BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana opens its 2025-26 regular season against Alabama A&M at 8 p.m. ET Wednesday at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The Hoosiers have a new coach, all new players and a new style of play as a new era begins under coach Darian DeVries.

All 13 of Indiana’s scholarship players are new to the roster, and it will be the first time we will see this group in a game that counts. The Hoosiers will be heavily favored against Alabama A&M before they take on Marquette Sunday in Chicago.

Alabama A&M already has played its first game of the season. The Bulldogs beat NAIA Blue Mountain Christian 80-60 on Monday. Now, the team that was picked sixth in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) preseason poll heads to Bloomington to face the Hoosiers.

Let’s meet Alabama A&M.

Key Players 

Stats are from this season.

• *G Kintravious Dozier: 7 ppg/2 rpg/0 apg
• *G Sami Pissis: 2 ppg/4 rpg/4 apg
• *G Koron Davis: 8 ppg/6 rpg/1 apg
• *G/F James Graham III: 18 ppg/5 rpg/0 apg
• *F PJ Eason: 2 ppg/9 rpg/2 apg
• G/F Gabe Kincy: 7 ppg/3 rpg/0 apg
• G Peyton Daniels Sr.: 18 ppg/6 rpg/1 apg
• G Bilal Abdur-Rahman: 7 ppg/2 rpg/4 apg
• F James Flippin: 8 ppg/2 rpg/2 apg

*: Expected starter

Head Coach: Donte Jackson

Jackson — like DeVries — is in his first season at a new stop. Jackson spent the last eight seasons as Grambling State’s coach, where he went 132-124, won three SWAC regular season championships and led the Tigers to their first NCAA tournament berth in 2024. Seven of Alabama A&M’s players followed Jackson from Grambling State, including starting guard Kintravious Dozier, who was first-team All-SWAC in 2023-24. Jackson was the head coach at Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Ala., for three seasons before taking the Grambling State job.

Strengths

Alabama A&M got 43 points off the bench in its win over Blue Mountain Christian. The Bulldogs got more scoring from reserves than starters, led by Jacksonville State transfer Peyton Daniels Sr., who scored 18 points. Alabama A&M shot the ball well as a team, even if it was against NAIA competition. The Bulldogs shot 47% and went 9-of-25 (36%) on 3s.

Weaknesses

The Bulldogs committed 14 turnovers on Monday. While Blue Mountain Christian scored just seven points off those turnovers, Indiana’s defense could take more advantage of such mistakes. Blue Mountain Christian got 15 of its 60 points on fastbreaks, as Alabama A&M’s transition defense was far from stout.

Series History

Indiana and Alabama A&M have never played each other. The Hoosiers are 11-0 against current SWAC schools.

Indiana’s Keys to Victory

• Force Alabama A&M Turnovers: As mentioned, the Bulldogs weren’t very careful with the ball in their first game. The Hoosiers forced 16 turnovers in their exhibition win over Baylor on Oct. 26, so they could fluster Alabama A&M with aggressive defense.
• Share The Rock: Indiana isn’t a team with great self-creators. Early in the season, it should focus on having consistent ball movement. If the ball sticks to one or two players’ hands, it’ll make it easier for Alabama A&M to defend.
• Pounce on the Bulldogs Early: Indiana has let teams like Alabama A&M linger around for a half (or longer) in recent years. If Indiana can control this game from the tipoff, it may be a solid sign of what’s to come in the DeVries era.