Have the Hoosiers done enough to dance?

The IU women’s basketball team started Big Ten play with seven wins in its first eight games – the best start in the program’s history.

The Hoosiers’ last 12 games had very different results, as they posted a 5-7 mark. Two of those losses came against Illinois, a team that totaled only five conference victories.

Now IU must wait to see if the NCAA selection committee will accept the team for a position in the tournament.

While the Hoosiers’ resume has some strong points, the question remains: Will it be enough to make the big dance?

IU coach Felisha Legette-Jack offered an emphatic yes earlier in the week of March 9 to the 13.

“I believe we have done enough to let people know we are worthy of making the final 64,” she said.

But Charlie Creme, the women’s basketball analyst for ESPN, said no in his most recent prediction on March 11. Creme listed the Hoosiers as one of the first four teams out of NCAA Tournament consideration.

The Hoosiers will learn their fate March 16 at Coaches Bar and Grill when they gather to watch the NCAA selection show. The public is invited to join the festivities, set to start at 6 p.m.

No matter what, the Hoosiers are guaranteed to play another game. Should IU be left out of the NCAA tournament field, it will play in the WNIT for the third consecutive season.

 – By Jeremy Rosenthal