In this episode of The Assembly Call, the crew checks in from the quiet part of the offseason—but with plenty to discuss. From the first glimpses of summer workouts to Indiana's exhibition schedule and the ongoing debate around NCAA Tournament expansion, there's no shortage of reasons to start getting excited for basketball again.

The Banner Moment: Summer Workouts Are Here

For the first time, we're getting a peek behind the curtain at this completely rebuilt roster.

• Early practice observations from those in attendance
• Why Coach Tonsoni is suddenly paying attention to practice videos
• What stood out from the first few days in Bloomington
• Looking ahead to Peru and why those games could be so valuable

Breaking Down the New-Look Roster

The conversation digs into what little we've seen—and what it might tell us.

• Why Indiana's roster construction feels more intentional this time around
• The importance of having multiple ways to create spacing offensively
• Which newcomers could quietly become the biggest difference-makers
• A fun exercise: if you're scouting Indiana, who do you try to stop first?

The discussion also explores why this team may simply have more answers than recent IU squads when defenses take away the first option.

Scheduling, Expansion, and the Bigger Picture

The show wraps with a look beyond the roster.

• Thoughts on playing marquee games in Indianapolis versus Assembly Hall
• Whether expanding the NCAA Tournament to 76 teams actually improves the event
• How a larger field could change scheduling philosophy across college basketball
• A few final reflections on the ever-changing landscape of the sport

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The crew opens with something Indiana fans haven’t had in a while during May: actual basketball stuff to look forward to.

Between the Peru trip, summer practices, and a roster that finally looks balanced on paper, there’s a real sense of momentum around the program.

• Why the Peru trip could end up being way more important than just “extra games”
• The hidden value of IU adding “practice body” depth pieces late in the portal cycle
• How Darian DeVries may have quietly overachieved in the transfer portal
• Why this roster feels fundamentally different from some recent IU teams
• The discussion turns into a surprisingly optimistic conversation about fit, shooting, and actual roster construction

There’s also some fun reflection on the current state of IU athletics overall — from football momentum to the feeling that Indiana is finally showing up in national conversations for positive reasons again.

And yes… the guys briefly spiral into memories of the 1992 Final Four loss to Duke, because some wounds apparently never heal.

Segment 2: The Big Ten Schedule Is Out… and IU Might’ve Actually Caught a Break

The conference opponents are officially set, and the panel wastes no time dissecting what’s good, what’s dangerous, and what could become sneaky problem spots.

A few major themes emerge quickly:

• Not having to visit Illinois, Michigan, and Michigan State feels enormous
• Why this schedule may set up well for a first-year roster still learning how to play together
• The road games everyone says are “winnable”… but somehow never feel comfortable
• An unfortunate amount of skepticism about beating Northwestern despite their roster turnover
• Wisconsin in Madison somehow turns into its own emotional subplot

The conversation eventually drifts into way-too-early Big Ten record predictions, and suddenly the panel is casually throwing around numbers that would represent Indiana’s best conference season in years.

Some restraint is attempted. It does not last long.

Segment 3: NCAA Tournament Expansion, College Basketball Chaos, and Coach Wants Golf Partners

The final segment tackles the looming NCAA Tournament expansion debate, and the conversation gets surprisingly thoughtful about what the tournament should actually represent.

Topics include:

• Why expanding the field feels inevitable whether fans like it or not
• The biggest issue with the current “First Four” setup
• A genuinely interesting idea for helping mid-major teams and preserving tournament magic
• Why the NCAA still doesn’t know how to properly treat smaller schools that earn tournament bids
• The guys accidentally workshop better tournament formats than the NCAA itself

And in true offseason fashion, the episode closes with:

• Indy 500 talk
• summer basketball plans
• podcast updates
• retirement excitement
• and Coach Tonsoni openly recruiting Assembly Call listeners to play golf with him around Indiana

Which honestly feels exactly right for a mid-May IU basketball show.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of The Assembly Call, we react to Indiana’s massive transfer portal haul and what it might mean for year two under Darian DeVries. After a disappointing season, the tone has shifted quickly—and the conversation wrestles with how much of this excitement is justified versus how much still needs to be proven on the court.

Segment 1: Inside Indiana’s Portal Haul

The discussion centers on just how dramatic this roster overhaul has been—and why it feels different from past offseasons.

• Why this group appears more balanced than recent Indiana teams
• How the pieces might actually fit together in a modern offense
• The significance of adding a true lead guard and legit size up front
• A surprise commitment during the show that adds another wrinkle
• Whether this is finally a roster without an obvious fatal flaw

Segment 2: What It Means (and What’s Still Missing)

The excitement is real—but so are the questions.

• How much of last year’s struggles were roster vs. coaching
• Why this offseason suggests the staff may have learned from year one
• The importance of continuity and multi-year players
• What positions still need to be addressed before the roster is complete
• The big unknown: how it all comes together once games actually start

Bottoms line:

There’s real momentum—and a real plan. But this episode makes it clear: April wins don’t mean much unless they translate to November.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.