Insider: Breaking down IU's 2015-16 hoops schedule

Indiana's 2015-16 men's basketball schedule has rounded out, packed to include a pair of home exhibitions and even a little international flavor. The Hoosiers are expected to be a top-15 team to start this season, and given their experience, depth and balance, they could become a Big Ten title contender.

But they'll have to navigate a schedule that will take them from Hawaii to North Carolina to downtown Indianapolis, all before league play begins. Here's a look at some of the key dates on Indiana's schedule:

7 p.m., Nov. 3, Ottawa (exhibition), Bloomington

7 p.m., Nov. 9, Bellarmine (exhibition), Bloomington

Two intriguing preseason games. Ottawa was the only team to beat IU on the Hoosiers' tour of Canada last year, and Bellarmine is a top-10 team in Division II. Both should test Indiana.

7 p.m., Nov. 13, Eastern Illinois, Bloomington

7 p.m., Nov. 16, Austin Peay (Maui Invitational regional game), Bloomington

7 p.m., Nov. 19, Creighton (Gavitt Games), Bloomington

The first recognizable opponent on Indiana's schedule, Creighton sans Doug McDermott was hardly vintage last season. The Blue Jays won just four conference games and struggled badly on defense.

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5 p.m., Nov. 23, Wake Forest (Maui Invitational), Lahaina, Hawaii

2 p.m./7:30 p.m., Nov. 24, Vanderbilt/St. John's (Maui Invitational), Lahaina, Hawaii

TBA, Nov. 25, TBA (Maui Invitational), Lahaina, Hawaii

Organizers of this year's Maui Invitational will certainly hope Kansas replaces that "TBA" by the time this game rolls around. With the Jayhawks and Hoosiers placed on opposite sides of the bracket – and both hoping their Hawaii trip provides an early statement of postseason intent – an all-Adidas final is the dream scenario.

7 p.m., Nov. 30, Alcorn State, Bloomington

Back so soon? Wedging this game in just two days before the prime-time meeting with Duke is interesting, but perhaps smart. The Maui turnaround is notorious for its aftereffects – long flights, jet lag and the time-zone change playing games with the internal clock. Pitt, for example, was fresh from its Maui trip when it played IU last season.

9:15 p.m., Dec. 2, Duke (ACC/Big Ten Challenge), Durham, N.C.

Not much needs said here. Indiana will surely be the underdog, barring serious injury problems in Durham, but there's no better way to announce yourself than to beat the defending national champions on the road.

7 p.m., Dec. 5, Morehead State, Bloomington

7 p.m., Dec. 9, IPFW, Bloomington

6:30 p.m., Dec. 12, McNeese State, Bloomington

2 p.m., Dec. 19, Notre Dame (Crossroads Classic), Indianapolis

Indiana's last marquee non-conference game comes in what could be the most competitive Crossroads Classic yet. Notre Dame might not be of 32-win, Elite Eight vintage, as it was a season ago. But the Irish still return Zach Auguste, Bonzie Colson, Steve Vasturia and Demetrius Jackson. Duke and Maui take the non-conference headlines, but don't ignore this test.

6 p.m., Dec. 22, Kennesaw State, Bloomington

1 p.m., Dec. 30, Rutgers, Piscataway, N.J.*

4 p.m., Jan. 2, Nebraska, Lincoln, Neb.*

7 p.m., Jan. 5, Wisconsin, Bloomington*

1:30 p.m./4:30 p.m., Jan. 10, Ohio State, Bloomington*

An interesting start to Big Ten play for Indiana, with two winnable road games followed by home dates against traditional powers with questions to answer. The talent drain at Wisconsin needs no rehashing, and Ohio State will be very talented – but very young – this season. Will we have a good idea of IU's Big Ten title credentials after these four games?

12:30 p.m., Jan. 16, Minnesota, Minneapolis*

7 p.m., Jan. 19, Illinois, Bloomington*

Noon, Jan. 23, Northwestern, Bloomington*

7 p.m., Jan. 26, Wisconsin, Madison, Wis.*

Arguably IU's second-biggest road test of the Big Ten season, in an arena that has never been kind to the Hoosiers. Like Duke, a win here would be a statement of serious intent, provided the Badgers have reloaded like they should in what appears to be Bo Ryan's final season in Madison.

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2:15 p.m., Jan. 30, Minnesota, Bloomington*

9 p.m., Feb. 2, Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich.*

The Big Ten loves scheduling IU-Michigan games in early February. Minnesota at home marks the halfway point in the league schedule, and while it lays out rather kindly for Indiana, the back nine is tougher than the front (at least right now). The home stretch begins at the Crisler Center.

8 p.m., Feb. 6, Penn State, University Park, Pa.*

9 p.m., Feb. 11, Iowa, Bloomington*

1 p.m., Feb. 14, Michigan State, East Lansing, Mich.*

If Wisconsin is IU's second-toughest Big Ten road game, then East Lansing on Valentine's Day is No. 1. Right now, handicapping the conference title race puts four teams out ahead of the field – Purdue, IU, Maryland and Michigan State. This is the only one of the other three Indiana has to face on the road.

The Hoosiers only face each of them once, as well. That could wind up a blessing, or a curse.

8:30 p.m., Feb. 17, Nebraska, Bloomington*

7 p.m./9 p.m., Feb. 20, Purdue, Bloomington*

The only rivalry meeting of the season will take place in Bloomington, and it might look a lot like last year's. Which wins out, IU's floor spacing and high-speed offense, or Purdue's potentially dominant front line? Again, probably a game with league title implications.

9 p.m., Feb. 25, Illinois, Champaign, Ill.*

9 p.m., March 1, Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa*

Two tough road games to close things out, at Illinois and at Iowa, and both are in prime time. If IU is in the hunt for a piece of the regular-season championship, it's doubtful the Hoosiers can afford to drop both.

TBA, March 5/6, Maryland, Bloomington*

Saved the best for last. The final weekend of the Big Ten season could be the most thrilling, if Maryland and IU are within a game of one another when the Terrapins come to Bloomington. Mark Turgeon's team looks like one of the best in the country right now – maybe even preseason No. 1 overall – but if Indiana is within touching distance of the title, then surely, the Hoosiers would prefer to take their chance at home.

Final word: In all, a manageable schedule. There should be enough quality non-conference opponents to give it heft, though some of that depends on what the Hoosiers see in Maui. And while no Big Ten slate is easy, this one lays out more kindly than the average. Purdue, Michigan State and Maryland all on the schedule just once, with no trips to College Park or West Lafayette, and decent recovery time between most of the big tests.

It's nearly impossible to peg a final record right now, given what we don't know about Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Illinois and the field in Maui. But, barring injuries or something else unforeseen, Indiana looks likely to land somewhere in the range of 23-26 wins in the regular season.

*Denotes Big Ten game

Follow Star reporter Zach Osterman on Twitter: @ZachOsterman.