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BTN’s Michael DeCourcy explains why Indiana still has legitimate NCAA Tournament shot

Dustin Schutte

By Dustin Schutte

Published:

Take a quick look at Indiana’s record and it tells you the Hoosiers are not an NCAA Tournament team. With one week left in the regular season, IU sits at 15-14 on the year and 6-12 in B1G play.

And yet, there’s still an argument to be made for Indiana, at least according to BTN analyst and Sporting News writer Michael DeCourcy.

Despite the less-than-impressive record, Indiana has posted some impressive wins this season. It’s registered victories over Marquette, Louisville, Butler and Wisconsin. The Hoosiers also swept the season series with Michigan State.

It’s because of those signature victories that IU remains on the bubble.

“People get a little offended, maybe, for a lack of a better term, when you mention Indiana in the same sentence as the NCAA tournament,” DeCourcy said. “I remind you, there have been 15 teams in the history of the NCAA tournament that lost 14 games. There have been two in the last three years that lost 15.

“We’re seeing a team in Indiana that has the kind of schedule, the kind of victories — six quad-one victories — that you would need to get in. But what they absolutely have to do, they have to close with two consecutive wins.”

Winning the last two games wouldn’t necessary help Indiana’s resumé — playing Illinois and Rutgers — but a loss in either of those two games could all-but-end the Hoosiers’ hopes of a tournament berth.

Even if IU wins out and ends up 17-14 at the end of the regular season, the Hoosiers would likely need at least one, maybe two wins in the B1G Tournament to give them a shot.

Still, it’s a better shot than most are giving the Hoosiers credit. There’s an opportunity there, they’ve got to take advantage.

Dustin Schutte

Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB