Indiana State's fluid, balanced scoring offense and its bespectacled big man have the program off to one of its best starts in years.
Now the Sycamores have something that hasn't happened since Larry Bird played in Terre Haute: a spot in the AP Top 25.
Riding a nine-game winning streak, Indiana State debuted Monday at No. 23 in The Associated Press men's college basketball poll, the Sycamores' first ranking since reaching No. 1 in 1978-79.
“It's a group that the community can really embrace, and I think that's the case,” Indiana State coach Josh Schertz recently told reporters. “It's great to see. I know Terre Haute. They love basketball. I know there's a lot of history and tradition, from Larry Bird to John Wooden to Clarence Walker.”
UConn and Purdue maintained the top two spots in the AP Top 25. The defending national champion Huskies received 45 first-place votes from a 61-person media panel and the Boilermakers had 16.
Schertz took over the Indiana State program during the pandemic, inheriting a depleted roster with no way for players to visit campus. Schertz put together a team that won 11 games in his first season, and the Sycamores improved to 23-13 last season.
Indiana State (22-3) has been on a roll in Schertz's third season, winning all 11 games at home and taking a two-game lead over Drake in the Missouri Valley Conference at 11-1.
The Sycamores have five players scoring in double figures, led by dynamic 5-foot-10 guard Isaiah Swope's 17.7 points per game. Big man Robbie Avila has become a fan favorite with the glasses on him, averaging 16.4 points and 7.4 rebounds.
Indiana State ranks fifth nationally in scoring at 85.6 points per game, ninth in 3-point percentage (39%) and number one in adjusted field goal percentage, according to KenPom. The combination has the Sycamores seeking their first NCAA tournament berth since 2011.
“Our goal is to get to the NCAA tournament and advance,” Schertz said. “You never want to put limits on yourself. You want to get to the tournament, win games and go as far as you can. You saw what happened last year with Florida Atlantic and San Diego State playing in the Final Four: there is nothing out of your reach.”
Losses to No. 6 Kansas and No. 7 North Carolina led to a shakeup in the top 10 behind UConn and Purdue.
Houston moved up two spots to No. 5, Marquette moved up three spots to No. 4 and No. 8 Arizona moved up three after sweeping the Pac-12 mountain schools. Tennessee, Duke and Iowa State rounded out the top 10. The Cyclones returned to the top 10 for the first time since the 2021-22 season.
Iowa State and No. 11 South Carolina had the biggest jumps, each moving up four spots.
No. 20 Wisconsin had the biggest drop, falling nine spots after losing four straight games.
No. 22 Kentucky fell five spots after losing three straight games for the first time at Rupp Arena, which opened in 1976. The Wildcats had not lost three straight home games since the 1966-67 season, when they played at the Memorial Coliseum. .
No. 18 Saint Mary's returned to the AP Top 25 for the first time since the preseason poll after wins over Pacific and Portland. No. 19 Virginia returned to the poll for the first time since mid-December thanks to an eight-game winning streak.
No. 25 Oklahoma returned to the poll after dropping out last week following wins over No. 18 BYU and rival Oklahoma State.
Utah State dropped out of 22nd place after losing at home to Nevada and beating Boise State. Texas Tech fell from No. 23 to unranked after a loss to No. 12 Baylor and a win over UCF.
San Diego State dropped out of No. 24 after an overtime loss to Nevada.
The Big 12 leads the country with six qualified teams, followed by the SEC with five. The Atlantic Coast, Big Ten and Big East conferences were next with three. The Pac-12, Atlantic 10, West Coast, Missouri Valley and American Athletic conferences each had one.
