Indiana Basketball Soars in KenPom Rankings After Purdue Upset

Heading into Tuesday night, Indiana, in the first season of the Darian DeVries era, had put together a good campaign – but not a great one. The Hoosiers had won every game they should have won, and had zero “bad losses”, but they also didn’t own a great win.

The metrics weren’t extremely high on them and the experts had them on the outside of the NCAA Tournament bubble (listed in First Four Out of Joe Lunardi’s bracketology for ESPN).

The Purdue contest wasn’t exactly a must-win, but it was a victory that could be the difference-maker come Selection Sunday for Indiana. It was an opportunity the Hoosiers couldn’t afford to pass up – and they didn’t.

They rode early hot shooting (8-for-20 from deep in the first half) to a double-digit lead at the break (up 40-29), and never looked back. Purdue gave Indiana a scare at the end, but DeVries’ club squeaked out the 72-67 win behind stingy defense and tough shotmaking at the end.

Nick Dorn goes back-to-back from three 🤩 @IndianaMBB

📺: Peacock pic.twitter.com/KgbfFGdigm
— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) January 28, 2026

Indiana leaps in KenPom following Purdue victory

Jan 27, 2026; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers forward Tucker DeVries (12) celebrates after a play against the Purdue Boilermakers during the first half at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

The result? Not just a .500 record in conference play (5-5 in league play) and the first Quad 1 win of the year, but also a massive bump from KenPom – the extremely well-respected metric, which is used by the NCAA Tournament committee. The analytical tool moved Indiana from No. 37 up to No. 30.

The Hoosiers’ offensive efficiency now ranks No. 28 in the country while the defense sits at No. 51. Now up to No. 30 overall, Indiana sits behind only Iowa (No. 21), Nebraska (No. 10), Purdue (No. 8), Michigan State (No. 6) and Michigan (No. 2) among Big Ten squads in KenPom.

With that victory, and Indiana’s subsequent new standing in the metrics (also No. 22 overall in Bart Torvik), DeVries’ squad is now firmly in the Big Dance field.

Ideally, this victory wasn’t an anomaly – but the first of many outings in which the Hoosiers put together a pair of 20-minute halves and play to their full potential. They’ve already shown, in flashes, what they’re capable of, but Tuesday night was the full package.

What. A. Night. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/dakvoqRhJI
— Indiana Basketball (@IndianaMBB) January 28, 2026

And with a handful of resume-building opportunities still on the docket – road trip to Los Angeles (will see UCLA and USC), at Illinois, at Purdue and vs. Michigan State – the Hoosiers will have ample time to prove this is the new standard, and, in turn, climb up the ranks of KenPom, along with the national polls.