Are you paying close attention? While the Indiana Hoosiers are on top of the college football world, this is still a basketball school at heart. Under head coach Darian DeVries, the 2025-26 Hoosiers are very much on the NCAA Tournament bubble right now. In the latest Bracketology update, ESPN's Joe Lunardi had Indiana as one of his first four teams out, alongside Stanford, Santa Clara, and Texas.
At 13-7 on the season and 4-5 in Big Ten play, Indiana is running out of time to make a statement in conference play. Currently, Indiana is 0-6 vs. Quad 1 teams and 1-1 vs. Quad 2 opponents. While the Hoosiers are a perfect 12-0 vs. Quad 3 and Quad 4 teams combined, the biggest opportunity for IU is staring them in the face on Tuesday night. Can they stun No. 12 Purdue at home? There is a pathway...
For how poorly Matt Painter's Boilermakers defend, Purdue is primed to be upset in this spot. Despite being 17-3 overall and 7-2 in Big Ten play, Purdue really struggles on defense. They rank 119th in the country in defensive rating. This team is especially vulnerable at giving up 3-pointers. Purdue ranks 282nd in 3-point field goals allowed and 310th in 3-point field goals attempted while over on defense.
If Indiana can knock down its shots from distance, the Hoosiers will have a real shot at the upset bid.
Indiana knows what it will have to do to upset Purdue at Assembly Hall
Every team is constructed differently. What the NCAA Tournament has taught us over the years is you need a team playing with confidence more than anything to survive and advance. What typically helps are teams who have been battle-tested, as well as ones who have age and experience on their side. Of course, the easiest way to cut into a deficit is to sink one 3-pointer after another and defend.
Even though Purdue has been the better program on the hardwood in recent years, the Boilermakers still have a bad reputation under Painter to lose the games they should not. Up until recently, this was a team that routinely stumbled all over itself in the early rounds of the NCAA Tournament. While DeVries is still young into his Indiana tenure, this could be the signature win that could propel Indiana.
Overall, Purdue is playing in a way under Painter that leaves the Boilermakers exposed to being upset. In college basketball, you may have to decide early on what kind of pace will you play at. If it is a fast one, then defense may fall to the wayside. If it is a slowed-down one focused on defense, it may not be built to come from behind. It is all about adaptability. Can DeVries rally the troops to defeat a rival?
If Indiana were to knock off Purdue, it would certainly put Indiana about the Bracketology cut line.