Danger has to be Darian DeVries' middle name. His Indiana Hoosiers like to live dangerously, as illustrated by their mind-numbing home loss to lowly Northwestern earlier in the week... While his son Tucker DeVries was fouled on his desperation heave from distance, it still went down as a 72-68 loss for IU. This has culminated in Indiana crashing back to Earth when it comes to making the field of 68.
In the latest Bracketology update Friday morning, ESPN's Joe Lunardi has Indiana as the last team in. He has Indiana taking on Santa Clara in the First Four. The other two last four teams in ahead of them in this Bracketology update are Auburn and TCU. Lunardi expounded upon the five teams occupying the last four byes and Auburn out of the SEC in an impossible cluster, but Indiana is so up against it...
On the season, Indiana is 17-11 overall and 8-9 in Big Ten play with a NET rating of 38. Although the Northwestern home defeat, somehow, some way improved to only a Quad 2 defeat, Indiana's awful record vs. Quad 1 teams could potentially come back to haunt them here. Indiana only has three conference games left before the Big Ten Tournament. Do they have it in them to make the tourney?
Let's take a look at what Indiana will need to do the rest of the way to make the field of 68 this March.
Indiana Hoosiers being Joe Lunardi's last team in should scare everyone
At this time, there are three things working in Indiana's favor to make the NCAA Tournament right now. The first is they currently reside above the cut line. It is by the slimmest of margins, but being in is better than being on the outside looking in at an NCAA Tournament bid... The second is the Hoosiers play in an elite conference, as illustrated by the nine teams Lunardi has making it in out of the Big Ten.
As far as the third is concerned, Indiana has a few opportunities left to boost its resume before the Big Ten Tournament arrives. If it pulls off the home upset of Michigan State on Sunday, that should be enough to get them in. That would be a dazzling Quad 1 win for the Hoosiers. While the home date early next week vs. Minnesota feels like a must-win as a Quad 2, a win there may get them in as well.
Before the Big Ten Tournament commences, Indiana will have to play at Ohio State in another Quad 1 game. With the Hoosiers having a slightly better NET rating over the Buckeyes' 39, that could matter in them pulling off the road victory. As long as Indiana does not lose its final three league games, it will not have to win the Big Ten Tournament to get in as an automatic qualifier. How else can IU make it in?
In the event that Indiana only wins the Minnesota home game next week as a Quad 2, the Hoosiers will be right there along the cut line. Yes, dropping to 2-12 in Quad 1 games may be a bit problematic, but if Indiana is something like a No. 9 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, a win or two could be enough to boost their resume on the good side of the bubble. It will likely be a bubble team moving forward.
For now, Indiana will only be able to blame itself should the Hoosiers fail to make the field of 68 here.