BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – This story is part of a series that will continue through October. Is Indiana better than each of its Big Ten opponents?
Nine categories were chosen. There will be no ties in individual categories. Think of it like you would the Supreme Court.
The categories: Point guard play, free throw shooting, inside scoring, perimeter shooting, rebounding, perimeter defense, rim protection, how much proven Power Five talent is on the roster, and intangibles.
The daily series will cover both the men’s and women’s basketball teams, and it will alternate between the teams.
On the men’s side, we’re down to the final new Big Ten team in this series – Washington.
The Huskies would have been starting over with or without a new conference. Former coach Mike Hopkins was let go after a 17-15 season. Danny Sprinkle was hired from Utah State. He took the Aggies to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2024.
The roster has been completely rebuilt. Only two players return from 2024.
Here’s how the battle between the Hoosiers and Huskies shakes out.
• Point guard play – Transfers are being counted on here as they are almost everywhere for Washington.
Rhode Island transfer Luis Kortright (10 ppg, 3.7 apg) and North Dakota transfer Tyree Ihenacho (14.5 ppg, 3.9 apg) are the primary candidates to run the offense. Indiana has more experienced and accomplished options in Myles Rice, Trey Galloway and Gabe Cupps. Edge: Indiana.
• Free throw shooting – Sprinkle’s Utah State team ranked 36th in free throw attempts in 2024 so he puts a premium on drawing fouls. To that end, a key player Sprinkle wooed to Seattle is former Butler guard DJ Davis – the national leader in free throw shooting at 95%.
Oddly enough, the only other plus-70% free throw shooter Sprinkle brought to Washington is Oakland transfer forward Chris Conway (75.9%). He inherited forward Wilhelm Breidenbach (70.3%), too.
Indiana is not blessed with great free throw shooting, but the Hoosiers’ best are Mackenzie Mgbako (82.1%) and Rice (81.1%).
This might be a case of quality over quantity. Davis only averaged three attempts at the line in 2024. Both Mgbako and Rice were closer to four attempts. Great as Davis is, he can’t do it alone and the Huskies don’t have an advantage over the Hoosiers on the rest of their roster. Edge: Indiana.
• Inside scoring – Sprinkle brought along his best player at Utah State – forward Great Osobor (17.7 ppg). Osobor has been with Sprinkle throughout his career, following him from Montana State to Utah State to Washington. A preseason All-Big Ten pick, Osobor is strong at the rim.
Past him, Washington has Franck Kepnang (8.3 ppg). One of the holdovers, he missed most of 2024 with a knee injury. Breidenbach (5.3 ppg), a former Nebraska reserve, has a similar role with the Huskies.
Good as Osobor is, none of the above can match Oumar Ballo (12.9 ppg) and Malik Reneau (15.4 ppg) and what they bring to the table for Indiana. Edge: Indiana.
• Perimeter shooting – Portland transfer guard Tyler Harris (35.8%), Davis (35.1%) and Rice transfer Mekhi Mason (34.3%) are the Huskies’ most accomplished shooters. Luke Goode (38.9%), Mgbako (32.7%) and Kanaan Carlyle (32%) are Indiana’s best options. If Galloway recovers his 2023 form, the Hoosiers can be better, but until that comes to pass, Washington gets the nod. Edge: Washington.
• Rebounding – Ballo (10.1 rpg) and Reneau (6 rpg) are a tough combo to beat. Washington has promise with Osobor (9 rpg), Harris (7.3 rpg) and Kepnang (5.9 rpg), but only Kepnang (who also played at Oregon) has done it against Power Five-level competition. Edge: Indiana.
• Perimeter defense – Hard to know what Washington really has here given so many new components. Ihenacho (1.4 spg) and Davis (1.1 spg) were able to force turnovers at their previous stops, but apart from Davis, there’s precious little Power Five-level experience. Edge: Indiana.
• Defense at the rim – Same problem here for Washington. Kepnang and Breidenbach’s sample sizes were small for the Huskies, and no one else on the roster played at a Power Five level. Defense in the paint is one of the hardest things to take with you from the mid-major level to the Power Five. That will be a challenge for the Huskies. Edge: Indiana.
• Proven Power 5 ability on roster – The standard here is whether a player averaged 25 minutes or more at the Power Five level at their current or former school.
Davis, from Butler, is the only player who makes the cut for the Huskies. Ballo, Carlyle, Galloway, Mgbako, Reneau and Rice make the cut for the Hoosiers. Edge: Indiana.
• Intangibles – A completely new roster going into a new league is a big enough challenge. Add in the travel for the Huskies, and that’s a lot to overcome. Edge: Indiana.
• Verdict – Sprinkle has had success at his last two stops, but this might be a bridge too far this season. Indiana wins this one, 8-1. Washington will undoubtedly have some players who step up, but the Hoosiers should as well.
Previous Is Indiana Better Than Men’s Basketball Results
Oregon – Indiana 7-2.
Rutgers – Indiana 7-2.
Maryland – Indiana 6-3.
USC – Indiana 6-3.
Penn State – Indiana 5-4.
Minnesota – Indiana 6-3.
Michigan – Indiana 6-3.
UCLA – UCLA 5-4.
Ohio State – Indiana 7-2.
Iowa – Indiana 5-4.
Michigan State – Indiana 5-4.
