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    Most early prognostications have IU basketball in the middle of the pack in the 2021-22 Big Ten race

    Mike SchumannBy IU Basketball 6 Comments
    Photo Credit - Indiana University Athletics

    It doesn’t seem to matter who you ask, most like Indiana basketball to finish right around the middle of the Big Ten in 2021-22.

    Already at least four well-known annual preseason predictions put the Hoosiers as the No. 7 team in the league for head coach Mike Woodson’s first season.

    Each of Athlon Sports, Lindy’s, Blue Ribbon and the Big Ten media have the same four teams at the top of the league in slightly different orders — Michigan, Purdue, Ohio State and Illinois.  They all also see Minnesota as the last place team.

    Change is the new normal in college basketball, and the Hoosiers have plenty of it.  That no doubt leads to some uncertainty when it comes to projecting the outlook for Indiana.  Of course Woodson is the new leader of the program, and several new players will be looked to for contributions including freshman Tamar Bates, senior point guard Xavier Johnson, perimeter scoring threats Parker Stewart and Miller Kopp, and big man Michael Durr.

    But the Hoosiers do return seven players from last year’s team, and the headliner of course is forward Trayce Jackson-Davis.

    Another consistency across the outlets — the junior big man Jackson-Davis is seen as a first team All-Big Ten performer.  Some of the other common selections for the first team are Michigan’s Hunter Dickinson, Ohio State’s E.J. Liddell, Illinois’ Kofi Cockburn, and Purdue’s Trevion Williams and Jaden Ivey.

    Take a look at the predicted order of finish by each of the four below.

    See also:  A team-by-team look at who is returning and new in Big Ten basketball.

    Athlon Sports

    1. Michigan,
    2. Purdue,
    3. Ohio State,
    4. Illinois,
    5. Maryland,
    6. Michigan State,
    7. Indiana,
    8. Wisconsin,
    9. Rutgers,
    10. Iowa,
    11. Northwestern,
    12. Nebraska,
    13. Penn State
    14. Minnesota

    Lindy’s

    1. Michigan,
    2. Purdue,
    3. Ohio State,
    4. Illinois,
    5. Michigan State,
    6. Maryland,
    7. Indiana,
    8. Wisconsin,
    9. Rutgers,
    10. Iowa,
    11. Northwestern,
    12. Penn State,
    13. Nebraska,
    14. Minnesota.

    Blue Ribbon

    1. Michigan,
    2. Purdue,
    3. Illinois,
    4. Ohio State,
    5. Michigan State,
    6. Maryland,
    7. Indiana,
    8. Wisconsin,
    9. Rutgers,
    10. Iowa,
    11. Northwestern,
    12. Nebraska,
    13. Penn State,
    14. Minnesota.

    Big Ten preseason media poll

    1. Michigan,
    2. Purdue,
    3. Illinois,
    4. Ohio State,
    5. Maryland,
    6. Michigan State,
    7. Indiana,
    8. Rutgers,
    9. Iowa,
    10. Wisconsin,
    11. Nebraska,
    12. Northwestern (tied 12th)
    13. Penn State (tied 12th)
    14. Minnesota

    The Daily Hoosier –“Where Indiana fans assemble when they’re not at Assembly”

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