In short, probably not.
Indiana men’s basketball, once again, enters the last game of the regular season in desperate need of a win to keep its NCAA Tournament hopes alive. The Hoosiers’ coaching staff, playing philosophy and entire roster have changed, but they’re in just about the same position they were 365 days ago. Once again, that last game comes against Ohio State, a program that’s been in a remarkably similar position.
One last opportunity to pick up a Quad 1 win awaits Indiana in Columbus.
Ohio State has played itself into pretty good standing with a home win over Purdue and a blowout on the road against Penn State. Indiana, meanwhile, almost played itself out of contention entirely. A win helps the Hoosiers far more than a loss hurts the Buckeyes.
Sorry in advance for the podcast cliche phrasing here, but a win puts Indiana in position to be in position heading into the Big Ten Tournament. From there, Indiana’s already locked into the No. 10-seed and will play one of Penn State, Rutgers or Northwestern. Any sort of run there helps the Hoosiers, but not as much as a win over Ohio State would barring any sort of miraculous performance.
A win over the Buckeyes would move the Hoosiers up to 3-10 in Quad 1 games. Is that great? No. But any sort of boost helps right now, especially in a year when the bubble is pretty weak overall. A loss probably makes a lengthy Big Ten Tournament run essential. If Indiana currently sits in the First Four, it’s vulnerable to bid stealers and other bubble teams vying for that last spot. A win probably changes that while a loss, at best, leaves the Hoosiers exactly where they are right now.
