conference schedule does pose some threats, but also opportunities. It might be tough so early in the season to muster anymore than a 1-2 record in Puerto Rico. The opening round opponent, Mississippi, was just 16-15 last season but graduated only two players--both of whom appeared (based on stats) to be walk-ons. Andy Kennedy, when not riding in a cab in Cincinnati, is a great young coach and will have a tough team this year.
Should IU win, they would likely play Kansas State. The Wildcats, coached by Frank Martin, may be your Big 12 sleeper and has a top 20 recruiting class joining a 22-win team from last season. Should the Hoosiers go down in the first round, they will likely play a decent Boston University team that returns two of its top three scorers from last year.
In the latter scenario, either Georgia Tech or Dayton--both likely to punch their tickets into this year's NCAA Tournament--will likely await in the consolation finals.
In the other three non-conference games, IU will face Maryland at home, Pittsburgh in New York and Kentucky at home, all within twelve days. Maryland, led by 6-foot-6 guard Greivis Vasquez, is returning most of its 2008-09 squad, a team that made it to the second round in last year's NCAA tournament. This will be a tall task for IU--literally--as the big, athletic Terrapins will be one of the major contenders in the ACC.
Pitt lost the core of its 31-5 team, but returns a lot of young, tough East Coast players, while also adding five-star freshman Dante Taylor. A win here would mean much more than just a 'W' over a top Big East squad. Doing it on the biggest stage in college basketball on ESPN will give this team a lot of confidence, among other things.
Assembly Hall will be rowdy for Kentucky, headlined by the top recruiting class and also Patrick Patterson, but A LOT has to happen between now and then to make me think IU stands a chance.
The Big Ten schedule will prove challenging yet again for the Hoosiers. While IU will be, in my opinion, significantly better than last year, the Big Ten is going to be a lot better too. Therefore, IU may not see a major jump in the standings, but will be quite competitive.
Like anything, a strong start in conference play is critical, but they were dealt no easy schedule. They open Dec. 31 at home versus Michigan, then play at Ohio State, home versus Illinois, at Michigan, home versus Minnesota and at Penn State. The Nittany Lions lost some key players, but return Talor Battle who will likely be a first-team All-Big Ten player.
None of those games will be easy, so it will be interesting to see if the Hoosiers will capitalize BEFORE Iowa this year, their opponent in the seventh Big Ten game. IU will host Michigan State and will face the aforementioned Penn State in a road game, but will face the other eight conference opponents twice.
Mark your calendars for Saturday, March 6. Following the Northwestern game, Tijan Jobe will give his senior speech.
