The Indiana Hoosiers' NCAA Tournament fate has yet to be decided. The Hoosiers are one of several teams still on the bubble during Championship Week, and will need to put together a strong showing in Chicago at the Big Ten Tournament in order to boost their resume as much as possible before Selection Sunday.
Darian DeVries makes painfully obvious comments about Indiana's Big Ten struggles this season
The unfortunate part about Indiana's current situation is that Darian DeVries' team may not be fully in control of their own destiny. Indiana is just 9-11 in Big Ten play and 3-11 in Quad 1 games this season. In addition, the Hoosiers dropped five of their last six regular season games down the stretch. That kind of performance leaves IU vulnerable to potential bid-stealers during conference tournaments.
In other words, IU's late-season struggles leave the door open for other bubble teams to impress the committee before Selection Sunday. On Monday night, Indiana's tournament hopes to a hit with a fellow bubble team pulling off a pivotal upset.
Santa Clara's upset over Saint Mary's hurts IU's NCAA Tournament hopes
On Monday, Indiana was a part of the "First Four Out" category in Joe Lunardi's March Madness bracket projection. Santa Clara was a team Indiana was chasing, as the Broncos were featured in the "Last Four In" category.
However, Santa Clara's monster 76-71 upset over No. 21 Saint Mary's on Monday night could be enough for Santa Clara to earn a tournament bid. The Broncos have now earned a spot in the conference championship game against Gonzaga and strengthened their case for the NCAA Tournament even more.
LATE NIGHT MADNESS 🌙
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 10, 2026
Santa Clara gets a CRUCIAL win over No. 21 Saint Mary's to advance to the WCC championship game and build their resume days before Selection Sunday 📈 pic.twitter.com/Hzcddi40Qm
The WCC has consistently been a two-bid league over the past several years with Gonzaga and Saint Mary's. But after Santa Clara's stunning upset over the Gaels, it's almost certain that the WCC will send three teams to the NCAA Tournament this season.
Despite the loss, Saint Mary's is still looking good for the big dance, and Gonzaga is essentially a lock to make the 68-team field. Santa Clara got the signature win it needed, and now seems to be well on the way to a tournament appearance.
That means that bubble teams like Indiana are now faced with even more pressure in Championship Week. Every game carries enormous weight, and the Hoosiers cannot afford much room for error if they want to go dancing.
The Hoosiers are the No. 10 seed in the Big Ten Tournament and will play either No. 18 Penn State or No. 15 Northwestern on Wednesday, March 11 in the second round. That game is about as must-win as it gets for IU. The winner of that game will then face No. 7 Purdue in the third round. Winning that game would also be extremely advantageous to Indiana's NCAA Tournament resume.