The 2010’s were not the best decade for Indiana basketball. In fact, it was one of the worst in program history for a program with as much history as Indiana. It marked the first decade since the 60’s that Indiana did not make the Elite Eight or Final Four as well.

Despite the mediocrity, the Hoosiers still had numerous memorable moments (Watshot, “The Movement”) and players that have come and gone through the program under either Tom Crean or Archie Miller. The NBA and other professional leagues will consistently look towards the Hoosiers for future NBA stars, and there were 6 drafted in the last decade alone from Indiana and others who were signed after the draft.

The 20’s should be a better decade for the Hoosiers. They are starting the decade at a neutral to positive trajectory rather than recovering from the Kelvin Sampson blowout near the end of the 2000’s. At this rate, it will be surprising to see the Hoosiers go another decade without a return to the forefront of college basketball.

There is no way to objectively create an “all-decade” team for basketball as there are a number of metrics and methodologies to use to rank players into an all-decade team. The teams below are assembled based on a combination of their impact to the Hoosier program (including their length of their Indiana University career), their stats on the floor, and their playing ability. Additionally, these teams attempt to keep together a team that could all be seen on the court together such as a combination of guards, forwards, and centers.

Third Team

Photo: Getty Images

Guard – Verdell Jones III (2008-2012: 11.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 3.3 apg)

Verdell Jones III’s impact on the Hoosiers spanned the late 00’s to the early 2010’s and it was felt for years to come. He was a highly recruited point guard out of Illinois and held offers from other strong programs including Kentucky. Despite the controversy that surrounded Indiana at the time of his recruitment, he stuck with the Hoosiers and was a starter for most of his four-year career – 103 of 117 games he appeared in. Verdell ended his career 23rd in the all-time scoring list with 1,347 points and 9th in assists with 389.

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Photo: IndianaHQ

Guard – Romeo Langford (2018-2019: 16.5 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 2.3 apg, NBA)

Romeo was one of the more controversial players of the decade with some uncertainty surrounding his high school career and leaving for the NBA after a year when many felt he could benefit from staying another year in college. His presence was felt on the court with an impressive 16.5 ppg and making plays in difficulty situations. His potential has yet to be seen in the NBA as he has continued to battle injuries early in the season with the Celtics.

Photo: Michael Hickey / Getty Images

Forward – Noah Vonleh (2013-2014: 11.3 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 0.6 apg, NBA)

Vonleh was a very highly recruited player under Tom Crean and made an immediate impact on the court in the void left by the departure of Cody Zeller and Victor Oladipo. He spent his one year with the Hoosiers, started in all but one game and averaged nearly a double-double each game in his short career before being drafted to the Charlotte Hornets in the 2014 draft.

Photo: IUHoosiers.com

Forward – OG Anunoby (2015-2017: 6.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 0.8 apg, NBA)

OG was a situational bench player for his first year and saw his stock rise incredibly during his second year with the team. Ultimately, he was drafted 23rd overall by the Raptors and won the 2019 NBA championships with them. His college career was cut short by a season-ending injury to his right knee that required surgery to repair. He was averaging 11.1 ppg and 5.4 rpg his second year with over a block and steal each game.

Photo: IUHoosiers.com

Forward – Will Sheehey (2010-2014: 8.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 1.1 apg)

Will Sheehey should be added as well to wrap up the third team for the 2010’s. Sheehey had a consistently productive career at Indiana and despite starting in less than half of his career games at Indiana (50/130), he ended 41st in the all-time scorer’s list for Indiana. He was named the Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year (Coaches) in 2013 and set an IU single-game record by going 9-for-9 from the field against Purdue on Feb. 16, 2013. He was an honorable mention for all-Big Ten (Media) in 2014 as well.

Second Team

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Photo: IUHoosiers.com

Guard – Robert Johnson (2014-2018: 11.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.7 apg)

Robert Johnson was another one of the Hoosiers that was productive each of his four years, but unlike Verdell Jones, his productivity went up as his career progressed. He started in 118 of 129 games and accumulated 1,413 points over his illustrious four-year career thus making him 21st in Indiana’s career scoring. He became more of a sharpshooter and team leader as he went through his years as a Hoosier.

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Photo: Brian Spurlock, US Presswire

Guard – Jordan Hulls (2009-2013: 9.8 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 2.7 apg)

Jordan Hulls may not have the best stats of the early 2010’s team, but he was the glue that allowed the rest of the team reach their potential. As a dangerous shooter from three, he spread the court and allowed players such as Cody Zeller and Christian Watford get more space to attack the rim. His .442 3pt% was in the top 5 at Indiana and he ended 26th in career scoring with 1,318. He set a record for most games played at Indiana with 135.