The Indiana Hoosiers fell to Michigan State over the weekend, but that doesn't mean their dreams of making the NCAA Tournament this season are over. The Spartans are a fantastic team that recently jumped five spots in the AP Top 25 poll from No. 13 to No. 8, and Indiana was competitive throughout the entire game.
Indiana has been fighting for its life throughout Big Ten play to secure a strong bid to the NCAA Tournament, and the loss to Michigan State won't help matters, but it hasn't totally doomed the Hoosiers. ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi has just released his latest prediction for the bracket, and the Hoosiers are hanging on by a thread.
Indiana still in "Last Four In" in Joe Lunardi's latest bracketology
Lunardi has Indiana as the final team in the Last Four In category, meaning the Hoosiers would have to play a play-in game before the Round of 64, but it would be a tournament bid nonetheless in the first season under Darian DeVries.
— Joe Lunardi (@ESPNLunardi) March 2, 2026
It has been three seasons since the Hoosiers were in the big dance, the last one coming in 2023 as a 4-seed when the Hoosiers fell to 5-seed Miami, who went on to be a Final Four team. The last time Indiana made it to the Sweet Sixteen was back in 2016, so if DeVries can do that, Hoosiers fans would go crazy.
Indiana has not had a perfect season; they have certainly felt their fair share of lows, but there has at least been hope for a postseason bid to the big dance amongst fans. With two games left in the regular season, Indiana has to beat both Minnesota and Ohio State to really secure their bid to the NCAA Tournament.
If not, the Hoosiers will have to have a solid run in the Big Ten Tournament to give the committee some confidence in selecting them for a March run.