The 2023-24 regular season is quickly coming to a close, and conferences all over college basketball are gearing up for their conference tournaments. Teams from major and mid-major conferences are looking for either automatic or at-large invitations to the "Big Dance."
The First Four
March Madness has expanded twice in the last 25 years. First, the tournament expanded to 65 teams when the Mountain West Conference was added to Division 1. The second time the tournament expanded was in 2011, when it expanded to its current 68-team format. The committee ranks the teams invited from 1-68.
The First Four consists of eight teams -- the four lowest-ranked at large teams and the four lowest-ranked conference champions. This year, the First Four is on March 19-20 at the UD Arena at the University of Dayton.
Selection Sunday
Selection Sunday takes place on March 17th. There are 32 automatic bids available to teams that win their conference tournaments. For the smaller, mid-major programs, their only opportunity to get into the NCAA Tournament is to win their conference tournament. Schools from larger conferences may receive an at-large bid if they don't win their conference tourneys.
Purdue, Houston, Duke, North Carolina, UConn, Arizona, Alabama, and South Carolina are among the teams looking to win their conference tournaments for a different reason. Each of these teams want a number one seed in the tournament. Of those four one seeds, one will be the top overall seed in the tournament.
Where Do the Hoosiers fit?
Indiana (14-11, 6-8) likely has to win the Big Ten tournament or get to the Conference championship game in order to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. If they win a game or two, the Hoosiers are most likely bound for the (National Invitational Tournament) NIT should they accept the invitation.