The Indiana Hoosiers found themselves on the outside looking in after a tough end to their season, posting a 1-6 record in their final stretch. With five of those losses coming by 13 or more points, the selection committee had little reason to extend them an invitation to the NCAA Tournament. This marks the eighth time in the last decade that Indiana has missed out on March Madness, casting a shadow over the start of the Darian DeVries era in Bloomington.
When the 68-team NCAA Tournament bracket was revealed, Indiana was left just shy of making the cut. As the fourth team out, they were extended an invite to the National Invitation Tournament (NIT). However, the Hoosiers have opted to decline this opportunity, choosing not to participate in any postseason play this year.
This decision continues a recent trend for the Hoosiers, who have now turned down an NIT bid for the third consecutive season. Their focus remains on the NCAA Tournament, and the same decision was mirrored by the Indiana women's basketball team, which also declined an NIT invitation.
Had they accepted, the Hoosiers would have been a top seed in the NIT, potentially hosting games at their iconic Assembly Hall. Instead, teams like Auburn, New Mexico, Wake Forest, and Tulsa have taken the top seeds.
In Darian DeVries' first year at the helm, Indiana concluded with an 18-14 overall record, going 9-11 in Big Ten play. Their hopes for a March Madness berth hinged on a strong performance in the Big Ten Tournament, but a one-and-done showing with a 13-point loss to Northwestern dashed those dreams.
The Hoosiers leaned heavily on their senior class this season. Lamar Wilkerson, Conor Enright, Reed Bailey, Tayton Conerway, Tucker DeVries, and Sam Alexis were pivotal, contributing nearly 78% of the minutes and over 84% of the scoring.
As these players move on, Coach DeVries faces the challenge of retooling the roster for the 2026-27 season and beyond. The future will require strategic recruiting and development to bring Indiana back to the forefront of college basketball.