And so we meet again... Weeks removed after getting their first signature win of the season over Purdue at home, Indiana will travel across the state to take on their arch nemesis in West Lafayette. The 72-67 home victory over Purdue was the first Quad 1 win on Indiana's resume this season. They have since picked up one more at UCLA by one point shortly thereafter. That has been all she wrote...
Entering play on Friday night, Indiana is 17-9 on the season and 8-7 in Big Ten play. While the Hoosiers have beaten up on lesser teams in the league, as illustrated by their 2-1 mark vs. Quad 2 teams and definitely their unblemished 4-0 in Big Ten play vs. Quad 3 teams, Purdue is different. More importantly, Indiana is a pedestrian 2-8 in Quad 1 games. They have three more left to be played, too.
According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Indiana will be getting a whopping 10.5 points at Purdue on Friday night. The associated moneylines are Purdue -650 and Indiana +460. The projected point total is 148.5 combined points. We are looking at a projected final score of Purdue 79.5, Indiana 69. This matchup comes in the wake of Indiana's worst showing vs. a Quad 1 team at Illinois, losing 71-51.
While latest Bracketology update has Indiana still as a No. 9 seed, the Hoosiers are stagnating a bit...
Indiana can silence its NCAA Tournament doubters by sweeping Purdue
Look. If Indiana can beat Purdue once, it can beat them twice. The mid-season home victory over the Boilermakers set in motion quite the run for Darian DeVries' team. One of the things Indiana needs to do is take a page out of the Michigan Wolverines' playbook. If you are willing to get dirty, you can have your way with Purdue in the paint, much to Matt Painter's chagrin... Can IU pull off this season sweep?
Although the betting odds are clearly not in the Hoosiers' favor, a win over Purdue in West Lafayette should result in the Hoosiers' best seeding projection since before league play commenced. Indiana has gradually improved from being on the outside looking in, to being a consistent No. 9 seed in the last four Bracketology updates. A win over Purdue should have the Hoosiers on the other side of it.
In the end, Indiana is still a lock to make the NCAA Tournament under one condition... The Hoosiers must beat Northwestern at home and the Minnesota at home to finish the season no worse than 19-12 (10-11). A Quad 3 loss to either the Wildcats or the Golden Gophers would be quite devastating. Conversely, a Quad 1 win over Purdue, Michigan State, or Ohio State would be massive for the team.
Right now, Indiana will likely finish 3-2 or 2-3 in its final five games, depending on the Ohio State date.