At long last, college basketball is back.
A few Big Ten teams have already seen some action to open the 2025-26 season, with a few more tipping off as the week goes on. Most of these games are inconsequential in the event of anything but a loss, so it’s time for coaches to juice some numbers and maybe test out a few lineups against live competition.
Two teams open their seasons on Wednesday: Indiana and Rutgers, both coming off of and facing interesting years for wildly different reasons.
Let’s talk
ball:
Alabama A&M Bulldogs at Indiana Hoosiers
- Time/TV: 6 p.m. ET on BTN
- KenPom Spread: Hoosiers by 24
It’s year one of the Darian DeVries era in Bloomington after Mike Woodson stepped down as head coach following the conclusion of the 2024-25 season. DeVries had to build a new roster through the transfer portal, international ranks and with incoming signee 4-star forward Trent Sisley. The result is a drastically different team than the kind we all got used to seeing in the candystripes.
These Hoosiers have joined the rest of basketball in 2025 and are poised to win (and maybe lose) some games at the 3-point line, with Lamar Wilkerson and Tucker DeVries being among the best shooters in the country. There’s long-range ability up and down the Indiana roster, with DeVries looking to play an up-tempo style of offense that values that shooting and an ability to score points before a defense gets set.
So, with that in mind, Indiana should score Quite A Bit of points on Wednesday. The Hoosiers may have an off night from beyond the arc, but they have other ways of getting the ball through the hoop.
- Prediction: Indiana win
Rider Broncs at Rutgers Scarlet Knights
- Time/TV: 8 p.m. on BTN
- KenPom Spread: Scarlet Knights by 19
Rutgers, like Indiana, is coming off of a season preceded by high-caliber talent acquisition that didn’t quite deliver. The Scarlet Knights missed the 2025 NCAA Tournament and saw both Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey hear their names called in the first few picks of the NBA Draft.
The question around New Jersey is what comes next. the Harper-Bailey season was highly anticipated and fell as flat as it could’ve. The two just didn’t have enough talent around them to win on a consistent basis, and a solid amount of the non-lottery pick Scarlet Knights elected to move on as well this offseason. Rutgers welcomes back just four returners from last seasons roster, none of whom averaged more than 5.9 points per game.
Can Steve Pikiell rebuild the nasty defensive identity that kept Rutgers competitive in Big Ten play and firmly within postseason conversations? Maybe, but he’s gonna have to start proving it this season. Rider will provide a solid opportunity for the Scarlet Knights to set the tone.
- Prediction: Rutgers win
