The Indiana Hoosiers are slowly but surely making their march toward NCAA Tournament certainty. After beating Wisconsin and Oregon in their two most recent games, Indiana will have to take on their toughest opponent on the season. The Hoosiers will take on at a top-10 Illinois Fighting Illini team on Sunday afternoon. Should they win this game, it will likely punch Indiana's ticket into the field of 68.
This is because of where Indiana lands in terms of overall Bracketology. After Joe Lunardi's latest update for ESPN, he has Indiana as a No. 9 seed for the third update in a row. Lunardi has Indiana taking on No. 8-seeded Auburn in the Greenville quadrant of the East Region that runs through Washington, D.C. Indiana has gradually moved up from being below the cut line, but has stopped a bit.
So what this latest Bracketology update is trying to tell us Indiana should finish above the cut line, as long as it holds serve vs. winnable opponents. That being said, a road win over Illinois would do wonders for their chances of improving their overall seeding. Entering play, Indiana is 17-8 on the season and 8-6 in Big Ten play. Avoiding a potential No. 1 seed like Duke in the Round of 32 is ideal.
Depending on what happens at Illinois, what do IU fans need to know about their tourney chances?
Indiana will make the tournament if it beats Illinois on the road Saturday
Heading into Sunday's road date at Illinois, Indiana has six more Big Ten games left to be played this year. Four of them are of the Quad 1 variety, one is a Quad 2 game, and one will be against a Quad 3 opponent. Along with the Illinois road date, Indiana's other Quad 1 games are at Purdue next week, home vs. Michigan State on March 1, and on the road at Ohio State to end the regular-season slate.
As far as their two non-Quad 1 games are concerned, Indiana has a home game vs. Northwestern and a home game vs. Minnesota. Keep in mind that the Northwestern game is right there on the bubble of becoming a Quad 3 game like Minnesota is now. If that does end up being the case, that game becomes a complete must-win. Will two more non-Quad 1 wins be enough to make the field?
With where Indiana is in terms of Bracketology, the Hoosiers should be fine, as long as they win the games they should and not mess up along the way. As far as the games vs. Illinois and Purdue, a win on the road over either of them will be of quality enough to punch their ticket into the field. A win over either Michigan State or Ohio State probably does it too, barring no slip-ups. Indiana can afford one?
Right now, Indiana has to like its chances of making the field, but would love them with an Illinois win.