The Mike Woodson era begins against Eastern Michigan

The wait for Indiana men’s basketball is over. A new era begins Tuesday night.

The 2021-2022 Indiana Hoosiers will tip off their season featuring a new cast of characters partnered with some familiar faces and a whole lot of expectations.

Mike Woodson will make his head coaching debut in front of 17,000 strong inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The buzz around his hire is well deserved. The program itself seems to have been injected with new life and Woodson’s return is at the forefront.

Indiana returns two-thirds of its contributors from a season ago along with several transfers who promise to have an impact. Fans eagerly await to watch a team getting a fresh start while hoping to make its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2016.

As for Tuesday, IU takes on Eastern Michigan, a team on the opposite side of the spectrum. EMU returns roughly 40 percent of its minutes from last year and welcomes six new freshman via scholarship.

The Eagles' program is undergoing a complete rebuild, with a new head coach at the helm. Seventeen-year coaching veteran Stan Heath leads EMU into Bloomington for his first game with the school since his playing career which lasted from 1985-1987.

Indiana is a heavy favorite at home looking to start its non-conference schedule off with a bang. Trayce Jackson-Davis and Race Thompson make their returns to the starting lineup joined by Xavier Johnson, Parker Stewart and Miller Kopp.

Game one of the Woodson era tips off at 6 p.m. EST.