Indiana basketball has won four of its last five games; two of those wins were against ranked opponents, and the other came against a Quad 2 team. The Hoosiers are showing signs of life late in the season that has vaulted them back into the NCAA Tournament conversation.
Indiana had a close call against Penn State in their midweek matchup, but heading out west to take on Washington, the Hoosiers made a statement. Indiana beat the Huskies 78-62 in a game that the Hoosiers had in hand since early in the first half.
When the Nittany Lions came to Bloomington, the Hoosiers were without Malike Reneau, their former leading scorer, before he was injured during the season against Rutgers. Reneau has been on a team for Indiana as of late, but he was out against Penn State due to an illness that ended up taking him to the hospital.
However, a few days later, Reneau was back with the team and on the flight to Washington. Coming off the bench, Reneau scored 22 of Indiana's 78 points and was the leading scorer on the night. Luke Goode was a close second with 18 points and five three-pointers, aiding Indiana's 39.1 shooting percentage from beyond the arc.
The Hoosiers have a real chance now to make the NCAA Tournament, but they need to accomplish a few things first.
First, they have to win at least one of their final two games against Oregon and Ohio State. A win in both games would be ideal, but going 1-1 will do as well. Second, the Hoosiers have to make it past their first game in the Big Ten Tournament. A one-and-done time in the tournament could not look great for the Hoosiers when a trip to the quarterfinals or semifinals could look really good on their resume.
Even with head coach Mike Woodson stepping down after the season is over, Indiana is playing for something bigger than just getting by. While the Hoosiers had their pitfalls during the season, they are heating up at the right time and making a push for the NCAA Tournament.