The Indiana Hoosiers are heating up at just the right time, and under Darian DeVries, they’re looking more and more like a team you don’t want to see in March. With a 17-8 overall record and an 8-6 mark in Big Ten play, Indiana is trending in the right direction - and they’re doing it with a sense of urgency.
Their recent back-to-back wins over Wisconsin and Oregon - both coming within a three-day span - have given the Hoosiers a late-season jolt. But when the latest Bracketology update dropped, Indiana fans might’ve been a little surprised to see their team still sitting as a No. 9 seed. That’s where ESPN’s Joe Lunardi currently has them, despite the momentum.
So what gives?
Well, the selection committee - and bracketologists like Lunardi - live and die by the quadrant system. And while wins are wins, not all victories are created equal in the eyes of the NCAA.
The Hoosiers’ narrow home win over Wisconsin? That’s a Quad 2 victory.
Their dominant performance against Oregon? That falls under Quad 3.
So while those wins help the overall resume, they don’t move the needle quite like a marquee Quad 1 win would.
That said, Indiana still has plenty of opportunities to make a statement. Six regular-season games remain, and three of them are against ranked opponents.
Illinois, Purdue, Michigan State, and Ohio State all fall into the Quad 1 category - and with all but the Michigan State matchup coming on the road, the selection committee will be watching closely. The other two games, against Northwestern and Minnesota, are Quad 3.
Those are must-wins if Indiana wants to avoid slipping back toward the bubble.
Right now, the Hoosiers are in a good spot. If they simply take care of business against the teams they’re supposed to beat - Northwestern and Minnesota - that alone should keep them in the tournament picture.
But if they can snag just one more Quad 1 win down the stretch? That could be the difference between a 9-seed and something a little more favorable.
In Lunardi’s current projection, Indiana would face No. 8 seed Villanova in the first round of the East Region’s Greenville quadrant. That’s the kind of 8-9 matchup that screams "coin flip" - and it’s the kind of game where a confident, surging team like Indiana could thrive.
The bigger question is: how high is this team’s ceiling?
We know they’re good. They’ve avoided the kind of bad losses that can drag a resume down, and they’re playing with poise in the back half of a tough Big Ten schedule. But to be great - to be the kind of team that doesn’t just make the tournament but makes noise once they’re in - they’ll need to prove it against top-tier competition.
Still, there’s no denying the momentum. This is a team that’s gaining confidence by the game.
They’re playing their best basketball when it matters most, and that’s often the X-factor in March. If Indiana keeps trending upward and adds another signature win to the mix, they’ll be more than just a dangerous team in the field - they’ll be a legitimate threat to shake things up.
For now, the Hoosiers have done enough to solidify their spot in the projected field of 68. But with a few more statement performances, they could be on their way to something even bigger.