Hoosiers to get plenty of Hall time

If you want to catch an Indiana University men’s basketball nonconference game during the 2024-25 season?

Get to know your Bloomington watering holes.

Indiana announced its nonconference slate on Tuesday. Apart from the multi-team exempt Battle 4 Atlantis tournament from Nov. 27-29? Every other nonconference foe will come to Simon Skojodt Assembly Hall.

“My staff and I put together a non-conference schedule that will lead to long-term success this season,” Indiana coach Mike Woodson said in the official release of the schedule.

Indiana opens its slate with a pair of Ohio Valley Conference foes in SIU-Edwardsville (Nov. 6) and Eastern Illinois (Nov. 10). The EIU visit brings one-time Hoosier and EIU coach Marty Simmons back to Bloomington.

The lone power conference foe the Hoosiers will play is South Carolina. The Gamecocks invade Assembly Hall on Dec. 16. After that, the Hoosiers host UNC-Greensboro on Dec. 21.

Six days later, IU will be in the Bahamas for the Battle 4 Atlantis. The bracket hasn’t been announced yet, but Arizona, Davidson, Gonzaga, Louisville, Oklahoma, Providence and West Virginia make up the rest of the field.

“We are looking forward to playing in one of the best in-season tournaments in our game in the Battle 4 Atlantis. The matchups, no matter how they fall, will create a great test for our team,” Woodson said.

In December, nonconference home games include Sam Houston State (Dec. 3), Miami of Ohio (Dec. 6), Chattanooga (Dec. 21) and Winthrop (Dec. 28). There will also likely be a Big Ten home and road game mixed in.

Game times will be announced at a later date.

“We will be tested by some veteran, well-coached ball clubs early in the season that will prepare us for a 20-game conference schedule,” Woodson said.

Fans might debate that. According to barttorvik.com and Bart Torvik’s preseason projections, only one of Indiana’s opponents — South Carolina — is expected to be a top 100 team in Division I.

The Battle 4 Atlantis field offers better opportunities. Gonzaga (9) and Arizona (10) are the highest-projected teams. Indiana (31) ranks third. Providence (60), Louisville (62), Oklahoma (67) and West Virginia (83) would all represent quality wins.

Projections are just that, and may not hold water as the season plays out, but it’s clear Indiana hasn’t left itself much margin for error strength-of-schedule-wise if it finds itself on the bubble.

The Big Ten schedule will be announced at a later date, though Indiana knows whom it will be playing in the 20-game schedule within the expanded 18-team conference.

The Hoosiers will play Ohio State, Penn State and Purdue home-and-away.

Indiana will host Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Rutgers, USC and UCLA. The Hoosiers will travel to Iowa, Michigan State, Nebraska, Northwestern, Oregon, Washington and Wisconsin.