Barring a total collapse, which shouldn’t totally be discounted, it looks like the Indiana’s NCAA Tournament seed will be more of a question than whether or not they actually get in. Again, barring a total Tom Crean collapse.
The Hoosiers sit at 19-5, 9-2 on the year, but two of those Big 10 losses have come within the past four games, to Wisconsin and Penn State. Neither the Badgers nor the Nittany Lions are contending for the league title, causing many to once again believe that IU’s fast start in conference play was more due to the lack of competition played than any signal about this team’s ability to take the next step.
During the closing stretch of the season, Indiana still has to deal with Iowa twice, Michigan State away, Purdue, and Maryland. Now, all things considered, facing the Spartans, Boilermakers, and Terrapins once each is a blessing for Crean in a year where the pressure is on him and his team to perform. But it also means that should they lose to any of those three, they won’t have an opportunity to get it back. That affects Indiana’s NCAA Tournament seed, as well as possibly, their inclusion in the tournament at all should they get swept in those five games. The Hoosiers would finish the regular season at 21-5 overall, 11-7 in Big 10 play, with only a win over Notre Dame to point to for their resume. That’s not exactly glowing.
Given five chances, you’d have to think that Crean and company can get at least one of them, but if not, we could be talking about a stressful Selection Sunday in Bloomington.
