The Indiana Hoosiers are heating up at the right time - and it’s starting to feel like March in Bloomington.
At 17-8 overall and 8-6 in Big Ten play, Darian DeVries' squad has found its rhythm late in the season, stringing together back-to-back wins over Wisconsin and Oregon in a quick three-day span. That surge has helped solidify their tournament hopes, but it hasn’t exactly moved the needle in the eyes of the bracketologists just yet. In the latest Bracketology update, Indiana holds steady as a No. 9 seed - a spot that suggests they’re safely in the field, but not quite climbing the ladder.
So what gives?
The short answer: resume quality. While those recent wins were important for momentum, they didn’t do much for Indiana’s standing in the eyes of the selection committee.
The victory over Wisconsin, though tight and hard-fought, was a Quad 2 win. The Oregon game?
A Quad 3 blowout. In other words, solid wins - but not the kind that move you up the bracket.
Still, the Hoosiers have six games left on the schedule, and the opportunity to reshape their tournament profile is very much alive. Three of those matchups come against ranked opponents, including road trips to Illinois, Purdue, and Ohio State.
Michigan State is also in the mix, and while that game’s at home, it still carries weight. Add in two more games against Northwestern and Minnesota - both Quad 3 - and you’ve got a stretch that will define how high this team can climb.
Realistically, if Indiana holds serve against Northwestern and Minnesota and picks off one more Quad 1 opponent, they’re not just in - they’re dangerous. That extra Quad 1 win could be the difference between staying in the 8-9 range and pushing into a more favorable seed line.
Right now, Indiana is projected to open the tournament against No. 8 seed Villanova in the Greenville quadrant of the East Region - a matchup that would be as gritty as it gets. But the Hoosiers have shown they’re not just treading water. They’re gaining confidence, playing their best basketball when it matters most, and building a tournament-ready identity.
The question isn’t whether Indiana belongs in the field. They do.
The question is how high their ceiling really is. They’ve avoided the pitfalls that often trip up teams in the Big Ten grind, and they’ve shown flashes of something more - a team that could pull off an upset or two when the lights get bright.
If they can grab just one more signature win down the stretch, the committee might have no choice but to take a second look. For now, the Hoosiers are in - and trending in the right direction.