In just over three months, Indiana will open the 2024-25 regular season with a home game against SIU Edwardsville.
The game will tip on Wednesday, Nov. 6. The time and television details have not yet been announced.
The Cougars are led by a former IU basketball staff member.
SIUE head coach Brian Barone was the Hoosiers’ director of basketball operations/video coordinator when he worked under former IU head coach Tom Crean. Barone followed Crean from Marquette and spent two seasons (2008-09 and 2009-10) in Bloomington.
The 2023-24 season will mark Brian Barone’s sixth season as SIUE’s men’s basketball head coach. He took over as head coach in March 2019 after having previously been an assistant for the Cougars for two seasons.
Finishing with a record of 19-14, Barone led the Cougars to a historic season in 2022-23, turning in the first winning season since SIUE made the transition to Division I play. The Cougars fully completed the transition to DI in 2012, a process that took several years.
Last season, SIUE finished 17-16 overall, and 9-9 in the Ohio Valley Conference.
According to Bart Torvik’s preseason 2024-25 rankings, SIUE will be Indiana’s lowest rated opponent, coming in at No. 318 (out of 364). Returning just 30.7% of their minutes from a year ago. Torvik projects the Cougars will have the No. 338 offense and No. 257 defense.
6-foot-1 guard Ray’Sean Taylor averaged 13.6 points per game and shot 36.7% from three a year ago for the Cougars. He’s expected to lead the way this season.
The game will also serve as a homecoming of sorts for 6-foot-10 forward Kyle Thomas. He is the son of the late IU 1987 national champion Daryl Thomas. Kyle transferred to SIUE during the offseason. He averaged 2.1 points and 0.9 rebounds in 16 games at Bradley in 2023-24.
Daryl passed away in 2018. TDH caught up with Kyle in 2021 when he was in high school.
Indiana and SIUE have met twice previously. IU won 88-54 in 2010, and 83-60 in 2016. Both games were played in Bloomington.
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