Indiana men’s basketball once held a 17-8 record in early February.
The Hoosiers had won five of their last six games with just six regular-season contests left on their schedule. One victory and five losses followed.
Now, Indiana enters the Big Ten Tournament at 18-13 desperately needing resume-boosting wins to reach its first NCAA Tournament in three years.
The No. 10-seeded Hoosiers’ first contest is slated for 6:30 p.m. EDT Wednesday against No. 15-seed Northwestern, which defeated No. 18-seeded Penn State on Tuesday, inside the United Center in Chicago.
Here’s what to know ahead of the contest:
Indiana limping into postseason play
After the Hoosiers fell to then-No. 8 Illinois on Feb. 15 and then-No. 7 Purdue on Feb. 20, they returned to Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall for a three-game homestand — one they recognized the importance of, redshirt senior forward Tucker DeVries said.
But the Cream and Crimson lost the first two games, falling to Northwestern on Feb. 24 and then-No. 13 Michigan State on March 1. They closed the home slate with a dominant win over Minnesota before losing at Ohio State on Saturday.
Indiana isn’t focused on the dismal results that marred its final stretch of the regular season. Instead, it’s only worried about the contest in front of them, head coach Darian DeVries said Sunday.
“The one in front of us is going to be Wednesday,” Darian DeVries said, “and that's really all we care about at this point.”
Need-to-know Northwestern
Indiana appeared to be en route to victory when it hosted Northwestern on Feb. 24. But Wildcats senior forward Nick Martinelli dominated the Hoosiers’ defense and scored 21 second-half points, while the Cream and Crimson’s offense went silent.
Fifth-year senior guard Lamar Wilkerson said there was “no way in hell” his squad should have lost. But the Hoosiers didn’t execute, leaving a stain on their resume.
Indiana must contain Martinelli, who leads the Big Ten in scoring, if it wants to make any sort of run through the tournament. For much of the second half two weeks ago, the Wildcats forced Indiana redshirt senior guard Conor Enright to switch onto Martinelli on the defensive end — a 6-inch, 40-pound difference in Martinelli’s favor — and the visitors took advantage.
Now, the Hoosiers’ coaching staff has the luxury of familiarity, understanding how to attack and defend the Wildcats.
Bubble watch
Most national bracketologists project the Hoosiers outside the 68-team NCAA Tournament field. However, ESPN’s Joe Lunardi and USA Today have Indiana as the last team in the Big Dance.
Indiana boasts a 3-11 record in Quadrant 1 contests, and a 3-2 mark in Quad 2 games. The Cream and Crimson are a perfect 12-0 in Quads 3 and 4. A handful of other schools — such as Auburn University, Virginia Commonwealth University and Southern Methodist University — also reside on the bubble.
But, if the Hoosiers are projected as the last team in, there could be mid-major schools which steal an automatic bid — such as the University of Akron if it wins the Mid-American Conference Tournament — and push Indiana to the wrong side of the bubble.
Challenges in Chicago
Indiana has taken to the hardwood in 11 Big Ten Tournaments at the United Center since the tournament’s inception in 1998. However, the Hoosiers have compiled an 8-11 record. In 2023 — the last time Chicago hosted the Big Ten Tournament — the Cream and Crimson reached the semifinals.
But for the Hoosiers to reach March Madness, they likely must string together a handful of wins.
The contest between the Hoosiers and Wildcats is slated to tip off at 6:30 p.m. EDT Wednesday inside the United Center in Chicago. The matchup will be televised on the Big Ten Network.
Follow reporters Dalton James (@DaltonMJames and jamesdm@iu.edu) and Nathan Shriberg (@NShriberg and naashri@iu.edu) and columnist Kasey Watkins (@KaseyWatki8773 and kaslwatk@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s basketball season.
