The Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team represents Indiana University Bloomington in NCAA Division I college basketball and competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Hoosiers play at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on the Branch McCracken Court in Bloomington, Indiana on the Indiana University Bloomington campus. Indiana has won five National Championships in men's basketball, (1940, 1953, 1976, 1981, 1987) â two coming under Branch McCracken and three under Bob Knight. Indiana's 1976 team remains the last undefeated NCAA men's basketball champion.
The Hoosiers have 41 NCAA Tournament appearances and 68 victories, 8 Final Four appearances, and 22 Big Ten Conference Championship victories. A 2025 study listed Indiana as the third most valuable collegiate basketball program in the country. Indiana has ranked in the top 20 nationally in men's basketball attendance since 1972.
Indiana has two main rivalries including in-state, against the Purdue Boilermakers (see IndianaâÂÂPurdue rivalry), and out-of-state, against the Kentucky Wildcats (see IndianaâÂÂKentucky rivalry). The Hoosiers also have a rivalry with the Illinois Fighting Illini (see IllinoisâÂÂIndiana rivalry).
During warm-ups, Indiana players wear "candy striped" pants resembling the red and white stripes of a candy cane.
The team is widely noted for its simple game jerseys. When coach Mike Davis succeeded Bob Knight, he suggested adding names to the jerseys. However, the Hoosiers' minimalist look had become such a part of the program's brand that the proposal was dropped after considerable backlash from fans. Despite the long tradition behind the jerseys, they have undergone some slight changes over the years. The school's colors are cream and crimson.
The Indiana Big Red Basketball Band performs the William Tell Overture. Indiana Assistant Director for Facilities, Chuck Crabb, said the tradition began in 1979 or 1980. Sportscaster "Billy Packer [called it] the greatest college timeout in the country."
In 1971, Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance became the sole sponsor of Indiana and Purdue games on WTTV. In 2009 new coach Tom Crean resurrected the tradition and had "Martha" appear at the "Midnight Madness" festivities to begin the season. Because Webster was unavailable, singer Sheila Stephen stepped in as the new Martha. Starting with the 2010âÂÂ11 season, video of the original ad was shown at home games after the National Anthem and right before tip off.
Indiana fielded its first men's basketball team in the 1900âÂÂ01 season, posting a 1âÂÂ4 ledger under coach James H. Horne. Their first game was in Indianapolis, where the Hoosiers lost to Butler 20âÂÂ17. Indiana's first victory was a 26âÂÂ17 win over Wabash College that same year.
The Indiana Hoosiers began playing in the Men's Gymnasium in 1917. Due to complaints from spectators seated behind the backboards about poor visibility, the arena installed glass backboards a few years later. These glass backboards may have been the first to be used in the United States.
In 1924, Indiana alumnus Everett Dean became head coach. The Hoosiers won their first Big Ten Conference title in 1926, defeating Wisconsin 35âÂÂ20, and won again in 1928 and 1936.
When Dean left for Stanford, the popular selection to succeed him was Branch McCracken. McCracken was another young alumnus and former player under Everett Dean.
McCracken's first IU team was led by All-American Ernie Andres, later a McCracken basketball assistant. In McCracken's first year, the team finished 17âÂÂ3, splitting games with both Purdue and eventual NCAA runner-up Ohio State. The following year the 1939âÂÂ40 NCAA title team, led by All-American Marvin Huffman, would take Indiana to unprecedented success: an NCAA title and a record (at the time) 20 wins. The 20âÂÂ3 record by that team would not be bested for another 13 years until broken again by Indiana. At their home court at The Fieldhouse, Indiana saw six perfect seasons including a 24-game unbeaten home winning streak from 1938 to 1941. In 1960 the Indiana Hoosiers football program was hit with devastating NCAA sanctions that impacted every varsity sport at the school, including basketball. The violations only occurred within the football program. Nevertheless, McCracken did manage to successfully recruit twins Dick Van Arsdale and Tom Van Arsdale, both of whom would earn All-America honors in 1965.
McCracken ultimately coached IU for 23 years, amassing 364 wins and 210 Big Ten wins. His teams also won four regular season Big Ten titles and went to the NCAA tournament four times, winning two national titles. He was inducted into the National Basketball Hall of Fame and the court now at Assembly Hall is named in his honor.
Sandwiched between two iconic coaches in Branch McCracken and Bob Knight, McCracken's longtime assistant and former lead scorer Lou Watson coached Indiana from 1965 through 1971, with a leave of absence in 1970 where Jerry Oliver stepped in as acting head coach. The 1966âÂÂ67 team, which won a Big Ten championship, was known as the "Cardiac Kids" because of their many heart-stopping finishes.
In 1972âÂÂ73, Bob Knight's second year as coach, Indiana won the Big Ten championship and reached the Final Four, but lost to UCLA. Indiana won the Big Ten championship again in the following season. In the two following seasons, 1974âÂÂ75 and 1975âÂÂ76, the Hoosiers were undefeated in the regular season and won 37-consecutive Big Ten games, including two more Big Ten championships. The 1974âÂÂ75 Hoosiers swept the entire Big Ten by an average of 22.8 points per game. However, in an 83âÂÂ82 win against Purdue they lost consensus All-American forward Scott May to a broken left arm. With May's injury keeping him to 7 minutes of play, the No. 1 Hoosiers lost to Kentucky 92âÂÂ90 in the Mideast Regional. The Hoosiers were so dominant that four starters â Scott May, Steve Green, Kent Benson and Quinn Buckner â would make the five-man All-Big Ten team. The following season, 1975âÂÂ76, the Hoosiers went the entire season and 1976 NCAA tournament without a single loss, beating Michigan 86âÂÂ68 in the title game. Indiana remains the last school to accomplish this feat.
The 1985âÂÂ86 Hoosiers were profiled in a best-selling book A Season on the Brink. To write it Knight granted author John Feinstein almost unprecedented access to the Indiana basketball program, as well as insights into Knight's private life. The following season, in 1986âÂÂ87, the Hoosiers were led by All-American Steve Alford and captured a share of the Big Ten title. The team won Indiana's fifth national championship against Syracuse in the 1987 NCAA tournament with a game-winning jump shot by Keith Smart with five seconds of play remaining in the championship game. In the 1988âÂÂ1989 season the Hoosiers were led by All-American Jay Edwards and won a Big Ten championship.
Throughout the mid and late 1990s Knight and the Hoosiers continued to experience success with superior play from All-Americans Brian Evans and A. J. Guyton. The Hoosiers won a minimum of 19 games and played in the NCAA tournament each year. However, 1993 would be Knight's last conference championship and 1994 would be his last trip to the Sweet Sixteen. Moreover, his aggressive and combative actions and communication often brought as much controversy to the school as success. Allegations of abuse, along with his reputation and a strained relationship with then-University President Myles Brand, resulted in Knight's controversial dismissal in 2000.
Following Bob Knight's tumultuous exit from Indiana, assistant Mike Davis took over as interim head coach in the fall of 2000. In his first season, Davis led a team featuring All-Americans Kirk Haston and Jared Jeffries to a 21âÂÂ13 record. The following year, in the 2001âÂÂ02 season, Davis was named the permanent coach. That year the Hoosiers captured a share of the Big Ten championship and made an unexpected trip to the 2002 NCAA championship game. But after the Hoosiers lost to Maryland in 2002 and failed to make the NCAA tournament in 2004 and 2005 (for the first time since 1985), criticism of Davis grew. Following months of speculation, he announced his resignation in February 2006, saying the basketball program needed to move on with a new coach. He remained with the team for the rest of the 2006 season before leaving.
On March 28, 2006, Oklahoma head coach Kelvin Sampson was named coach of the Hoosiers, despite a history of violating NCAA rules and sanctions imposed on him. Sampson fielded competitive teams and scored a major recruiting victory by persuading in-state star Eric Gordon to sign with Indiana. The Hoosiers, with Gordon and forward D.J. White, were considered one of the better teams during the 2007âÂÂ2008 season. However, in October 2007 Sampson was found to have violated rules again, this time by engaging in a 3-way phone conversation with a recruit. Indiana punished Sampson by denying him a previously scheduled $500,000 raise, firing one of his assistant coaches, and taking away one of his scholarships for the 2008âÂÂ2009 season.
In early February 2008 the NCAA informed Indiana that Sampson had "knowingly violated telephone recruiting restrictions and then lied about it." After launching another internal investigation, Indiana officials announced just 14 days later that Sampson accepted a $750,000 buyout of his contract and resigned as the men's basketball coach. Former player and assistant coach Dan Dakich was named interim coach for the remainder of the season. A number of college basketball pundits believed that Sampson's tenure at Indiana had effectively ended once the allegations broke. Sports Illustrated college basketball columnist Seth Davis noted that the NCAA had given Indiana 90 days to respond to the notice of allegations. Indiana officials said their internal investigation would only take a week, leading Davis to believe that they had already decided Sampson was guilty. ESPN's Mark Schlabach suggested that the only reason Indiana did not fire Sampson right away was because his contract did not allow the school to suspend him immediately. He believed Indiana was trying to find a way not to honor his contract and stay out of the courtroom. ESPN's Pat Forde said that Sampson's departure was "preordained" the moment the NCAA sent out its notice of allegations, and suggested that Sampson would never return to Division I.
In November 2008, the NCAA imposed a three-year probation on the basketball program and upheld the school's self-imposed sanctions stemming from the actions of Sampson and his staff. Earlier, IU president Michael McRobbie privately told the NCAA infractions committee that Sampson betrayed his trust as Indiana's coach, and demonstrated that his hiring had been "a risk that should not have been taken."
On April 1, 2008, Marquette head coach Tom Crean was hired as head coach and inherited a thoroughly depleted team. Between Crean's hiring and the start of the 2008âÂÂ09 season, freshman Eric Gordon opted to leave early for the NBA and star forward DJ White graduated. Two other players transferred, one player was dismissed from the team and two others previously dismissed by Dakich were not allowed to return. As a result, Crean began with a roster consisting of two walk-ons who had scored a combined 36 points in their careers. Crean's first three seasons saw losing records of 6âÂÂ25 (the worst in school history), 10âÂÂ21, and 12âÂÂ20.
The 2011âÂÂ2012 season was a watershed one for Crean and the program. The arrival of Indiana Mr. Basketball Cody Zeller brought higher expectations for year four. The team earned wins over the #1 ranked Kentucky, the #2 ranked Ohio State, and #5 ranked Michigan State. This made Indiana the first Big 10 program to knock off the #1 and #2 ranked teams in the same season since 1991 and the first IU squad ever to defeat three programs ranked in the top five in the regular season. The Hoosiers finished the season with a 27âÂÂ9 record, 5th in the Big Ten. The fifteen game win improvement in 2011âÂÂ2012 was the largest single turnaround in the NCAA that season. Crean's guidance of the program to success from "unthinkable depths" was regarded as one of the most remarkable rebuilding projects in NCAA basketball history. The Hoosiers advanced to the Sweet Sixteen in the 2012 NCAA tournament before losing a rematch game to Kentucky, who would go on to win the national championship. Following the surprise run to the Sweet Sixteen, the 2012âÂÂ2013 Hoosiers spent 10 weeks ranked No. 1 in the country, and all but two weeks in the top 5. The experience of Jordan Hulls and Christian Watford, alongside the talent of Victor Oladipo, Cody Zeller and freshman point guard Yogi Ferrell, led this team to a finish of outright Big Ten regular season champions for the first time since 2002. They again advanced to the Sweet Sixteen, the first time since the 1992âÂÂ93 and 1993âÂÂ94 seasons that the Hoosiers advanced to the Sweet Sixteen in back-to-back seasons. As national player of the year, Oladipo and Zeller both left for the NBA after the conclusion of the season.
After a rough start, the 2015âÂÂ2016 Hoosiers finished the season 27âÂÂ8 overall and 15âÂÂ3 in the Big Ten to win the Big Ten regular season title outright. They received the #1 seed in the 2016 Big Ten men's basketball tournament, where they made an early quarterfinals exit. As Big Ten Conference Champions, the Hoosiers received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament and beat Chattanooga and Kentucky to advance to the Sweet 16 for the third time in five years; however, they fell to North Carolina in the next round. Despite the highs of the previous season and being ranked as high as #3 in the nation, the 2016âÂÂ2017 team faced a troubling and disappointing year; they finished 18âÂÂ16 overall and 7âÂÂ11 in Big Ten play. After tying for tenth in the Big Ten, the Hoosiers missed out on the NCAA tournament and lost in the first round of the NIT, their first appearance since 2005. On March 16, 2017, the Indiana Hoosiers Athletic's Department fired coach Tom Crean. He ended his tenure with the Hoosiers with an overall record of 166âÂÂ135 (.551), three Sweet Sixteen appearances, and two regular season conference championships.
On March 27, 2017, Dayton head coach Archie Miller was named the 29th head coach in the history of the men's basketball program. Miller's first season was a major remodeling job, starting with laying the foundation of a pack-line defense and valuing possessions. Early in the season, Miller stated practices were 75% defense, 25% offense. That scheme showed early and often, as the Hoosiers struggled mightily throughout the season to find any flow or rhythm on offense, despite the defense making leaps and bounds in the overall rankings of Division 1 basketball. With a surprising early second round loss in the 2018 Big Ten tournament to Rutgers, 76âÂÂ67, and losing enough games to keep them out of both the NCAA tournament and NIT, including games in which they were favored, such as Indiana State and Fort Wayne, IU's first season under their new coach came to a disappointing close. They finished with an overall record of 16âÂÂ15 and 9âÂÂ9 in the Big Ten.
In 2018, Miller landed his first five star recruit when Romeo Langford committed to Indiana University. Langford, a McDonald's-All American and 2018 Indiana Mr. Basketball, was (according to ESPN) the 6th ranked player in the nation and number one high school player in Indiana. Despite getting off to a strong start of 12âÂÂ2, which included 3 conference wins, the 2018âÂÂ2019 Hoosiers struggled down the backstretch of the season. Riddled with injuries and the inability to shoot, IU lost 12 of 13 games before turning things around and finishing the regular season with a 4-game winning streak. Having put themselves back into the conversation for making the NCAA tournament for the first time in 3 years, the Hoosiers looked to knock off Ohio State in the Big Ten tournament. However, the Hoosiers fell short and lost to Ohio State, 79âÂÂ75. IU was deemed one of the Last Four Out in the NCAA tournament, so they earned 1-seed in the NIT, where they advanced to the Quarterfinals before losing to Wichita State, 73âÂÂ63. Thus, the Hoosiers' 119th season ended with an overall record of 19âÂÂ16 and 8âÂÂ12 in the Big Ten. The Hoosiers started off another strong campaign for the 2019âÂÂ2020 season by going 11âÂÂ1 before dropping back-to-back games in late December 2019 and early January 2020. During the bulk of the conference season, IU was able to win most of their home games (7âÂÂ3), while stealing a few road games (2âÂÂ8) to end their final season with an overall record of 20âÂÂ12 and a conference record of 9âÂÂ11. Indiana entered the Big Ten tournament as the 11-seed where they faced the 14-seeded Nebraska Cornhuskers. The first round matchup ended in an 89âÂÂ64 IU victory, staging a second round matchup with 6-seed Penn State. However, on the morning of March 12, 2020, the Big Ten Conference announced that it would be cancelling the remaining tournament games due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Following suit, that afternoon, the NCAA announced that it was cancelling all winter and spring championships. This announcement officially, and abruptly, ended the Hoosiers' season, where they were expected to make the NCAA tournament for the first time in 4 years.
The 2020âÂÂ21 season was another disappointing one as the Hoosiers finished the regular season 12âÂÂ15 overall, 7âÂÂ12 in the Big Ten. Indiana closed out the season on a 6-game losing streak, leaving them out of the NCAA and NIT tournaments. On March 15, 2021, Indiana University officially parted ways with Miller and began its search for the next men's head basketball coach.
Just shy of two weeks after Archie Miller was fired, Indiana University announced on March 28, 2021, that former Indiana standout Mike Woodson would become the 30th head coach of the IU basketball program. In addition, former Ohio State head coach, Thad Matta, was hired on to be an associate athletic director in men's basketball administration. This was Woodson's first coaching job in the college ranks, having previously served as head coach for the Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks, serving as an assistant coach for the latter team when IU hired him.
Coach Woodson's first season at the helm saw a list of streaks come to an end for the Hoosiers. Indiana finished the season 21âÂÂ14 overall, and 9âÂÂ11 in conference play. Along the way, IU ended losing streaks to Purdue, Michigan, and Illinois. as the No. 9 seed, they also advanced to the semifinals of the Big Ten Conference tournament, something they had not done since 2013. They lost to Iowa, 80âÂÂ77, the eventual tournament champions. The Hoosiers also heard their name called on Selection Sunday for the first time since 2016. After a six-year absence from the NCAA tournament, IU was selected as a No. 12 seed to play in the NCAA tournament First Four round in Dayton, Ohio. They knocked off No. 12 seed Wyoming to make it to the first round (Round of 64) where they lost to No. 5 seed St. Mary's.
The Hoosiers finished the 2022âÂÂ23 regular season ranked No. 19 in the Associated Press poll. The team spent 16 weeks among the top-25 teams in the nation. The Hoosiers also captured a share of 2nd place in the Big Ten Conference with a 21âÂÂ10 overall regular season record, 12âÂÂ8 in Big Ten play, and the No. 3 seed in the Big Ten Conference tournament. IU advanced to the quarterfinals before losing a close game to Penn State. For the second year in a row, the team found themselves in the NCAA Tournament this time as a No. 4 seed, where they improved upon their performance last year by making it to the Round of 32 but falling to the No. 5 seed Miami (FL), 85âÂÂ69. Woodson's third season didn't meet expectations as the 2023âÂÂ24 Hoosiers finished 19âÂÂ14 overall and 10âÂÂ10 in the Big Ten. IU received the No. 6 seed in the Big Ten Conference tournament, where they beat Penn State for the first time that season, 61âÂÂ59 with a last second tip-in by Anthony Leal. In the quarterfinals, IU lost to Nebraska for the third time that season, 93âÂÂ66.
The 2024âÂÂ25 season ended up being Mike Woodson's final year as the head coach. On February 7, 2025, IU Athletics issued a statement confirming that Woodson would retire at the end of the season. For the second year in a row IU missed out on the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Turning down other post-season tournament invites, the Hoosiers finished with an overall record of 19âÂÂ13 and 10âÂÂ10 in Big Ten Conference play. Thus finishing the 4-year Mike Woodson era.
On March 18, 2025, West Virginia head coach Darian DeVries was hired as the 31st head coach of the IU program. Within weeks of the end of the 2024âÂÂ25 season, all scholarship players with remaining eligibility entered the transfer portal, forcing DeVries to begin his first season with a completely new roster. The Hoosiers found themselves in a promising position to make the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2023 by starting 17âÂÂ8; however, IU lost 5 of their last 6 regular season games. Finishing 10th in the conference, IU earned the No. 10 seed and faced off against No. 15 seed Northwestern, but fell 61âÂÂ74. The Hoosiers' season concluded with an overall record of 18âÂÂ14, and 9âÂÂ11 in Big Ten play. IU missed the NCAA tournament for the third straight year, ending up in the First Four out. On March 15, 2026, IU announced that they would not participate in any postseason tournaments, bringing the first year under Devries to a close.
Indiana played at the Men's Gymnasium between 1901 to 1917. Before the 1938 demolition, it became the Assembly Hall.
The Indiana Hoosiers began playing in the Men's Gymnasium in 1917. Due to complaints from spectators seated behind the backboards about poor visibility, the arena installed glass backboards, which may have been the first to be used in the United States.The basketball team's last season in the facility was in 1927âÂÂ28, when the team won the conference championship. Because of the growing popularity of basketball at the school and the growing size of the student body, the team moved to a larger arena. It is now part of the School of Public Health-Bloomington.
The Bill Garrett Fieldhouse or William Leon Garrett Fieldhouse (formerly known as simply the Fieldhouse) was named after Bill Garrett.
The New IU Fieldhouse (later named the Gladstein Fieldhouse) was originally intended as an interim home for the men's basketball team. However, NCAA sanctions on the football program hobbled the school's finances, and the "New" Fieldhouse ended up hosting the team for 11 years from 1960 to 1971. It now serves as a state-of-the-art track and field facility.
The Hoosiers currently play at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall (pronounced like Scott). The 17,222-seat arena has been the home of the men's basketball team since 1972. The basketball floor is named Branch McCracken Court after the legendary Hoosier coach. The north end of the arena prominently displays the program's five national championship banners. Former head coach Bob Knight called the facility a "sacred place" for student fans and athletes. Basketball sportscaster Gus Johnson called Assembly Hall "the Carnegie Hall of basketball."
Cook Hall is a basketball practice facility that was completed in 2010 and is located next to Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, connected by a tunnel. Bill and Gayle Cook donated $15 million to the "For the Glory of Old IU" campaign, out of which came Cook Hall where the IU basketball team is able to engage in day-to-day operations. It contains the Pfau Shine Legacy Court, a museum space that chronicles the history of Indiana basketball with photographs, artifacts, trophies and interactive touch-screen kiosks. The 67,000-square-foot, three story facility features two practice courts, two locker rooms, two player lounges, a strength and conditioning area, coaches' offices, and meeting rooms.
Indiana does not retire numbers of former players, unlike many other college basketball programs.
The Hoosiers currently have 56 players in their 1,000-point club.
Calbert Cheaney is the all-time leading scorer at Indiana University with 2,613 points. Cheaney was able to reach the 1,000-point milestone in just 53 games, the 4th quickest Hoosier to do so. Others of honorable mention include Don Schlundt (43 games), Archie Dees (47 games), Walt Bellamy (50 games), Mike Woodson and Jimmy Rayl (54 games), Joe Cooke and Jay Edwards (55 games), Bracey Wright (59 games), and rounding out the top 10 is Tom Bolyard (60 games).
Indiana has a total of 46 players who have claimed All-American status, with 14 of them earning First-Team All-American.
⦠Denotes Consensus First-Team All-American
A total of 11 Hoosiers have been deemed Academic All-Americans.
Indiana has recruited a total of 34 McDonald's All-Americans; the first coming in 1977 and the latest in 2024.
29 Indiana Mr. Basketball honorees have played for Indiana.
National Coach of the Year
Big Ten Coach of the Year
Big Ten Player of the Year
Big Ten Freshman of the Year
Updated March 11, 2026
Indiana has won five NCAA Championships in men's basketball (1940, 1953, 1976, 1981, 1987) â the first two under coach Branch McCracken and the latter three under Bob Knight â and 22 Big Ten Conference championships. The Hoosiers' five NCAA Championships are tied with Duke (5) for the fourth-most in history, trailing only UCLA (11), Kentucky (8), North Carolina and UConn (6). Their eight trips to the Final Four ranks eighth (tied) on the all-time list. The Hoosiers have made 41 appearances in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament (sixth-most in NCAA history). In those 41 appearances, Indiana has posted a 68âÂÂ36 record (.654). Its 68 victories are the seventh-most in NCAA history. The Hoosiers also won post-season tournaments in 1974, the Collegiate Commissioners Association Tournament, and in 1979, the National Invitation Tournament. As of 2023, the 1976 Hoosiers remain the last NCAA men's basketball team to go undefeated in both regular season and postseason play.
Championship Results
The NCAA began seeding the tournament with the 1979 edition.
The Hoosiers have appeared in the NCAA tournament 41 times. Their combined record is 68âÂÂ36.
The Hoosiers have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) six times. Their combined record is 10âÂÂ5. They were NIT champions in 1979.
The Hoosiers appeared in one of the only two ever Collegiate Commissioners Association tournaments. Their record is 3âÂÂ0 and were champions in 1974.
Indiana has won 22 Big Ten regular-season championships, the second-most in Big Ten history.
Indiana teams have spent a total of 54 weeks ranked number 1, most recently in 2013.
The Associated Press began its basketball poll on January 20, 1949. The following is a summary of those annual polls. Starting in the 1961âÂÂ62 season, AP provided a preseason (PS) poll. AP did a post-tournament poll in 1953, 1954, 1974 and 1975. The following table summarizes Indiana history in the AP Poll:
Indiana has eight victories over the AP number one ranked team, including the 2011 Kentucky upset.