IU BASKETBALL 2025-‘26 SEASON POSTMORTEM
Now that Indiana University’s men’s basketball season has mercifully come to an end, I thought I would compare the team’s performance this season to what I predicted in September in my pre season assessment of the team’s prospects.
For the most part I was correct. Since the team was a total remake (there were no players returning from last year), there were a lot of unknowns. In my article on what I thought about the 2025-‘26 team I got some things right and a few things wrong.
What I got right:
IU would finish in 10th place in the B1G conference—they did.
IU would not be ranked in the top 25, or even the top 40, college teams all season—they
weren’t.
IU would once again not make it into the NCAA tournament—still doubtful.
IU would have a better record than Maryland, Rutgers, Penn State, USC, Washington,
Northwestern, and Minnesota—they did.
IU would have a very frustrating season—it was.
What I got wrong:
IU would have a better W-L record than Nebraska. Nebraska finished 2nd in the B1G with a
record of 26-5 and 15-5 in the conference.
Oregon would finish with a better conference W-L record than IU. Oregon was 16th in the
B1G with a conference record of 5-15. IU was 9-11.
Purdue would win the B1G. In fact, they finished tied with UCLA for 6th place.
This men’s basketball season was a huge disappointment. They had moments of greatness when they beat Wisconsin and Purdue, but they were home games which are always easier. They had horrible moments losing to Minnesota in December, and two late season embarrassing a..-whippings by Northwestern, whose Nick Martinelli showed them what a good player looks like.
This was a low talent team that could not match up against good defenses. They rebounded poorly, couldn’t keep a lead, and missed way too many chippies. Reed Bailey was ineffective, Trent Sisley must have the plague or something, because he disappeared in February and March. The coach did not endear himself to the fan base because he appeared at times to be lost and clueless. His substitution patterns were guaranteed to allow the opponent to obliterate a lead. And if we didn’t make 3’s we were going to lose.
From here on I’ve decided not to be concerned about the IU men’s basketball program. We’ve had 25 years of mediocrity (except for a few of Tom Crean’s teams), and I’m so disappointed with the present and so discouraged about the future that to stew about it is wasted energy. I just have to silently hope that some major change, like the epic transition of the football program, occurs and restores respectability to IU basketball. It is currently as low as it has been for decades and shows no chance of improving. We’ve had seven coaches (6 minus Dakich) who couldn’t get the job done. DeVries is too passive and could use some fire in his belly. I’m not excited about him at all.
Well, that’s enough of this!. You’re all probably tired of hearing me complaining anyway. But without IU basketball to brag, or complain, about, what is there to do all winter?
