Indiana in Andy Katz’s Power 37: Too High or Just Right?

In his preseason Power 37, the Hoosiers landed at No. 31 in the country – a solid spot for a squad full of newcomers and yet to suit up in an official contest together. 

Is No. 31 fair for Indiana in the preseason?

To offer some perspective, KenPom – the well-known metric, which was released on Sunday – ranked the Hoosiers as the 40th-best squad in the country. 

So, is either KenPom or Andy Katz’s list an accurate assessment?

Well, on one hand, few teams have as much talent and experience as Indiana. 

Tucker DeVries is one of the best shooters in all of college basketball, and one of the most well-rounded offensive players in the nation. 

Lamar Wilkerson also has a compelling case as one of the country’s purest snipers, while Tayton Conerway is the reigning Sun Belt Player of The Year and appears poised to be one of the top two-way guards in the Big Ten. 

Toss in the frontcourt pieces of Reed Bailey – a versatile offensive threat with unique, unteachable abilities at 6-foot-11 – and the uber-athletic, high-motor Sam Alexis, and the Hoosiers have one of the most loaded rosters, in terms of firepower, in the entire conference. 

But, the question remains: can DeVries gel his pieces on both sides of the floor – and how long will it take?

Bringing together an entirely new squad, and succeeding at a high level immediately is a tall task. All those diverse skill sets will certainly make that task easier, but expect Indiana to hit its fair share of bumps in the road before reaching its ceiling. 

Although that ceiling is arguably sky-high, the Hoosiers do have an equally low floor. For now, proceeding with caution is the best move until we see Indiana in action. 

That said, a ranking hovering in the No. 30-35 range is more than fair. But don’t be surprised if the Hoosiers deviate heavily from that number – in either direction – as the season unfolds.