It is still just September, but things are about to heat up for a highly anticipated 2018-19 Indiana basketball season.
After an especially long offseason that began in late February due to the early start to the Big Ten tournament and Indiana missing postseason play, our first glimpse of the latest edition of IU basketball starts this week.
From Romeo Langford committing in April to Juwan Morgan announcing his return in May, excitement has been building for this season for months — and it is almost here.
Today we take a look at the key dates and scheduled events over the next six weeks leading up to the opening game on November 6th.
SEPTEMBER 25: INDIANA CAN BEGIN PRACTICING
Due to a NCAA rule change, teams can begin practicing 42 days before the season begins.
You can listen to Collin Hartman and Steve Risley provide real insights on what these early weeks of practice are like, including Hartman discussing Archie Miller’s approach, and how Zach McRoberts earned his playing time during this time of year.
SEPTEMBER 26: IU BASKETBALL MEDIA DAY
Look for a lot of stories, videos and photos to be released beginning on Wednesday afternoon as the the IU coaches and players meet with the media to discuss the upcoming season and do photo shoots.
SEPTEMBER 29: HOOSIER HYSTERIA
The date of this annual showcase for the men’s and women’s programs is taking place several weeks earlier than normal due to the new NCAA practice rules. Due to the excitement surrounding the 2018-19 edition of the Hoosiers, this year’s event is expected to be very well attended.
Here is the pertinent information released by IU last week:
Fans will be allowed in Assembly Hall at 2 p.m. and will be able to watch the IU football game against Rutgers on the video board in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The Hoosier Hysteria event will begin at 4 p.m.
Parking lots around Assembly Hall and Memorial Stadium will open at 12:30 p.m. due to the Annual Hoosiers Outrun Cancer event, which takes place that morning and attracts nearly 5,000 participants. If arriving earlier than 12:30 p.m., please park in the Fee Lane parking garage, which is located at 709 N. Fee Lane. Click here for more information about the Fee Lane Parking Garage.
Admission to the event is free. Fans not able to make it in person will be able to watch a live video stream with a subscription to BTN2Go.
The Daily Hoosier will have a more complete summary of everything you need to know about the event later in the week.
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER: CLASS OF 2019 RECRUITING COMMITMENT(S) EXPECTED
The Hoosiers still just have one commitment in their 2019 recruiting class — Indianapolis native Armaan Franklin. We expect that to change over the next six to eight weeks.
We expect the first commitment to be five-star forward Trayce Jackson-Davis. The Greenwood, Indiana native will be in attendance at Hoosier Hysteria in conjunction with his IU official visit. He then has an official visit to Michigan State the following weekend. We expect that he will take a week or two to digest everything and come out with a verbal commitment in mid-to-late October.
Joining Jackson-Davis at Hoosier Hysteria will be Fort Wayne, Indiana native Keion Brooks, Jr. While his timeline likely isn’t as accelerated as Jackson-Davis, a November verbal seems possible. We believe that IU is the odds on favorite to land Brooks. He is close with Jackson-Davis and the pair has said that they would like to play together. Moroever, Brooks has said on more than one occassion that staying in-state is something that is important to him.
Note: The NCAA LOI signing period begins on November 14.
OCTOBER 11, 2018: BIG TEN BASKETBALL MEDIA DAY
Another round interviews of the IU players and coaches will emerge from this annual event in Chicago, along with news and notes from around the conference.
NOVEMBER 1: EXHIBITION VS. SOUTHERN INDIANA
Unlike most seasons, the Hoosiers will have just one exhibition game this year. The Screaming Eagles have a roster with 10 players from Indiana high schools that will be energized by a chance to play at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
The USI program won the NCAA Division II national title in 1995 and was the runner-up in 1994 and 2004. USI was 20-11 last year.
NOVEMBER 6: THE SEASON BEGINS VS. CHICAGO STATE
The season begins in just over 40 days with what will likely be the lowest ranked opponent on the schedule when it’s all said and done. After last year’s opening game debacle against Indiana State, a bit of a softer start might be just what the doctor ordered. The Cougars finished 3-29 last year.
You can see the complete 2018-19 schedule here.
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