In 2024-25, Indiana will have the exact same number of nonconference games against mid and low-major opponents that they’ve had in each of Mike Woodson’s previous three seasons as head coach: seven.
But somehow this edition of the Hoosiers’ nonconference slate announced on Tuesday has the fan base a bit more restless than in years past.
We suspect that’s in part due to a vocal minority of Hoosier fans who aren’t happy with anything Woodson touches right now. Only winning will solve that.
And it’s also likely due to the fact that there isn’t a marquee nonconference home game on the schedule this year, unless you’re willing to say South Carolina fits that description.
Here’s five things to consider when you evaluate the way IU put together their 2024-25 nonconference schedule.
MIKE WOODSON NEEDS THIS SEASON TO GO WELL
There’s no doubt Indiana could have scheduled a one-off neutral court game like they did against Arizona in 2022 and Auburn in 2023.
But neither of those games went well for Indiana, and it seems Mike Woodson is in no mood to risk getting handed a third straight embarrassing loss in a game like that this season. It’s no secret Woodson needs the 2024-25 season to be a major success.
Instead, every nonconference game not in the Bahamas will be in Bloomington. And none of the opponents coming to Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall are in Bart Torvik’s preseason top-50.
But let’s be clear, this approach could backfire. Indiana had several home games against sub-par teams a year ago that were much too close for comfort. Remember Florida Gulf Coast and Army?
Contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t matter if IU schedules a bunch team ranked in the 300s, the 100s or anywhere else in the NET. It really only matters that IU beats the teams on the schedule by at least as much as the computers say they should, and preferably by more.
THIS TEAM NEEDS TO FIGURE THINGS OUT
It’s probably not a coincidence the two teams ranked the lowest according to Torvik are Indiana’s first two opponents of the season. With six new players and probably three new starters, Woodson likely wants to ease into things as his players figure out his system, and each other.
Each time Indiana plays a more difficult team or run of difficult teams, they’ll have a chance to recalibrate.
After the first two games of the season they’ll face South Carolina, and then get what should be another tune up before the Battle 4 Atlantis. And there are a couple more tune-ups before the early Big Ten games that appear to fall in the week of Dec. 9 this year.
THE BATTLE 4 ATLANTIS IS DISTORTING THINGS
As mentioned in the introduction, the 2024-25 schedule isn’t much different than the last three years. It’s just that three of the four most difficult nonconference games are jammed into a three-day window at the Battle 4 Atlantis during the week of Thanksgiving.
If IU had scheduled three of the Battle 4 Atlantis teams in nonconference games more spread out over November and December, we suspect the reaction would be quite a bit different. With the opponents in the Bahamas still unknown, the current optics of the nonconference schedule aren’t great. But when those games are listed along with two December Big Ten contests, the schedule will take on a different feel.
BIG TEN GAMES IN DECEMBER
Since the Big Ten moved to 20 games and started playing two of those contests in early December, the nonconference schedule had the potential to be a gauntlet. We’re going to see that again this year, when Indiana plays six games against high majors over a four-week span starting with South Carolina on Nov. 16.
NO BIG TEN / ACC CHALLENGE, NO GAVITT GAMES, NO CROSSROADS CLASSIC
That’s right, in recent years, two and sometimes three of Indiana’s nonconference games against high-majors were mandated contractually.
But all three of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, Gavitt Games and the Crossroads Classic are no longer, meaning if IU wants to schedule interesting nonconference games, they must find a willing partner each year.
Indiana got Kansas on the schedule for two years, and Kentucky for the next four. But this year there is no one of that caliber on the slate. The Big Ten/ACC Challenge placed Duke and North Carolina on IU’s schedule regularly, and the Gavitt and Crossroads events almost always delivered a good game. But without any contractual obligations, there will be years like this.
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