NCAA Basketball Power Rankings: Duke rises, newcomers snag spots

Indiana is for real. I have been trying to push this throughout the entire offseason and the Hoosiers are, for now, proving me right. Through two games, the Hoosiers are exhibiting an average margin of victory of 47. And while their weak quality of opposition obviously plays a major role in this, it is hard to argue against the idea that IU has been impressive to this point in the year. Head coach Archie Miller really has the program moving in the right direction both on and off the court.

And while Romeo Langford and Juwan Morgan have been as advertised, the three most impressive players to me so far have been Justin Smith, Evan Fitzner, and Rob Phinisee. All three of these players are averaging 10+ points per game through two contests and are excelling in their roles early. Point guard play was a preseason concern regarding the Hoosiers but Phinisee has stepped into that role tremendously well so far.

And while they are yet to hit 3-pointers (31.0%) or free throws (55.8%) consistently, those numbers are bound to increase as the year goes on. The Hoosiers will be tested in a big way this week, though, as they take on Marquette (more on them in a bit) in Assembly Hall. That matchup will be a great litmus test for both teams.