Indiana basketball snubbed from AP Top 25 after wins

Indiana basketball fans vented their frustration Monday after the Hoosiers failed to crack the AP Top 25 despite a dominant 2-0 start under first-year coach Darian DeVries. The team received 24 votes in the latest poll, a significant increase from the single vote they garnered in the preseason rankings, but not enough to secure a spot among the nation’s elite programs according to voters.

The Hoosiers have impressed with their opening performances, crushing Alabama A&M 98-51 in their season opener before dismantling Marquette 100-77 in Chicago on Sunday. The margin of victory and offensive firepower displayed in both contests suggested a team ready to compete at a higher level, yet poll voters remained unconvinced that Indiana deserves immediate Top 25 status.

The numbers behind the snub

Indiana landed at No. 28 based on the voting results, placing them among a crowded group of teams receiving consideration but falling short of official recognition. The others receiving votes included Vanderbilt with 31, Oregon with 26, Baylor with 25, and North Carolina State with 23, all ahead of the Hoosiers in the pecking order. Virginia, San Diego State, Ole Miss, USC, Missouri, Georgetown and Clemson also received votes ahead of or alongside Indiana.

Six Big Ten Conference teams earned spots in this week’s rankings, led by Purdue at No. 2, Michigan at No. 7, Illinois at No. 17, UCLA at No. 15, Michigan State at No. 17 and Wisconsin at No. 24. The conference’s strong representation makes Indiana’s exclusion particularly noticeable to fans who believe their team’s early performances warrant similar recognition within the league.

A new era begins

DeVries arrived at Indiana with the challenge of revitalizing a program that has struggled to consistently compete for Big Ten championships in recent years. His first two games suggest he may have assembled the pieces necessary for a successful campaign, though voters apparently want to see more before granting the Hoosiers the benefit of doubt that comes with a Top 25 ranking.

The dominant nature of both victories cannot be dismissed. Scoring 98 points against Alabama A&M demonstrated offensive capability, while the 100-point outburst against Marquette, a more established program, showed the Hoosiers can maintain that production against higher-quality competition. The 23-point margin of victory over the Golden Eagles particularly impressed observers who expected a closer contest.

Indiana’s 13 made 3-pointers are most in a single game since 12/13/20 against North Alabama, 7:40 to go

— Michael Niziolek (@michaelniziolek) November 9, 2025

The schedule ahead

Indiana faces a favorable stretch that should provide opportunities to build momentum before Big Ten play begins. The Hoosiers host Milwaukee on Wednesday at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in a 7 p.m. Eastern time tip-off that will be broadcast on FS1. Following that matchup, they welcome Incarnate Word, Lindenwood and Bethune Cookman to Bloomington before facing Kansas State, another team currently receiving votes.

The non-conference schedule also includes marquee matchups against No. 9 Kentucky and No. 12 Louisville, games that will provide legitimate tests of Indiana’s credentials. These contests could serve as the proving ground that either validates the early-season success or exposes weaknesses that explain voter hesitation about ranking the Hoosiers.

Indiana up by 24. This has been so impressive, especially considering the fouls. IU is on poll watch tomorrow.

— Mike Schumann @ The Daily Hoosier (@daily_hoosier) November 9, 2025

Path to recognition

Many analysts predict Indiana will enter Big Ten Conference play with a 5-0 record and finally crack the Top 25 within the next couple weeks. The lack of major opponents early in the schedule benefits the team by allowing DeVries to develop chemistry with his new roster, though it simultaneously limits the impressive wins that typically sway poll voters.

The Hoosiers face a familiar challenge for programs attempting to climb into rankings: they need quality wins to gain respect, but voters won’t provide high rankings until those wins accumulate. Breaking this cycle requires either dominant performances against lesser opponents that cannot be ignored, or breakthrough victories against ranked teams that force recognition.

Indiana blitzes Marquette by 23 in Chicago.

The Hoosiers have two All-Big Ten caliber players in Tucker DeVries and Lamar Wilkerson.

The Golden Eagles looked like a team that was playing their first big game without Kam Jones, Stevie Mitchell, and David Joplin.

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) November 9, 2025

Fan frustration builds

Indiana basketball fans took to social media to express disappointment that their team’s impressive start received such modest acknowledgment from voters. Many pointed to the comprehensive nature of both victories and questioned what more the Hoosiers needed to demonstrate to earn Top 25 consideration. The scoring margins and offensive efficiency displayed in the opening games seemed, to supporters, to deserve more credit than 24 votes.

Others recognized that early-season rankings carry limited meaning and that Indiana’s schedule provides ample opportunity to prove themselves deserving of higher placement. The matchups against Kentucky and Louisville will particularly test whether the Hoosiers belong in conversations about the nation’s best teams or whether their fast start reflects a favorable schedule rather than genuine elite-level capability.

Indiana just scored 100 points in Darian DeVries second game at the helm.

Tucker DeVries and Lamar Wilkerson combined for 51 points and were 12-of-19 from 3 in a 100-77 rout over Marquette.

The Hoosiers scored 100 three times in Mike Woodson’s tenure – against Kennesaw in…

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) November 9, 2025

Looking forward

The next few weeks will determine whether Indiana’s exclusion from the Top 25 represents a temporary oversight or an accurate assessment of a team still proving itself. DeVries has built early momentum that could translate into a successful season if the Hoosiers continue developing and perform well in their marquee matchups. For now, fans must accept that poll voters want more evidence before granting the recognition they believe the team has already earned through two dominant performances.

Indiana ROLLS in Chicago 🔴⚪️

The Hoosiers snag an impressive non-conference win over Marquette 💪 pic.twitter.com/mYsh0dpnRa

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) November 9, 2025