Year 1 of the Darian DeVries era in Bloomington has had a little bit of everything. There's the slightest of hopes that Year 1 isn't over yet, as DeVries' team is still awaiting their NCAA Tournament fate. However, with the way the Hoosiers played down the stretch when it mattered most, IU would be extremely lucky to be a part of the 68-team field for March Madness.
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A bevy of missed opportunities and poor performances doomed the Hoosiers down the stretch, and now they have no more chances to improve their resume before Selection Sunday. If the Hoosiers end up missing out on the NCAA Tournament for the 8th time over the last 10 seasons, they have no one to blame but themselves.
Hoosiers' NCAA Tournament hopes slip through their fingers down the stretch
A little over a month ago, things were looking good for Indiana's NCAA Tournament chances. The Hoosiers held an overall record of 17-8 with a mark of 8-6 in Big Ten play on February 9. They had won five of their last six games and were a surefire lock for March Madness.
But things starter spiraling from there.
The Hoosiers ended the month of February riding a four-game losing streak with each game causing more and more frustration among Hoosier fans. In that stretch, Indiana endured a 20-point loss at Illinois, a 29-point loss at Purdue, a brutal four-point loss to Northwestern at home, and 13-point loss to Michigan State.
That losing streak put Indiana on the NCAA Tournament bubble, and despite a 30-point win over struggling Minnesota on March 4, DeVries was never able to get the Hoosiers back into a groove.
One-and-done Big Ten Tournament performance leaves IU searching for answers
The Hoosiers entered the regular season finale at Ohio State needing a win in the worst possible way. The Buckeyes were also a bubble team, and a Q1 road win would have done wonders for IU's tournament hopes. However, Indiana trailed for over 90% of the game and never really looked competitive en route to a 91-78 loss. The 13-point difference doesn't tell the whole story, as IU was thoroughly dominated throughout the contest.
That left DeVries and company with one last gasp in the Big Ten Tournament to try to string together a run to impress the selection committee at the last possible second. Most likely needing multiple wins to get on the right side of the bubble, 10th-seeded Indiana needed to beat 15th-seeded Northwestern and then 7th-seeded Purdue to keep its March Madness dreams alive.
Indiana never got the chance to face Purdue, as Northwestern handed the Hoosiers a 74-61 loss on Wednesday night. The Hoosiers took a one-point lead into halftime, but whatever was said in the locker room didn't do the trick. The Hoosiers came out of the break making just two made field goals in the first 10 minutes of the 2nd half, and they were out-scored 38-24 in the final 20 minutes. It was a devastating loss for IU, and could potentially be the final nail in the coffin for Indiana's NCAA Tournament aspirations.
Indiana was 17-8 on Feb. 9. Comfortably in the field. Since then:
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) March 12, 2026
-- 20-point loss at Illinois
-- 29-point loss at Purdue
-- 4-point loss to Northwestern
-- 13-point loss to Michigan State
-- Win over Minnesota
-- 13-point loss at Ohio State
-- 13-point loss to Northwestern https://t.co/EKZbGt4NlF
Too many missed opportunities doom Indiana in February and March
The Hoosiers had chance after chance to prove to the selection committee that they were a bonafide NCAA Tournament team. But six losses in seven games down the stretch, with an average margin of defeat of 15.3 points, led to too many missed opportunities. Even as other bubble teams continued to struggle, Indiana couldn't take advantage. Indiana is now 3-10 in Q1 games and 4-4 in Q2 games this season, which doesn't do them a whole lot of favors.
DeVries hoped that his long list of transfer portal additions would provide "quick fixes" to the IU roster and give the Hoosiers an experience advantage over their competition. But it's clear that strategy didn't go as planned.
Looking ahead, DeVries and his staff have a lot of work to do in building Indiana's roster for 2026-27. Hoosier fans are hungrier than ever for a March Madness run, and a better campaign next season in Bloomington is much needed.